At some point in the history of the English language, birds got a raw deal and became the butt of jokes and negative slurs. For example, if someone called you bird brain, jive turkey or old buzzard, you most likely would not leave the conversation feeling terribly friendly towards that person, or particularly good about… read more

  About two weeks ago, I’m wrapping up a video coaching session with a client named Gary. Always inquisitive, Gary said “Dez, one last question before we finish up . . . what is the sparkling jewel (glaringly obvious thing) that most speakers overlook during the presentation process?” For a moment, I struggled to answer… read more

In today’s social media-induced world of likes, shares and tweets, it’s easy to be seduced into believing that just because you’re standing in front of an audience, you automatically have their undivided attention. The reality is, every single time you address a group, you are auditioning. It doesn’t matter if you’re the company’s CEO, senior… read more

I’ll never forget coaching Angela Page back in July 2017. She was preparing to give a 15- minute, high stakes board presentation. Her coaching package included a draft of her speech, two revisions and four 90-minute coaching sessions. That’s correct . . . four sessions for a 15- minute presentation. What you don’t know is… read more

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m here today seeking justice on behalf of the falsely accused PowerPoint presentation. A word of caution before we begin ― this court proceeding will deviate from the traditional hearings process in which both sides present an opening statement outlining what their version of the evidence will show. In… read more