Brad Montgomery, Motivational Speaker

Behind the scenes with a motivational speaker.

There’s always a LOT going on behind the scenes here!   So, what does a funny guy like me have to do in order to keep it all together?   Here’s a Bright Idea:   hire a Virtual Assistant.   So that’s just what I did – I reached out into the “V.A.” world and found a great one.

Introducing Renee Blanchard!  Renee is the newest member of my team and will head up my office without even working there.  (Though we both live in Colorado.)  We work in perfect harmony from miles apart by using internet-based tools and the phone to keep the business running smoothly.

So far our favorite tools are DropBox, GoogleDocs and Filemaker Pro & FreshBooks (free).

Renee brings her experience from the corporate world — including her last stint at Hewlett Packard — as well as her business ownership experience to the table.  She will assist current clients, and manage those all-important, behind-the-scenes details that make everything run smoothly.   In other words, she’ll help organize the office to free me up to do the motivational speaker thing — writing, researching, (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

My Worst Gig Ever

By Ron Tite, Guest Author

From Brad:   Ron approached me online with this story, and the absolute truth of it cracked me up.  I’ve done so many shows similar to this, and the pain is still fresh.  Want to peak behind the scenes to see and feel how comedians think?  you’ll  love this article.    Enjoy!   — Brad

While we all have our favorite artists or genres, I’ve always felt that true lovers of music simply like good music. Crappy, lowest common denominator country is not something I have Faith Hill in, but good country – Johnny Cash, Willie

Nelson, and on occasion, Merle Haggard – is certainly worth stepping off thetractor to listen to. Most Glam Rock, on the other hand, is more glam than rock but on the right day, at the right time, I will channel my inner-Oshawa, throw my head back, close my eyes, and sing along with Jersey Jon as he proudly proclaims, “I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I’m wanted (wanted!) dead or alive.”

I can do that because music can be neatly placed into categories. Those

categories and the artists who define them can be accessed at (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

You’ve got the talent! You’ve got the ambition! You’re sick of that corporate job! You’re ready to break out on your own as a professional speaker…or are you?

Things to Consider

Here are some things to consider before you leave that 9 to 5 job and segue into a professional speaking career:

1. Get real-world experience bfore you quit the employment ranks. People always want to know “how I got started” as a professional speaker. You don’t really j

ust “start.” I highly recommend you get some real-world training experience first. My first job in the training profession was as an employee with TRW Defense Systems. Understanding of the role of training vendors in a corporate setting is invaluable when you start approaching prospective clients, and you get paid while you learn. I then taught adjunct courses at the University of Colorado, which gave me skills in Instructional Design. You could teach a class at a Learning Annex, university extension center, or Free University in your area. Next, I presented seminars around the country for CareerTrack, Inc., which gave me a broad understanding of the meetings industry and gave me extensive platform time in front of real (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Do you have a presentation, speech, business meeting or other type of talk to give to a group? After speaking are you often left with the feeling that most of the audience was busy thinking about what they were going to have for lunch instead a paying full attention to what you were saying? When confronted with interviews, presentations, or public speeches, too many members of today’s business world are ill-equipped to speak their minds and engage an audience. Here are some tips to help today’s business person at any level speak better, perform better, and leave the audience remarking on the quality of the presentation rather than whether to have their bologna sandwich or go out for a cheese steak.

Preparation

Research The research tip can be summed up in three simple words: KNOW YOUR STUFF! “Stuff” should be replaced by whatever is appropriate to the occasion. For instance, for an interview, know your resume. For a presentation before your colleagues and associates, know your material. For a keynote address before a national convention of stockholders, know your audience. The more research you do, the more you’ll know, and the more confident you’ll be (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Few things create a more vivid perception of an executive than his speaking ability. The higher execs rise in an organization, the more frequently they are called upon to address others. Ironically, little or no training is given hapless executives to develop this skill. If they become good at public speaking, it is either a gift of genetics, they get lucky, or a combination of both.

A disregard for time | Unclear purpose | Inadequate preparation | Failure to capture attention | Pomposity | Boredom | False endings

Increasingly leaders are realizing their need for skills development that falls outside of what is typically offered by their organizations. That is one reason why executive coaching has become so popular. Often one of the primary areas coaches focus on is communication, both interpersonal and public.

As a professional who makes his living giving speeches and seminars, I’ve sat through hundreds if not thousands of executive presentations. More often than not, the speeches I’ve heard businesspeople make were less than memorable.

And far too often the presentations were painful, not only for the speaker to give, but for the audience to feign interest through.

The majority of executive presenters, even those who flopped dramatically, were well-intentioned. Nobody (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

A Great Start for Your Speech

Doing the right things to give your speech a great start.

There are things you can do to help make your humor connect right from the beginning of your talk.

-Arrive early and meet people in the audience. This builds a rapport that will increase the receptiveness of the audience to your opening lines.

-Be physically and vocally warmed up. Sometimes I step outside for some fresh air or take a brisk walk in the hallway. Actors warm up before performing. Successful speaking and humor delivery requires the same. You either warm up before you speak, or you warm up in front of the audience.

-Know your opening. This will allow you to be more relaxed at the start of your talk and it will enable you to be more observant while you are waiting for your moment on the platform. The time you spend observing, rather than mentally rehearsing your talk, will be time you may connect with some fresh and spontaneous humor to spice up your opening.

-Smile as you approach the speaking platform.

(Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

How To Be a Motivational Speaker

By Brad Montgomery, Motivational Speaker

Synopsis: Aspiring motivational speakers or corporate humorists often call me and ask: “Brad, just how can I get started on the path to being a motivational or keynote speaker?” In this article, I describe the associations beginning speakers might find helpful as well as the importance of just taking initiative to find personal success.

How To Be a Motivational Speaker

When I’m asked for advice about being a humorist or motivational speaker, I always say that it takes personal drive as well as some familiarity with the world of speaking. Becoming a speaker is anything but a lonely journey; there are all sorts of organizations to help you with your skills and connections, where motivational speakers from small communities or national organizations come together to meet and discuss the trade. One of the first steps to success is finding and participating in these organizations. The National Speakers Association is the largest organization for professional speakers, and it has many regional subsets and local groups. For aspiring speakers, attending local meetings (Continue Reading…)

Be Sociable, Share!

•