Ever sit through a talk that starts with a mystery — and ends without solving it? It’s like watching a movie that opens on a gun resting on a desk. You notice it. You wait for it. But the payoff never comes. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL Chekhov’s Gun is a simple rule of storytelling: If you show the audience a gun in Act I, you’d better fire it by Act III. In your talk, the “gun” might be a provocative question, a compelling stat, or a case that promises a twist. And if you don’t circle back? You leave...
17 days ago • 1 min read
A few weeks ago, I was invited to run a workshop on public speaking. Along with the invitation came a slide template - the official university-branded deck. You know the kind: big logos, gradient backgrounds, clip-art flair. This was the opening slide they asked me to use: I get it. It's well-intentioned. There’s an event logo. There's my name. There's even a helpful purple mist. But I didn’t use it. Here’s what I used instead: Why? Because your first slide isn’t just a title card. It’s a...
24 days ago • 1 min read
You’ve seen it happen. Just as your brain is catching up - just as you’re about to get it - click The slide vanishes. Replaced by the next one. And the moment is gone. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL Here’s the trap: We click when we’re done speaking. But the audience isn’t done thinking. We’ve rehearsed the message. They’re hearing it for the first time. And just when they’re starting to process it… we move on. But meaning takes a moment. Holding the slide a few beats longer - even after you’ve stopped...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Ever watched a talk and thought:“This is flawless. And I feel… nothing.” That’s the curse of overpolish. Style without soul. Technique without tension. Connection - lost in the cadence. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL The three most-watched TED Talks of all time? Sir Ken Robinson – Do Schools Kill Creativity? Amy Cuddy – Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action They’ve been watched over 200 million times between them. They’re polished. Structured. Well-lit. And...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I used to think I had to hide my nerves. I’d grip the lectern, speak a little too fast, smile a little too hard. The audience was kind. They nodded. They listened. But they felt my tension. Not because I said anything wrong - but because I carried it in my voice, my posture, my pacing. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL We often talk about what to say on stage. But let’s talk about how you show up - because your audience is watching more than your slides. They’re watching you. And without realising it, they’re...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
You’ve heard it before. Slow down.Breathe.Smile. It sounds like advice for a Year 12 speech night. But if you actually do it?It fixes 80% of delivery problems. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL Most delivery issues—rushing, mumbling, awkward tone, blanking out—don’t start on stage. They start in your nervous system. And the fastest way to reset that? 🔴 Slow down🟡 Breathe🟢 Smile They’re cliché for a reason: they work. Slowing down gives your brain time to catch up with your mouth. Breathing signals safety to...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
A few years back, I spoke about a case that involved the death of a child. My child.Before I began, I paused and said: “Just a heads up - this next part includes a case that might be difficult for some of you to hear.” Heads nodded. One person quietly stepped out. It felt like the right thing to do. But lately, I’ve been wondering - does it actually help? 💡 ONE IDEA WELL Do warnings prepare… or do they prime? I've given content warnings before.Sometimes it feels like the right thing - the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
I once saw a brilliant doctor explain febrile convulsions to a parent. He started with: “It’s about hypothalamic thermoregulation.” Accurate? Yes.Useful? Not even close. The parent nodded politely.But nothing landed. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL The more you know, the harder it is to explain. This is The Curse of Knowledge—a bias where we forget what it’s like not to know something. We assume shared language. Shared logic. Shared leaps. But when we present from that place, we leave people behind. We skip...
2 months ago • 2 min read
“I’ll just talk through this slide…” Harmless phrase, right? Except it usually means: 👉 I haven’t crafted a message - just collected some slides. 💡 ONE IDEA WELL This is one of the most common traps for early presenters: Thinking the slide is the presentation. But here’s the truth: Slides support your message. They shouldn’t be your message. If your audience can get everything they need from the slide, they don’t need you. And if they can’t make sense of the slide without you, they’re...
2 months ago • 1 min read