As someone over 50, with oodles of experience and wisdom to share, should public speaking form a part of your 'portfolio' career?

In this episode of Crank The 3rd, host Trevor Young sits down with Carmen Sederino, a performance master, speaking strategist, and founder of Illuminated Story.

Carmen shares her journey from being a shy child to a trained actor to now, where she is helping individuals transform high-stakes presentations into unforgettable performances.

Key Discussion Points:

• Carmen’s Background: She talks about her early career in retail leadership and her formal training in acting, which helped her excel in speaking and coaching roles.
• Professional Speaking Landscape: Carmen and Trevor explore the shifting dynamics in professional speaking post-pandemic, emphasising the blend of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
• The Role of AI: Carmen discusses how AI can generate speeches but emphasises the irreplaceable nature of human connection and quality in speaking engagements.
• Strategies for Engaging Speaking: - Moving from information-based presentations to creating immersive experiences. - Focusing on authenticity over aspiration, highlighting the importance of genuine connection and vulnerability. - Creating meaning in messages rather than simply conveying matter.
• Illuminated Story Method: Carmen shares her approach to transforming presentations by focusing on both script content and engaging delivery techniques to create a memorable impact.
• Advice for Aspiring Speakers: Reflect on personal experiences, think about the message you want to share, and understand your audience to craft a unique speaking approach.

Practical Tips:

• Utilise sound and video strategically to enhance presentations.
• Engage with audiences through storytelling and interactive elements.
• Rehearse thoroughly to ensure a seamless and impactful delivery.

Carmen's advice? Ditch the PowerPoint, tell a story: "You are so much more interesting than your PowerPoint."

Carmen’s Contact Information:

• Visit Illuminated Story for more insights and access to a masterclass on improving public speaking skills.

Conclusion:

This episode is a deep dive into mastering the art of professional speaking, blending theatrical techniques with authentic storytelling to create lasting impressions.

In this episode of the podcast, host Trevor Young is joined by Paul Sutton, an independent social and digital marketing consultant and host of the Middle Man podcast.

Paul's podcast sideline focuses on helping midlife men and their partners navigate the challenges of midlife to lead more fulfilling lives.

Throughout their conversation, Paul shares insights into his personal journey of self-discovery and how it led to the creation of his podcast.

He discusses the lack of resources available for men during the midlife transition and how the Middle Man podcast aims to fill that gap by covering topics such as mental health, physical wellness, and modern masculinity.

Trevor and Paul dive into the importance of understanding one's purpose and passion, especially in midlife.

Paul reflects on overcoming depression and the feeling of being directionless, leading him to start the podcast as an experiment.

The episode also touches on how societal changes and the redefinition of masculinity impact men today.

Paul emphasises the importance of building a movement to support midlife men by creating a platform for open dialogue and sharing experiences.

Whether you're exploring a new phase of life or seeking ways to connect with your own passions, this episode provides valuable perspectives and practical advice for anyone navigating midlife transitions.

Tune in to hear more about Paul's journey, the inspiration behind Middle Man, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Likewise, if you're interested in starting a podcast as a sideline 'passion play', Paul also shares some great tips and insights on this front as well.

CHECK OUT THE MIDDLE MAN PODCAST - https://middlemanpodcast.com/

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and automation, it's easy to feel like we're losing our edge as human professionals.

But what if I told you that the key to standing out and thriving in this AI-driven landscape isn't about competing with machines, but rather embracing our uniquely human qualities?

This is the theme of this fascinating conversation with Mark Schaefer, a marketing strategy consultant, keynote speaker, and author of the newly-released book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World.

Mark's insights shed light on how we can leverage human connection and creativity to carve out our niche in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

At the heart of Mark's philosophy is the concept of being audacious.

But what does that really mean in the context of our professional lives? It's not about grand gestures or risky stunts. Instead, it's about creating moments of awe in our everyday interactions and work.

Mark defines audacity as "something that creates a moment of awe in your life." It's about doing something that makes people sit up and take notice, something that sparks curiosity and connection.

In a world where AI can churn out competent work at lightning speed, it's these human touches that truly set us apart.

Also touched on during this conversation is Mark's own journey, how he started blogging at age 49 and how it changed his life immeasurably.

Inspiring stuff!

Here are a few quotes from Mark:

• "You can't outsmart AI. You have to out human AI."
• "What's a little thing we can do to add awe to someone's day? To just create that spark of an emotional connection between us."
• "The great mindset today is to do something so interesting, so generous, so unmissable that other people can't wait to talk about it, because those are the great storytellers and that is what is believed."

VISIT MARK'S WEBSITE - https://businessesgrow.com/

If you like what you hear on the podcast, I'd love it if you could rate and review the show via your podcast app (especially if you're on Apple Podcasts) - thank you!