Woohoo! Gary is looking to organise a viewing party where we can get together and watch all your TEDxUoWaikato talks. This is great because most of you missed many of your colleagues talks while you were backstage etc. So it will be great to see your talk on the big screen and support your colleagues with their talk. And it is a good chance to catch up! I believe he is looking to organise one in Tauranga and one in Hamilton.

Most speakers write their talk, then try to perform what they wrote. That's backwards. What reads well on paper often doesn't speak well out loud. The rhythm is different. The pacing is different. The words that feel elegant when written can sound clunky when vocalised. Flow comes from 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 your talk, not parroting it. I use a technique called the OA Method — Oral-Aural. Here's how it works: Pick a chunk of your talk — a story, an analogy, one discrete section. Read through it once, then put your notes away. Record yourself speaking that chunk. Immediately play it back and listen. Think about how it lands for the audience. Repeat this seven times for the same chunk -without referring to notes. Then take a break and move to the next one. What happens is fascinating. In the first few passes, you'll notice you're missing bits. So you add them. Then you'll hear yourself glossing over important parts. So you emphasise them. Then you'll catch clunky words that need switching out. Eventually, you will be polishing the pacing, pauses and gestures. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲. They become clearer. They flow better. Because they're being shaped by speech, not by paper. This technique, more than any other, will improve the flow of your talk. But it only works if your structure is solid first. You can't polish chunks that aren't in the right order yet. How do you move from a written script to spoken delivery? 😉

It's an ad for your field. I was recently interviewing Associate Professor @Andreea Calude about her TEDx experience, and she nailed the mindset shift that trips up so many academics and experts. Her advice for future speakers? "A TEDx talk is not a textbook or a lecture. It's an ad for your research area or even your field. Speakers should act as an amazing actor on stage, performing the role of the scientist." This reframe changes everything. When you're lecturing, you're trying to transfer knowledge. You're comprehensive. You're thorough. You're... often boring. When you're advertising your field, you're trying to spark curiosity. You're selective. You're compelling. You leave them wanting more. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. The goal is to make your audience think: "I need to learn more about this." Andreea's TED Lesson "Does Grammar Matter?" has over 2 million views. She knows how to make linguistics fascinating to people who've never thought twice about grammar. That's not lecturing. That's inspiration with a purpose. If you're preparing for a TEDx talk (or any high-stakes presentation), ask yourself: Am I trying to be comprehensive? Or am I trying to be compelling? The best talks do one thing brilliantly. Not ten things adequately. What field would you want to "advertise" if you had 15 minutes on a TEDx stage? 😉

I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas, I hope you have some time with friends and family, and have a safe and happy holiday. I am away for a week to see my Dad, and some of my family down in Wellington. I will be back in time for the new year, and I am looking forward to getting the courses completed and uploaded here before I start work again in the second week of January. 🎄🎅 🍻

Tomorrow morning (my time) I am being interviewed for a podcast - From Page to Stage, which is for authors who want to promote their book. When it is published I will share it here, but these things may not publish for weeks... But it made me think: -Are podcasts something you want to know more about? My friend Steve Brossman is THE expert in this area and I am sure I can do an interview for the community if it is something you are interested in. I have a podcast. But it isn't the traditional sort, I don't have guests, and we didn't start it to help a business or to make money, we did it for fun! (I know, weird right?!). The Chris and Sam Podcast has been going for around 11 years, with 559 weekly episodes. I don't usually 'advertise' it, because it is for fun, and it certainly isn't for everyone. But it does mean I have some experience in the podcast world. In addition to TCASP, I have been interviewed on other podcasts, maybe a dozen times? I have also been a speaker on many virtual summits. So if any of this is interesting, let me know what you are curious about, and I will see what I can organise for you.