Giving a Toast without Losing Your Lunch
Adriana Baer Adriana Baer

Giving a Toast without Losing Your Lunch

Forced to give a toast when all you want is to be home in your reindeer slippers sipping eggnog by your plug-in fire? Don’t want to spend the next 4 weeks worrying about the speech, practicing it over and over again in the bathroom mirror, buying a new blouse, googling “jokes for toasts,” and generally losing your lunch? This is how to do it.

Read More
Are You Standing in the 'Pit of Despair'?
Adriana Baer Adriana Baer

Are You Standing in the 'Pit of Despair'?

Here’s a peeve of mine. I go to an event. There’s a stage of sorts, whether it be a real stage or just a zone where the people are going to speak. We get settled in our spots to watch the talking, and the talker comes out into the space. And then… They stand somewhere terrible.

Read More
What public speakers can learn from actors and performers
Adriana Baer Adriana Baer

What public speakers can learn from actors and performers

If you're someone who wants to grow your career, you need to speak up and speak out. But when your expertise isn't public speaking but... oh, I don't know... your actual job, then you might see this as a roadblock to success. You need some concrete tools!

Here are some of the skills actors use that any speaker can start to practice.

Read More
You Have to Warm Up Before You Speak. Seriously.
Adriana Baer Adriana Baer

You Have to Warm Up Before You Speak. Seriously.

Ever noticed how musicians warm up before a performance, even when they’ve played the piece a thousand times? As speakers, we are our own instruments. And yet, most people neglect warming up their breath, voice, and body. Whether we’re talking to 1 person or 100, we have to prioritize this. Skipping the warm up means missing out on peak performance and impact.

Read More