I’m a nervous traveller, I hate crowds, and I have a constant fear of becoming lost in strange cities and never being found (despite being literate, owning a cell phone, and never having left the country). Yesterday, I flew to Chicago by myself to attend a conference (SOBCon08) where I didn’t know a single person in a city I had never visited, where I have been sharing a hotel room with a complete stranger from another country. I couldn’t sleep for the two days before because of being totally freaked out, and when my plane was briefly diverted because of …read more

Well, I’m back from my fun Toastmaster’s conference weekend in sunny Ft. Walton Beach Florida! Only thing is, for me it wasn’t so sunny… or so fun.
I had MANY challenges this weekend, the largest one being a hoarse voice. When I gave the business presentation tips on Friday, that was one thing I left off discussing. That is, ways to compensate in your presentation if you lose your voice or have a very sore throat. Although there is no way to tell when this will happen, when it does occur, it can be embarassing and costly. When you are a presenter …read more

Anyone who has ever done a business presentation can attest to how much work and time is involved in preparation. Outside of nervous jitters, you have to be sure that everything is done right. To make it (somewhat) effortless requires adequate and focused preparation.I’m headed this weekend to my Toastmaster’s Conference that will be held in
(drum roll, please)

Ft. Walton Beach, FL!!! I am so-o-o excited about getting one more lazy beach day in that I hope I don’t forget to pack sunscreen! Oh, okay yes, I am also excited about the speaking conference… and the chance to do a presentation …read more