This Moved Me

Scott Savage – a Twitter friend! - found me through one of my all-time favorite episodes – Hank Fortener. Hank and Scott have many things in common – they are both speakers, they are both pastors, they both have this wonderful combination of skill and insight that makes them both really good at what they do, but also WISE at what they do. These are my favorite kinds of guests – guests that dig deeper with me on why this matters. In Scott's life - whether as a blogger or speaker, his goal is to empower us with new perspective - and he makes good on that promise. And here’s what I really appreciate about Scott – he is so clear and honest on the WORK that it takes to become a transformative speaker. He believes in the opportunities that are in front of us when we “take the stage.” And he prepares, invites feedback, polishes, invests himself… and then starts over again the following week. That kind of dedication and commitment has earned my respect – and I can’t wait for you to also lean into his insight.   Sh

I'm on week two of an unexpected hiatus from the shows while I revive my dead website. And, as promised, I have a show for you...  I decided to share with you some of the many (many!) outtakes that I have gathered over the last year...A little fun, a little laughter - a little reminder that even we people behind the mic get it wrong. Enjoy!

My website is broken - so I'm taking an early "spring break" - or hiatus - from my interview episodes to share with you a few This Moved Me Moments that have struck me in the last few weeks! -Send in YOUR This Moved Me Moment by tagging @ThisMovedMe in Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - and I might share yours on the show! Also - if you want to support This Moved Me financially (I mean, why not?! ) even $1 an episode can make a HUGE difference! Check out http://www.patreon.com/thismovedme to learn more.

  This is my favorite part of the process.   It's the AHA part!  The part where you're standing in the shower... or wandering through your commute... or sitting on the porch with a glass of wine (ok, that one doesn't actually happen all that often, but isn't it a nice image?!)... and then BAM! IT COMES TO YOU!   When I was in grad school, finishing up my Master's degree - with a brand, spanking-new one-month old! - I remember waking up in the middle of the night with the PERFECT ending to my final project! I was so excited! But I was also so tired. So without realizing what was happening, I fell back to sleep (like only a new parent can do) and when I woke up the next morning, I couldn't remember it! It was gone. Like, poof. Gone. Totally blank. All I knew was that something brilliant came to me in the middle of the night.   That's how these things work. (If you want to hear more about this kind of magical idea-floating thing, just read Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Big Magic. I am slightly obsessed with it.)  

Joel Boggess – author, speaker, broadcast journalist – and host of the highly-acclaimed podcast “Re-Launch” with over 200,000 listeners – joined me for a conversation about how to build your influence, whether in front of an audience or over the airwaves. Joel is a generous spirit – giving so thoughtfully of his expertise in the podcasting community, which is where I met him! Together we talked about the growth of Re-Launch, and how he’s translated his expertise to become a teacher and mentor through his speaking engagements. Enjoy!   Show highlights: On Bringing Your Story to Life [Tweet ""There's almost no more intimate connection than a #podcast." ~@JoelBoggess on @ThisMovedMe"]   On the show, we talked about: Joel's history and experience as a communicator The growth trajectory of his podcast, and how he's brought his expertise to his audiences The essential trust between speaker and audience - and how to build that What community has to do with our work as speakers The power of MESSAGE to connect us

We are in week three of this 5-part series on the creative process! Yay! If you haven't yet listened to parts one and two, go ahead and do that first so this all makes more sense. Today's Mini Moved Me is all about how we can REFRAME our work. In other words, are we open to seeing our work in a different way? Exploring the possibilities? Stretching the approaches? Often, the tools in our tool belt - i.e., all the research we are continuously doing - makes it possible to see our work in a different light. Creating something "new" is really about seeing the old in new ways, and making it your own. [Tweet "As #speakers - reframing is important if we are to bring new insight to old ideas (and they're all old ideas). "]     Some ideas from Andy in terms of how we can "reframe" as we're creating something new: -What Works Matrix by Jack Welch - identifying people, companies, organizations that are doing it well (not exactly like you - but something you aspire to) -Expect and plan on trying and failing. There is s

Paul is back! This it the third time I’ve had Paul on the show with me, because… well, I love to listen to Paul talk. :) And, because he has wonderful stories to tell and ideas to share with us! He sent me an email a few weeks back and shared a story with me – and I thought – there is so much good stuff in here, we gotta share it with my movers (that’s you!). So, sit back, take a listen – and enjoy a story by Paul about the power of the metaphor in moving your audience.   Listen to the podcast You can listen in iTunes, Stitcher - or, if you're on the website, scroll to the bottom of the post for the player! Show highlights: On the Power of the Metaphor [Tweet ""What business are we in for this presentation? In the business of change." @PaulTomes on @ThisMovedMe"]   Today's show is all about a story that Paul shares of a coaching moment with one of Paul's speakers. This story was inspired by the movie As It Is in Heaven - a Swedish film from 2004 that moved Paul greatly.  And then, he used the inspiration

  We are in week two of diving into the Creative Process! Last week's episode laid the foundation for this series - so if you haven't listened to it yet, go back and listen to that one now as it will help this all make a little more sense! Today's Mini Moved Me is all about RESEARCH. "Research" means feeding your brain with good stuff. Podcasts, audio books, music, YouTube videos, Lynda courses, UdeMe, reading books, taking online courses, talking to experts, talking to friends. Even scrolling Facebook could be considered "research." (Or, at least, that's my excuse for the wormhole of time I spend on there sometimes...)  It can be specifically about your topic - or, it can be seemingly un-related. Of course, we all know that things are connected in ways we can't always see initially. We feed our brains as a part of the process  so when an opportunity arises to CREATE, we have all this juice in our nogins that makes our creations rich, connected, vibrant, interesting, thoughtful... Sometimes, this "research"

Have you heard of the Women’s Speaker’s Association? The WSA has been a great source of support and resource for me – and it’s also where I’ve made some great connections, including today’s guest. Christy Primmer is a speaker, author, coach, counselor – even spelling bee champion! - and she is a pro. She brings her sassy self to the stage, mastering the art of taking about tough subjects with finesse and care.

How many of you have gotten STUCK before?! Struggled with making the new?!  Felt at a creative loss?! Felt tired, bored, uninspired, alone!? Ugh, yes. Me too. A few months ago, I got a wonderful question from my friend (well, I like to think we're "friends" - do Twitter-friends count?) Grant,  who asked how he, as a pastor and frequent speaker with a demanding schedule, stays inspired, energized, creative. My first reaction to Gavin was to share with him this framework for the creative process that I've learned from my hubs, Andy. So, I did a Mini Moved Me and blog post - and talked through the essential creative process when we're making something new, hoping that within this framework would be something helpful for Gavin. But there is so much more to dig into here - because it applies to ALL of us. If we're creating ANYTHING, we are in the various stages of this framework several times a day, many times over. And there are things we can do to get better at creating.

Today’s guest – Ann Imig – blogger (Ann’s Rants), humorist, performer and the creator of the Listen To Your Mother events (and author of the book of the same name) – is living out the idea of sharing our stories. LTYM, a live event that brings voice to people’s experiences with motherhood. And this has grown tremendously in the past 6 years, with shows in 41 cities throughout North America. Ann is funny, insightful, determined – and bringing her mission of live storytelling to life.

Sometimes the biggest hurdle we face when rehearsing is actually standing up and jumping in.  As a coach, I know all the signs... prolonged chit-chat, sudden stories of our kids, last-minute bathroom visits, extra goofing off, changes of subject... I know, I know - it's a challenging moment, when you have to stand up and say out loud these ideas that you've been playing with. It's the first time you are really putting yourself out there. And we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. But what if we took off some of the pressure?  What if, instead of thinking of it as a rehearsal, we thought of it as a "stumble-through"?  

Self-promotion is the woe of many of us speakers, entrepreneurs, creatives, authors... if we're creating something, we must also face the reality that if we want people to see this thing that we've created, well, we've gotta promote it. We've gotta promote ourselves. For many of us, that's no fun. And it's for sure a ton of work. My guest today, Michelle Evans, is a pro. Her career spans from working as highly sought-after talent at Microsoft to coaching newbies to help them get discovered and now creating her own business full-time. She is a speaker herself, and her message is on helping people like us find our audience. As she says, "You can't buy a secret." And though we know it's not all about people buying what we're creating, it's a wonderful gift to be paid for our passion. And luckily, Michelle has volumes of advice - not just for me - but for us all! Enjoy!

For the next few weeks, we're talking about the SASI Method. (If you haven't listened to Part One - Part Two - or Part Three yet, go ahead and listen to it now to help set the foundation for today's final part!) SASI = SPACE, AUDIENCE, SPEAKER and IDEA. These four elements are essential in preparing for a talk. And today's topic is about IDEA. 

Remember Joe Schmit, one of my guests from last season? Suuuuper nice guy - TV sports anchor - speaker and author? Well, he sent me an email (I love it when guests stay in touch!) and said to me, "You should have Kelly Fern on your show."  (If you know this show/know me, and think someone would be great for me to talk with, let me know!)  I thought, ok sure! And then I read her story. You guys, her story is incredible. It's the kind of story that you think is likely made up in some back room in Hollywood to sell tickets to movies - but no, this story is real. And for us as speakers and storytellers, there are so many important facets to bringing voice to our own experiences. So, Kelly - author, speaker - the subject of documentaries and interviews on radio and television - well,  we talked about how we can bring our stories to life - even difficult stories. Even stories that haven't been told before. Maybe even especially those stories.

For the next few weeks, we're talking about the SASI Method. (If you haven't listened to Part One or Part Two yet, go ahead and listen to it now to help set the foundation for today's part three.) SASI = SPACE, AUDIENCE, SPEAKER and IDEA. These four elements are essential in preparing for a talk. And today's topic is about SPEAKER. 

A few weeks ago I met Levi Weinhagen at the Ignite Minneapolis event. I had been hearing about Levi for awhile - both he and my husband are in the improv community here in the Twin Cities - and he hosts a really successful podcast called the Pratfalls Podcast about how we as creatives move through life (which is often full of pratfalls, of course). Levi did a great job of emceeing Ignite that night, so I really wanted him to join me for a conversation to talk about his various experience as a creative person and performer. I'm so excited to be sharing this conversation with you, because Levi brings those skills and the mindset of an improviser to what he does and who he is as a person... taking risks, following your fear, listening well, how to bring the 'funny' (or not) - and, perhaps most importantly, why fart jokes are actually really, really important (really). AND - I sang. (You're welcome/I'm sorry.) I was moved to, I couldn't help it! Enjoy!

For the next few weeks, we're talking about the SASI Method. (If you haven't listened to Part One yet, go ahead and listen to it now to help set the foundation for part two.)  SASI = SPACE, AUDIENCE, SPEAKER and IDEA. These four elements are essential in preparing for a talk. And today's topic is about AUDIENCE. 

My guest on today's show has found a great phrase for boring presentations that overload us with info... it's called "Data Puking." Gross! But accurate. We can do so much better! Lea Pica has spent her career transforming boring old info into presentations that engage and excite. She is funny, warm and a total pro. Check it out! 075: Lea Pica - On Not Data Puking

On this week's Mini Moved Me, it's about getting sassy. Well, actually, it's about getting S.A.S.I. (Ha, see what I did there?)   Back in college in theater class, we talked about four key elements of theater: Space, Audience, Actor and Idea. Well, as I dove into the world of speaking, I did my own translating of those concepts for us as speakers, to SPACE, AUDIENCE, SPEAKER and IDEA. These four elements are essential in preparing for a talk. I dig into a method of preparation that I use with my speakers - and with my own talks, as well. It ensures I don't get lazy - and that I've at least thought-through all the big questions.  And today's show is about the first S = SPACE.