✈️ Airport Thoughts

Right now, I’m at the airport waiting to board a flight to Adelaide.

Tomorrow, I’ll be stepping onto the stage at Compassion Revolution to do something I’ve never done before.

No slides.
No clicker.
Just me, the audience, and the words I’ve chosen.

🎤 A Talk, or a Performance?

Most of the time, I tell people not to memorise every word.

Instead:

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But this talk… is different.

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This one’s more like a monologue.
A performance.
A story with emotional weight - and rhythm.

So I’ve done something I haven’t done before.

I’ve learned it.

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🧠 How I Memorised the Whole Thing

Here’s what I’ve done, in case you ever want to try this yourself:
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1. Break it into scenes

The talk has a clear structure: nine scenes, each with its own emotional arc.
That made it easier to visualise the flow and mentally bookmark each section.
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2. Chunk each scene

Within each scene, I grouped ideas into small clusters—two or three sentences at most.
Each cluster had a natural rhythm or beat. I learned those like stanzas in a poem.
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3. Practise out of order

Once I had the talk in place, I rehearsed it non-linearly.
Scene 9 → Scene 2 → Scene 6.
This helped me build flexibility and prevented panic if I ever lose my place.
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4. Walk and speak

I rehearsed on my feet.
Walking the streets. Saying the words aloud.
Testing how they landed.
Feeling which parts needed trimming—or emphasis.
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5. Refine for rhythm

Some sentences were built like poetry.
Not because I like flowery language, but because I needed the words to land.
So I shaped them with care—word by word.

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🖼️ Why I Ditched the Slides

This talk isn’t about data. It’s about connection.
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Here’s why I’m going slide-free:

• Because story deserves silence.
• Because I want the audience to listen—not skim.
• Because I don’t want their attention split between bullet points and my face.
• Because some talks don’t need slides. They need space.

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And practically?

• No fiddling with the clicker.
• No black screens.
• No "Can everyone see this okay?"

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🎯 Lessons You Can Use

Even if you’re not going fully slide-free, here’s what you can take from this:
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✅ Memorise your first 30 seconds​
The opening sets your tone and your confidence. Nail that first beat, and you’re off.
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✅ Speak it aloud—early and often​
Your writing voice and your speaking voice are different. You’ll only hear the difference when you say it.
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✅ Use beats, not bullets
Think in ideas, not lines. Anchor your memory to moments, not text.
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✅ Don’t just rehearse. Perform.​
Even a teaching talk has an emotional rhythm. Find it.

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🎤 TRY THIS

Take your next talk and find the three turning points.
Practice transitioning between them—without your slides.
Feel how the story moves.

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📺 Tune in next week and I’ll tell you how it went—what worked, what wobbled, and what I’d do differently.

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Speak soon,

Andy

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P.S.​
Have you ever tried going slide-free?
Hit reply—I’d love to know how it went.
Or tell me what’s holding you back. Maybe I can help.