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Stage time,

He didn’t even hesitate! He said he’d always known he would “make it.” He never had a doubt. Wow!

I wish I could say that. My whole path has been riddled with doubt. Do you have any doubt about your dream?

It’s OK to have doubt. Just don’t focus on it. Instead, direct your focus to the “next step” that’ll take you towards that dream. I have friends whom I love and care about, but who secretly drive me crazy.

One friend, in particular, tells me about her vision of speaking to thousands of woman and sharing her story of abuse. She can see the vision so clearly, she can feel it! She is very passionate, and I believe she will help many. Let’s call her Patty. Patty’s heart is in the right place. But, it’s her footsteps that bother me.

Patty has never given a speech before. That’s OK. We all have to start somewhere, but the important thing is to start. Some of you might be thinking, “What about Toastmasters?” I’ve introduced her to Toastmasters! In fact, I’ve personally introduced her to several friends in my home club, to make sure she feels welcome and comfortable. She attended a club meeting once. That’s it. Once. Now, when I ask her about going back, I hear excuses like, “That night is my workout night…”

Two things about this bother me. First, she has a great message and a passion for helping others. Even while learning to speak, there are people at Toastmasters clubs that need to hear those stories and messages. She could be helping people along her journey, as she grows.

The second thing that bothers me is that her children are watching. They learn by example. They hear what we say, and they really “register” what we do. It’s so clear to me that if you want to be a speaker… you need to speak! If you want to be a great speaker… speak more! If you want to really impact your audience, never turn down “stage time.”

Friends and family will support our dreams, though secretly may be jealous. At the same time, they are watching our “steps” — or lack of them. People don’t like to be told what to do, unless they are truly asking for advice. I find that people are inspired by action. Are you inspiring people around you with your own courage?

Next steps can be scary. In the case of my friend, Patty, I don’t want to help anymore — until she takes a step. If she’s not willing to take the first step, why should I spend time explaining the second? When I went to my mentors, I didn’t even think of asking for a next step until I had completed the first. For me, it was respect of their time.

I have never before used two quotes in an issue of Stage Time. But, these two just seemed to build perfectly upon one another.

“Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.”
~ Jim Rohn

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
~ Jim Rohn

There are many ways that a vision can come to fruition. What if Patty’s vision does come true, and she gets the opportunity to speak to thousands of people?

Here is the “even scarier” part to me…

Patty is a good writer, has great content, and is wonderful and helpful. What if — through writing and consulting — Patty gets this chance to speak in front of thousands? It could definitely happen. The scary part is that speaking in front of a live audience is very different from writing or dealing with people one-on-one. Nerves can get in the way of communicating the message. In my opinion, a golden opportunity to influence & make a difference would be missed because she wouldn’t be “prepared” with experience. The best content — and the best intentions — can be blocked by nerves.

Whatever you want to accomplish, ask someone who has been there to share with you the best “next step” to getting there. Then take the step. It’s OK to be nervous and scared. That’s normal and natural. If these steps weren’t scary, everyone would take them! I always say, “If you take away my struggle, you take away my growth.”

Your kids are watching. What are they seeing?

Maybe you’re like Vinnie, and you knew exactly where you’d be… with no doubt. If so, excellent! If you’re like me, and you have a dream with an occasional doubt, just focus on taking that next step.

Ask yourself,

“Am I dreaming by example?”

“How far would someone go while following in my footsteps?”

“What step will I take this week?”

Stage time,

Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking

I feel like I’m having a baby!

Stage time,

Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking

I was shocked when I heard the presenter say, “Find old Reader’s Digest Magazines…”

What? Are you kidding me?!

The presenter was basically telling people to steal other people’s stories. Ouch! In the world I grew up in — stand-up comedy — that was the fastest way to get “black-balled” from the stage.

At that exact moment I realized that — although I wasn’t a professional comedian — I could teach humor much better than the presenter. At least I wouldn’t teach people to steal!

I’ve been teaching humor secrets ever since. Now, for the very first time, I’m getting ready to release a Humor Home Study Course of my own.

On a World Champions’ EDGE conference call this week, we covered this subject, and I thought you would appreciate these ideas.

So, where do you find original,
compelling content of your own?

.

#1 ~ Your Ah-ha Moments

While sitting in the audience listening to an incredible speaker, Glenna Salsbury, CSP, CPAE, I finally go it! She made it so simple. I had always wondered why some stories were so powerful and others were just stories. Glenna teaches to look for our ah-ha moments from our own lives. AH-HA! That’s was an ah-ha for me.

Over the years, I’ve been telling the story of my comedy mentor, Vinnie Favorito, when he said, “Darren, if you ever turn down stage time I will never help you again.” Ouch! That story and lesson has literally resonated around the world. Why? Not because I’m an amazing storyteller. (I’m working on it!) It’s powerful because it was one of my biggest ah-has. When it comes from your heart, you’ll connect deeper. What have been your ah-ha’s? Take some time to really reflect.

#2 ~ Relentlessly Research Your Topic

Even if you’re an expert, you are still never done learning about your topic. When I was working on my World Championship speech, my coach, Mark Brown, helped me to parallel my story with the story of Dr. Robert Goddard. He was the rocket scientist who launched the first liquid-fueled rocket, and it happened in my home town.

Although I was quite familiar with his story, I decided to take some of my anxiety and channel it into something positive… research. I relentlessly read books, visited museums, and talked with experts. I learned some fascinating things about Dr. Goddard. Did you know that he invented the Bazooka? And solar panels! And, the first book to land on the moon was his biography, This High Man, the Life of Robert H. Goddard.

As interesting as the research was, not all of it was completely relevant to my speech. But, during the process, I discovered a newspaper headline that read, “Moonrocket misses target by 238,799 and 1/2 miles!”

This would become a funny line — and a very crucial part of my speech. Without the research, I would never have discovered that headline. What are you missing, that could be compelling content? Do the research!

#3 ~ Interview Experts

When I was just getting started in speaking I was still an amateur comedian, and I had no credibility. I took inventory of what resources I had. One of my biggest assets –  that I didn’t even realize was an asset — was friends who were professional comedians. So many people in speaking were asking me for humor tips, I thought I’d interview the Boston Headliner Comedians & Humorists from my local NSA Chapter in Boston. I asked them the questions I wanted to know… not only to learn myself, but also to help others, as well. I interviewed each of them for an hour and then distilled the interviews down to 30-minute content-rich sessions. That became my foundation for Learn How the Pros Make ‘em Laugh.

I used the other people’s credibility, and I became the expert by being the guy who collected the information. Using that same idea, I interviewed business owners to write the book Laugh and Get Rich. Who can you interview to get more compelling content?

#4 ~ Friends and Family

I learned from Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE about going back to your childhood. She reminded me that we tell some of our best stories over and over again at the dinner table with friends and family. Fripp and I agree that the biggest problem with emerging speakers is they undervalue their own experience. Audiences will connect emotionally to our stories, more than literally.

Ask your friends and family to remind you of the best lessons and stories from your younger years. I was reminded of being born with a club foot, and how my Mom used to say that nothing would stop me. If I wanted something I would just drag my little cast behind me and crawl to get it. What stories have you forgotten about?

#5 ~ Experiments

OK, be creative! How about doing your own experiments or tests related to your field of expertise? I started taking my blood pressure right before I spoke several times last year to see what happened. Hey, I need to do that again! Be creative, have fun. It can be compelling when you’re the one who created the experiment and can share the results as a story. Your story. What experiments could you do?

Where does your best content come from?

Thank you for providing tools and techniques to use right away! In fact, I think I used them without thinking about it because you implanted them in my mind so well!

Today was the first day I presented as Education Coordinator for our BNI chapter (Business Networking International). (2-3 mins) Everyone loved it and laughed more than I expected they would!

I didn’t think I could be funny but I got laughs!

For example, Sergio is the realtor with the mostest. (they laughed). he has the most credentials, the most passion, and the most ambition. (I tried to use the power of 3, and change the last one to be different, and though it didn’t work, they loved the “mostest”)

and I ended with:
I am from Kansas, I am not she but think about Dorothy, There’s no place like home…. There’s no business like your business!

Thanks again, Darren!

Keeping it fun!

Deborah Reisdorph aka “ladylawca”
Proud EDGE member, and Humor Boot Camp Survivor

Love to hear this…

Stage time,
Darren LaCroix, World Champion of Public Speaking

PS: Get the same secrets in Get More Laughs By Next Week

Look “behind the scenes” as I create Get More Laughs By Next Weektm.

Stage time,
Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking

I’m going to do a huge launch of this new learning tool in June! I will be looking to get some testimonials from people who are serious about humor and offer an incentive to be one of the first to check it out. I’m only doing a limited run for this. If you want to be the first to check it out, and be in this exclusive group, go to:
Get More Laughs By Next Week.com

Stage time,
Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking

This past weekend I was in California speaking less than a mile from where I won the World Championship of Public Speaking. I started getting “sappy” when I took the stage at the conference. It felt like the circle of life… As I come within a month of retiring from speaking at Toastmasters events, I was speaking just down the road form where it all began.

I was giving my speech, Humor and Hope. Lately, after that speech, I’ve had several people come up to me, excited — but bummed-out — saying, “I don’t have a dream.” This time was no exception. A woman walked up to me and said, “I have too many goals, so I’m not really making progress towards any. What can I do?”

I thought back to my own experience. My first dream was to make people laugh. I thought that “becoming a comedian” was the only path to that goal. I pursued that relentlessly. I took every class I could, got all the stage time I could, and become a best student of any mentor I could find.

Then, while attending a seminar, I met humorist, Rosemary Verri. A humorist? What’s that? A professional speaker? What’s that? I joined Toastmasters and National Speakers Association.

Let me get this straight… the audiences are sober, want a message, speeches are in nicer location, I don’t have to be as funny, and they are going to pay me ten times as much as comedy? I’m in! That was not the game-changer though.

Although I couldn’t afford it, I attended my first NSA conference and was blown away by a speaker and POW, Captain Gerald Coffee. I walked dumbfounded to the pool and wrote a seven-page letter to my mom. For the first time in my life, I found out where I belonged. I had found my home. I knew this was what I would do — in some form — for the rest of my life.

Had I not pursued my original goal relentlessly, I never would have discovered an even bigger dream that I didn’t even know existed! That dream became my passion. At first, it was to become a comedian. Then a professional speaker. Next was to become World Champion. Then it was to become the greatest speaker coach. Now, it’s to become the best Vegas headliner.

These thoughts all happened in an instant. I looked at this bewildered attendee and suggested, “Life is short, choose one and pursue it. If you don’t put a destination into the GPS, you’ll just spend your life driving aimlessly from gas station to gas station (or home to work). Yet, if you pursue the one you are most passionate about, you may just find an ever bigger dream that today you do not even know exists. What could be waiting for you?”

What do you think?

Have you ever discovered a bigger goal while you were pursuing a smaller one?