MBR Public Speaking - Great Talks Put The Audience First

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Public speaking gets labeled as “stage work,” but for most of us it shows up in conference rooms, staff meetings, budget reviews, project updates, and the moments when a leader has to be clear under pressure. John Wandolowski and Greg Powell dig into a different way to think about presentation skills: it is not a performance, it is an engagement. When we stop trying to sound impressive and start trying to serve the listener, we become calmer, clearer, and more credible. 

We apply the MBR mindset to executive communication and leadership development, where responsibility means owning not just what we said, but how it lands. If the room is confused or checked out, something in the communication broke and it is on us to fix it. We talk about what great speakers do differently, why strategic speaking must connect to what matters, and how nerves can spike when you start measuring yourself against experts. The fix is practical: return your focus to the audience and build familiarity through practice. 

You will leave with four disciplines you can use immediately apply in workplace presentations: (1) protect audience engagement by reading the room, (2)cut jargon so your first sentence lands, (3) practice until you sound prepared (not memorized), and (4) focus on one central idea so people remember what matters. We also point to resources like Toastmasters-International as a resource for practicing your skills. If you want your next talk to earn trust and move decisions forward, listen, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with your best public speaking tip.

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Presented by John Wandolowski and Greg Powell