Stand Up Comedy Is Hard - Which Is Exactly Why I Am Doing It.

The idea of doing a set at a comedy club was scary.  Even an open mic night just seemed way out of my comfort zone and the little voice in my head warned me of how embarrassing it would be to bomb. Who was I to attempt comedy?

I have acted and taken improv classes.  I have delivered over 750 professional speeches and hosted nearly 400 episodes of a podcast. But stand up?  No Way. While I use humor in my presentations,  I am not funny.

Stand Up comedy is clearly the most unforgiving use of the spoken word.  The chances of a joke not landing are close to 10 to 1 according to many comics.  As a chickenshit I did not like those odds.

In my teens and 20s I loved going to see comedy shows. I secretly wished I had the skills (and the bravery) to get up there, but I simply did not have the confidence. Wishing and dreaming does not lead to actions.


That all changed in March of 2018 in New York City. I have a friend who is a popular speaker on the topic of humor in the workplace. He is also a comic.  While I was in the city he invited me along to open mic night, which at the time of the invitation I assumed was to watch him work on new material.  

His intention was not for me to be in the audience, but instead to get on stage.  I froze at the thought.

"No Way" came out of my mouth so fast it was crazy.

But then I remembered the mantra I have tried to live by for the last two years: "Make age 50 to 75 the best years of my life", and I agreed to try.

Before my trip I prepared a five minute set, but it was more of humor from my business speeches than comedy club style jokes.  None-the-less, I did it and some people laughed.  It was not horrible, and I felt good for pushing myself and getting up on stage.

Yet doing something once is often not enough, especially if you think there is something more to the experience.  I have become an advocate for trying new things, and it is now part of what I teach my clients.  Thus I have to live my own talk.  I do not like everything I venture into (surfing was not really my cup of tea, but I did it recently), and if it is not "right" there is no reason to keep going.  Yet when there is something to be learned from the experience, I owe it to myself to get past the fear of the unknown.

Since my initial attempt at comedy I have been to 14 additional open mic nights.  I go to clubs and bars with comedy nights both in my home city of Austin, and I discover open mics while I am traveling for business (It beats sitting in my hotel room watching Netflix).  I have developed three different five minute "sets" and am working to fine tune my timing, comedy writing, observation skills, and confidence in the art of humor.

Do not misunderstand me, I am not good at comedy. Yet.  This is a long haul process.

It is very hard. Learning to do stand up is among the most difficult tasks I have ever undertaken, which is exactly why I am doing it with such intention.  I spent too much of my life listening to that little voice that told me all the reasons I should not do things.

If you feel you have held yourself back, get out of that routine and try new things. When you are willing to try new things and are open to failure (and maybe failing big-time) that is where you will find the most amazing growth. I know I am new to comedy and have yet to find my voice, but I keep going to open mic nights every week. I am working to discover things about humor and about myself. All of this is already having a positive impact in other areas of my life. I am learning a lot from NOT being good. Too often I have stayed close to things I do well. And the chances of flopping are always present when you do an open mic night, so to keep showing up I am living with the unknown each time. In all I do there is more confidence. Clearly if I can jump into this arena and do it when I am raw and unproven, then what I am great at should seem easy. Find reasons to say yes to things that are outside your comfort zone. Your efforts will force learning to happen. For you this may not be comedy. It might be jumping out of a plane or learning to paint. The key is doing something new.

My overall goal is to do 100 open mic nights. This could take over two years, as my family commitments do not allow me to go out to bars and clubs 3 or 4 nights a week. I am not even sure I am interested in doing a featured show, but I guess as I get better that opportunity could present itself (and while even scarier, I will say yes when the time comes).

Go do what is hard. If you are younger than me, don't wait until you are 50 years old to realize you have let fear stop you from taking the chances that could lead to a fulfilling life.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

Recipe for Success

Recipe for success:

Passion.
Plans.
People.

In all my recent research and conversations about how people achieve more of their potential, the recipe is simple.  Passion + Plans + People.  

Passion.  It sound simple - If you are not fired up about what you are trying to do, then you will have a hard time keeping your focus over the long run. Accomplishing great things takes time.  Usually more time than you predict at the beginning. Having a deep passion for your work will get you out of bed and put the smile on your face even in the face of adversity.

Plans.  Goal setting is paramount to success. I am amazed at those who dis the idea of having focused targets, as everyone I know who has consistently kicks butt in life has a series of clear plans. When you have goals it makes it easy to make the hard decisions, as you simply ask with every action "will this take me closer to my goals or not?".  

People. All opportunities come from people.  No matter what you do, there are other humans who have a direct and indirect impact on your outcomes. Who you connect with and how your engage with those in your network will make the biggest difference on how you realize your potential.

Having interviewed hundreds of people on the subject of potential and success, all the answers are tied to these three areas. Examine your daily actions and pay close attention to your passion, plans and the people you spend time with regularly.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

New Networking At Association Events

Surveys show that people still attend conferences for the "Networking Opportunities".  Even in our social media crazed world, there is still a desire to meet people face to face and establish professional connections.

Yet many events fall short of their potential.  Bringing the best and brightest from any industry together at an association annual meeting should in itself be ideal for networking, but even with the desire to connect, too often people do not really meet others.

Some hang out with their co-workers and other close friends, but worse are all the people who are all alone at the event, and only superficially engage.  The worst part is that many people feel lonely even in the crowd. 

A 2017 article in the Harvard Business Journal by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, "Work and the Epidemic of Loneliness", chronicles the problems that loneliness causes in the workplace.  Conferences are no different.  Muthry says "Happy hours, coffee breaks, and team-building exercises are designed to build connections between colleagues, but do they really help people develop deep relationships?"  Not so much, and not at industry meetings either.

If one of the purpose of a conference is to really help people connect, we must change up how we are setting up all aspects of the event. An open bar is not the answer to getting people to connect.  Being aware of cliques and thinking about those people who may feel invisible even while surrounded by others.

One quick change that can have immediate impact is how we ask speakers to engage.  A celebrity speaker who talks for 45 minutes and is shuttled out of the building by their handlers is not the future of engaging multi-day events.  People seek a peer-to-peer connection with those who present. If your speakers best skill is getting to the airport 30 minutes after leaving the stage, it is time to rethink the purpose of the keynote.

Additionally, shorter talks are not helping with engagement. Ever since the explosion of the TED and TEDx conferences there has been a push to shorten the time given to speakers.  It has been assumed that people prefer short presentations, but that leaves no time for audience interactions.  A speaker who has time to share data and stories while also creating an interactive environment is a way to get people talking. 

Associations should incorporate speakers as partners in their conference. The speakers (both main stage and breakout presenters) have a unique ability to get people to connect.  Shared experiences are how relationships are forged, and all presentations must have a networking component built into the talk and the speaker should have "office hours" after their speech so they can go deeper with groups of attendees who are interested in this type of conversation. 

Engagement is not saying "turn to your neighbor", but instead creating a culture of talking to others throughout the whole event.  Speakers should be active at the conference at least for the day they speak. When they are visible and actively engaged, they are leading by example.  Getting people comfortable with sharing is the key.

To create new networking at association events, there needs to be discussions about the purpose bringing people together from the first planning meeting.  If you make networking a second tier priority, you will have second tier results.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

****Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  www.ThomSinger.com

A Vibration of Goodness

Recently I was at an event called the New Media Summit with about 200 people in attendance.  It was three days of learning, and was filled with ambitious people who are seeking to expand their businesses and help others in the process. As I looked at the group picture taken at the end of the conference, I am reminded of the vibration of "goodness" that was created between the attendees.

The gathering was focused on "podcasting", and while my podcast is over three years old, I had the chance to interact with people at all levels of participation in this still growing field. I started my show without any community and little guidance, and thus the people I met here have a leg up on my experience because there were so many people showing them how to engage in this medium. 

Even as part of the faculty for the conference I was inspired to become more intentional. In those moments of fateful interactions with people is where your life changes. In being at an in-person conference you have the serendipitous collision of souls.

I helped arrange the 200 people into position for the picture, as three decades ago I worked as an event and wedding photographer. As I looked at the above photo taken as the event ended, I am overcome by a strange connection to humanity. Moving people around to formulate a symmetrical grouping means seeing each person as an individual and as part of a group. That combination is powerful.

Thanks to all who were at the summit. I am inspired and feel that I encountered some good souls who will add to the tapestry of my life and I look forward to how our paths continue to cross.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Unlock Potential

Knowledge is NOT power. Maybe it was before the internet. But now the real power is in taking action.  But not any action, it must be tied to your plans, your purpose, and the people who are part of your business and personal life. 

We all have more access to knowledge than humans have ever had in history, but few people feel they are achieving all they can in their careers. Information alone is just a piece of a person's overall potential. Anyone can now access data and ideas in every industry with just a few clicks.  Many assumed this would level the playing field, but there are still just a few who excel to the top. 

Over 70% of the nearly 500 people that I have surveyed admit to not believing they are doing all they can in their careers. They realize they have the potential for more success, but potential does not equal results. 

In order to unlock your potential and discover your personal best you have to realize a legitimate gap that exists between where you are and what you could be doing if you maximized your efforts.  The valley that many want to cross seems the same, but it is quite different for each person.  Even people on a the same corporate team will find they have different things holding them back, and any variety of unique solutions. 

To unlock your potential you need to do many things.  But the following ten tips are what the ones at the top of their game have told me makes the difference:

Ten Tips Toward Unlocking Potential

1. Take ownership of your life. If you want to unlock you potential, you have to quit blaming others for whatever is holding you back. 

2. Set clear goals. Know what success looks like long before you start taking actions to get you there. 

3. Work past the fear. Fear is real and it is normal.  However, getting paralyzed by fear will hold you back forever. 

4. Connect with people. All opportunities come from people.  If you are not good at networking and building relationships, you will fail over time.

5. Be aggressive with gratitude. Letting others know they have helped you is the easiest way to stand out from your competition.  Too few people properly say "thank you". 

6. Deliver on all projects. Doing good work is the ticket into the game.  If you are not delivering a high quality product or service, nothing else will help you succeed. 

7. Accept that change happens. In the real world of business things often shift.  The economy, company structure, etc... can morph.  Be ready for it. 

8. Ask for help. There is no lone ranger in the world of high achievers.  Those on top always have a team who help them get there.

9. Try new things. If you keep doing the same thing you will get the same results.  Push yourself to experiment. 

10. Believe in yourself. Nobody else will always be there to support you.  You must be confident that you are capable of achieving great things or you never will. 

Not everyone needs to do all ten of these things, but my guess is a few of them resonated with you and align with your current situation.  It is important that you are honest with yourself and begin to take the necessary actions that will lead you to unlock your potential and create the life you desire.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

 

NSA Winter Conference 2018 - I Almost Did Not Attend

Have you ever felt as if you experienced something special?   Especially when you almost decided not to attend?  That is my current state of mind, having just returned from the National Speakers Association Winter Conference in Baltimore, MD.  I almost did not attend. 

Over the past nine years of being an active member of NSA, I have attended many conferences. Since joining this organization I have never missed the annual INFLUENCE conference held in July (the reason I have never skipped this is due to the teen leadership program that my children have participated in for eight years - they would revolt if they had to miss this event).  I have also attended five winter conferences, several workshops / labs, and four CSP / CPAE Summits. NSA and the people whom I have become friends have had a strong influence on the development of my speaking career. 

The reality is that not every event is awesome (the quality of the content can vary with each conference), although only a few times have I not gone home with some positive motivation and the benefits for getting to spend time with my peers. 

This week was unique.  The 2018 Winter Conference was possibly the best event I have ever attended.  The gathering was only about 300 people, of whom about a third were first time attendees at an NSA event.  I met some amazing people, but what made this conference so powerful was the level of content.  Often you get speakers who just talk, but this event was packed with the context of how to implement ideas.

Jay Baer, Phil Jones, Michael Dominguez, Brian Fanzo, Crystal Washington, Tamsen Webster, and so many others shared their knowledge from the stage and got me inspired.  

Often we talk ourselves out of attending events, but should remember that it is in sharing experiences with others that we find inspiration.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

*this post was saved as a draft an not published... I just saw it and was reminded of how important people are and the level that NSA plays in my life... so I am putting it up 2 months later. 

Over 50 - The Best Years Of Your Life

I made a decision when I turned fifty that I was going to make ages 50-75 the best years of my life.

Not that anything in the past had been that bad (in all honesty I have been fairly fortunate,  but life has a way of bringing stress and other factors to the forefront, and enjoying each moment can be allusive at times.

My generation is not like the Baby Boomers and Millennials, our every move is not charted in the media and Generation X has rarely been told how to think at each stage of our lives.  Since I am near the older end of my generations, there were also not many who had turned 50 before me (Plus, I think most of the generational information is bullshit anyway - LOL).  Thus, I was on my own as I crossed this milestone and I decided I would take personal ownership of how I enjoy everyday of my future.

My own story has had good times and bad times (like everyone else), but I was a free spirit in my youth and did not spend much time worrying about money or my future.  There is a lot of personal embarrassment that I was not a good student in college, but on the flip side, it was a really fun time. I embraced joy in my youth that somehow disappeared.  By 25 years old I was marred and at thirty I was a dad. Do not misread what I am saying, there was joy and we have had a good family experience, but I cannot say that fun was my focus during this stage.  Mortgages, career, educating children, and navigating all the other pressures of modern life caused me to be lost in worry and other fears.

But the next phase (and hopefully not the last) is the time for me to reinvent how I deal with everything and make sure that I am going to embrace the experience of life. I have coated my emotions with Teflon so that burnt parts of life can slide off me and not ruin my day.

Alas my proclamation to make this 25 year span the best.  I see too many others worry about crossing that sign post and freak out and think the best times are in the past.  WRONG. I refuse to think that this area of my life is not the one that will bring true delight.  About two years into this new fresh approach and I am less stressed and I simply do not get pissed off at the people around me.  No matter what happens I am at peace with myself.

I am tracking my process and the actions I am taking, as someday there will be others who are turning 50 who will want to make similar changes.  Maybe I will write a book.  In 2030 the Millennials will begin to turn 50, and by that age they will have gotten fed up with how the media has portrayed their generation.  Some will be hungry for fresh ideas to find a similar path and peace in their own lives.  I want to be a friend who can assist others who want to embrace age 50-75.  

What I have learned so far includes these tips:

Five Tips To Make Ages 50-75 The Best Years Ever

1. Stop letting others impact your mood.  A boss, spouse, client, child, sibling, etc... are not actively trying to piss you off.  They are dealing with their own stuff and are simply reacting to the BS in their own life.  Be slow to anger and fast to forgive.  Remind yourself that if others are being jerks, you can still smile. 

2. Schedule fun.  Life does have responsibilities and pressures, but you can carve out a few hours a week to have fun.  Block a 3 hour recurring appointment in your calendar each week and then go do whatever feeds your soul.  Read, paint, workout, go out in nature, etc...  

3. Meet new people.  Jim Rohn said "you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with each day".  If the people you call "friend" are not feeding your soul, go get new friends.  If you have a person in your life who sucks the joy out of the room with their attitude, purge them from your daily attention.  You need not "fire them" from you life, but you can give them a less important role.

4. Listen to upbeat music. Put your earbuds in and let music get your excited.  Create a playlist of  the most important music of your lifetime.  Look at the chart topping songs from your life and pick the songs that remind you of great times.  A whole list of happy songs that remind you of teens, twenties, thirties, etc... will let you go down the positive side of memory lane.

5. Subscribe to motivational podcasts and blogs.  There is so much content that is available to motivate your to do more in your life, and it is all free.  Read and listen to thought leaders who you appreciate and that speak to topics that inspire you to do more.  

If the idea of making 50-75 the best years of your life appeals to you, send me an email at thom @ ThomSinger.com and let's talk about it. You are not alone in this desire and we can figure it out together.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer 

Potential Is Not Enough

Your sales team needs more than potential. Selling is hard work, and if you company is going to grow this year the people who are responsible for new business development have to be focused.  Many companies struggle year after year with grand ideas of what they hope to achieve, and then get results that are not what they desired.

If your company is wanting to do more this year, you have to get everyone focused on a series of strategic actions that will lead to increased sales.  Potential is good, but potential does not equal results.  The paradox of potential is that many managers think the capabilities of their people are key to moving the needle.  

Nope.

Even in recessions there are companies and sales professionals that excel. Plans, purpose and people are the key to growing sales, no matter what is happening in the economy. 

7 Tips To Sales Success

Plans:

1. Have Goals.  You must know what realistic success is all about and clearly be able to identify the steps needed to reach those goals.

2. Put in the time to execute on the necessary actions. Failure is inevitable without action.

Purpose:

3. Understand your "WHY".  If someone is not clear as to the reasons they come to work each day, they will not succeed.  This is about knowing both a personal "why" and the mission of the company.

4. Know Your Value Proposition.  If you are not clear on what you bring to the client, they will not believe you are the best option to their problem.

People:

5. Network like your future depends on in, because it does.  All opportunities come from people and the better job you do of connecting in your industry sector, the more sales you will make.  

6. Ask for referrals.  Too often people do not tap into the network they have created, and they miss out on additional sales.  People want to help you, but you must let then know how they can have a real impact. 

7. Help others.  If you are always looking for ways to be genuinely helpful, some of the people will reward you with more business.  Too often we think the self-focused people win, but in the long run the giver will succeed.  

Unlock your potential and sell more than ever before.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Finding Your Path To Potential

Having “high potential” does not mean performing at maximum capability. While many believe they are doing all they can, a huge number of professionals are frustrated because they are coming up short of expectations. There is a paradox of potential that haunts many people in their career journeys. 

There is a real gap between potential and results, and if you want to do more and unlock your potential you have to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish.  Not every bit of potential will interest you in going for the highest levels. I have a daughter who is a great archer, and may have Olympic level capabilities, however she does not want to pursue archery beyond attending classes for fun. We all have many things we are naturally good at that are not our priorities, and that is okay.

But when you want to excel, you have to be clear on the path your want to take and you cannot do it alone.  You need to seek out the right people to help you maximize your potential.  Plans, purpose and people are key to your success.

1. Plans.  Many debate the value of goal setting, but if you want to perform at your highest levels you must know where you are headed.  Knowing the destination is something you would hope for your airline pilot. Those who discredit goals setting would never board a plane with pilot who do not have a plan. Having goals does not guarantee a clear path to all your desires, but without knowing the direction you can easily get lost. Having a goal makes it very easy when you are faced with decisions along the way.  

2. Purpose.  Simon Sinek says it best in his first book "Start with Why".  Much like a plan, Sinek says knowing you why makes it easy to make choices in your career.  Everyone has a purpose.  It is what gets us out of bed in the morning and keeps us working into late hours.  If you know your "Why" you will be get more done and inspire all who you encounter.

3 People.  All opportunities come from people.  In our world where so many are addicted to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media tools, most agree that after a decade of these tools they do not really have more friends.  Some feel they have fewer strong relationships. When you invest in people and cultivate meaningful connections, you will always find more opportunities.  Choosing people and establishing real friendships is paramount to achieving all you can do in your life.

In trying to find you right path, you have to pay attention to where you skills and your ambition overlap.  You must be clear on what you want, why you want it, and seek allies to help you get there. 

In my long and ongoing study of "potential" I am finding the more I examine my own capabilities and the steps I am taking to do more, the more I am able to accomplish.  Never leave success to chance.  Potential is great, but without clear actions you will get lost in that gap. 

Have A Great Day

thom singer 

How To Grow Your Business

Most people in business seek to grow.  Growth is the key to creating the long-term.

There are many ways to measure this growth, and it is not all about money.  But money is important.  Never listen to anyone who tells you the numbers are not important, as without income there is no business.

No one person holds all the answers to helping you grow your company or enhancing your career.  There are many people out there trying to sell their ideas as the best or only answer, but I have found over the decades that you have to take ideas from many places, assemble the concepts that resonate with you, and then take actions.

The part I teach is people.  All opportunities come from people, but we live in a world where social media, mobile gadgets and other digital shortcuts get all the attention.  If you want to do more, you must make a strong commitment to the humans you engage with regularly.

I recently watched a video where some "guru" was saying that nice isn't respected in business.  His opinion was that jerks are more respected because they know what they want and that you cannot necessarily trust someone who is nice.  Bull. I am sure his contrarian boasting gets him coaching clients, but my own experience has shown that it is the person who is an ass that will burn you time and time again.

This does not mean you want to be a push-over or weak in your decisions.  This guy tried to pain nice as viewed as weak. He sighted a survey as if there are no studies that take the other point of view.

It is easy to get frustrated or burned-out from dealing with others, but in a world where so many are hungry to connect (look at the success of connection apps in business, dating, etc...), it seems people are more alone than ever.  Vivek Murthy (former US Surgeon General) wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review about the epidemic of loneliness in the business world.  With all of our digital links, likes, shares and follows people feel isolated.  

This is where we can all grow our businesses.  If we can figure out how to connect with people and make them understand when we see them, they will look back and see who we are and what we do. To grow our business we must grow relationships.  We must ask questions.  We have to find ways to serve others.  It is not about selling in the old manner (pitch and close), but instead it is about showing people we are part of their community.

I have been teaching this for a decade. Many other speakers, consultants, gurus, and others have repetitively told me my topic will not sell, as meeting planners, association committees, and audiences are too easily drawn to those who have contrarian topics.  I disagree.  People are smart and are not tricked as often as people think.  In every economy the power of long-term and mutually beneficial relationships will rise to the top.

I have grown my business and I have always tried to care about people.  Even when others do not return the feelings, I still wish them well in my thoughts.  I don't get bruised too easily in the area of making connections, because I am aware you cannot connect with everyone.  But by choosing people on a consistent basis I have seen my income rise.

Take all the advice you can find that works for your industry and personality, but never believe for a minute that people are not important.  Those who say otherwise are possibly correct in some instances, but not most of the time. 

Grow your business by growing your relationships.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Purposely Prepared: How To Recession-Proof Your Career

Industry associations provide a lot of value to their members, but none is more important than how they provide a venue for people to get to know others in their lines of work. The people who are engaged in their trade groups in good times are the best situated to navigate the inevitable downturns in the economy.

It is common for those who are active in their associations to have strong reputations within their companies, with their customers, and among their competitors. While the online world is full of great tools for people to gain "fame", lasting reputations come from shared experiences.  

I have been working on a new program for association conferences called"

"Purposefully Prepared: 

How to recession-proof your career"

Many finance experts are predicting a pending recession. While nobody can say for sure when it will happen, they are sure of one thing... it is coming.  If we get hit again like we did in 2008 there are many people who will get hurt who have barely recovered from the economic disasters of eight and nine years ago.

Thus, we cannot wait to have a plan of what to do if the bottom falls out and the amount of corporate layoffs go through the roof.  You have to dig your well before you are thirsty.  Too many have no plan of what they will do if their job goes away, and it seems almost nobody wants to talk about it.

That is why this program is so important to be added into conference agendas now.  If we are educating people on how to be prepared, we are providing real value.  To look the other way and hope there will not be a crash is not fair to anyone. 

What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?  Most people, after getting past the shock and anger, create a plan, identify their purpose, and network with key people.  But if you wait to do this until the worst case scenario happens, the problem is you have no momentum and are caught up in competition with everyone else who is suddenly unemployed.

To purposefully be prepared means to start behaving today like your life depends on the right goals, the purpose that motivates you to work hard, and your connections to people.  The truth is if you do these things and there is no recession, you are likely to get more promotions and other opportunities.  However, if a crash does come you will be light years ahead of all the other newly unemployed.  By the time they can get it figured out, you will be the one with the new job in hand.

If your association wants a program that will get your members thinking and acting in ways that do not resemble ostriches in the sand, let's have a conversation about how to customize this program for you next association meeting.  It is our responsibility in the meetings and association world to help people learn the necessary skills that will help them succeed.  The last recession is not so long ago, and the wounds are still fresh.  Another economic upheaval could have a worse impact on people.

I promise this program is fun, and forward thinking (it is not gloom and doom). It will also get people talking about your event about how important your organization will be to their future no matter how the stock market is trending.  

Check out the information about my keynotes and workshops at www.ThomSinger.com

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Live Meetings Exist To Help People Connect

Last week I was asked to comment in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle and on SF Gate about why people attend live conferences.  

[Check out the artcle: "How Salesforce runs the well-oiled Dreamforce machine" here]

Events like Dreamforce are more than an agenda of speakers.  The best conferences are experiential and have an impact on people. Live events bring people together, and in our digital focused world, people are hungry to engage with other humans in a live setting.

Ten years ago the death of meetings was predicted.  Economic pressures around the high cost of travel were coupled with the advancement in streaming video, causing many to think that business gatherings would become less popular.  Yet that could not have been farther from the truth.  In 2017 there will be more face-to-face events than ever before, and the meetings industry is experiencing record numbers.  More hotel and convention space is being planned in almost every major city, and barring another recession, the trends are showing up and to the right.

But why?  If we can connect with others through a like, link, share, or follow, what is the purpose of getting together in person?

Because people are still people.  We are social creatures and we do our best when we collaborate with others in our communities.  While some elements of this can be achieved remotely, there is still something about looking another person in the eyes and sharing experiences.  

When I speak at live conferences, or act in the role of master of ceremonies, my content is about connecting.  In a world where we have more access to people all around the world, people are more lonely.  Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrote in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review that we face an epidemic of loneliness.  Over 40% of adults in the United States report feeling lonely.  This is only getting worse as we retreat deeper into our phones and look up at those around us less often.

Live meetings used to be the place we went to learn cutting edge information about our industries. There were few other ways to gather information and stay relevant.  But now all the information we could ever want is available online.  There are free and paid resources in every field that will help professionals learn.  

However the other reason people have always attended meetings, for the networking opportunities, has become even more critical. Surveys of attendees across verticals shows that people want to make connections when they come to a conference (and yes, learning is still a key draw, too).  

It is the responsibility of meeting organizers to provide both.  Too often they seek high impact topics and data, but hope the networking will just happen on it's own.  Making contacts at a live event, however, has gotten harder over the years because people are commonly looking at phones and tablets.  They miss the chance to have conversations and thus go home feeling they missed out on much of the networking.

The more companies and associations embrace their key role in helping their attendees engage, the better experience people will have at the event.  The better experience they have, the higher chance they will return the following year.  It is a vicious cycle.  Conferences like Dreamforce, SXSW, and others that have high repeat attendees are very aware in how the success of the meeting is tied directly to the human experience. 

If people attend for "networking opportunities" and we do not provide them with the chance make meaningful connections, than the conference has failed.  I spend a lot of time talking with clients about their goals for the experience and the networking.  It does not matter if the audience is made up of millennials, introverts, academics, etc... (all reasons sited as to why they do not prioritize the networking on par with the learning).  People are people.  We spend too much time labeling our audiences and separating them.  Instead we need to seek the similarities and build a community. 

Live events exist to help people connect.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Call for Speakers

Is a "Speaker" a commodity?

A friend who works at an large association called to ask me something about sourcing "good" speakers.  She said that her organization has gotten so good in their "Call for Speakers" that they get amazing proposals, and crappy speakers.  

After several years of instituting a strong grading system for ranking submissions, the results of audience satisfaction declined.  Since I am a professional speaker, she wanted my opinion.

I have never worked for this association, and probably am not the right fit to keynote their conference or present breakouts for their highly technical niche audience.  But I do know one thing: Writing a great proposal and being a talented speaker are not the same thing.  Content is not king.  While content is very important, they have placed too much emphasis on how well someone can craft a list of audience learning objectives, and moved too far away from caring if the person knows how to deliver a speech. 

I rarely get selected to speak if I fill out a "Call for Speakers" form.  As a person who attends a lot of conferences, I can tell quickly if those on the planning committee had a policy of "audience first" or "how do we look smart".  There is a big difference.

The smartest people are not always the best speakers.  That is not suggesting that we should not care about the information and expertise (those are very important).  But speaking is an art form.  You would not pick someone to paint a portrait of your dying grandmother based on a written essay.  There is so many little things that make a great presentation, and the intangible parts have to be given the credit deserved.

When people create a "Call for Speakers" they need to decide what constitutes a speaker.  My friend's organization was really conducting a "Call for Good Proposal Writers Who Want To Speak".  

If they really care about having better speakers they will need to let it be known that experience and speaking style is important.  Some groups have a minimum number of presentations that the speaker has given in the past years as a requirement to apply.  Even if people fudge those numbers, this requirement sends a message of what is expected.

A speaker is not a commodity. 

What do you think?

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

Social Media Disruption

Over a decade since we all became engrossed in the online and digital world of social media. 

Do you feel like you are better connected?  I don't mean by the ease at which you can superficially be connected to many people, but instead, do you feel closer to the people in your life?

Are there more people you consider close friends? Do you have more intimate connections to business colleagues?  Are you more fulfilled with your social life?  Is there a stronger feeling of camaraderie with clients, co-workers, vendors, etc?

Some will day yes. But many say no.  Social media seemed like it was going to enhance our lives (and it has), but are we really experiencing the benefits of stronger connections?

I argue we are not suddenly more engaged with people than we were a decade ago.  Maybe it is the same, but it appears for some we are worse off.  Yes, we know when strangers ate a burrito for lunch, but while in restaurants I often see people not talking to the people at their table while they stare at their phones.

For ten years people have talked about how social media was made up of amazing tools, and that is true.  But I have talked to audiences for the past decade about how to get back to the basics of human engagement.  Early on the "social media gurus" mocked my position of not linking to everyone with a pulse as my being old fashion.  Now those same "experts" are teaching people how to purge their social media contacts to eliminate those with whom they have no reason to be connected.

One of many things I have taught is the "Coffee, Meal, or Beer Rule".  It simply states that you do not need to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook to people you have not had a real conversation with (and by real, I mean approximately 30 minutes or more).  Granted, there are exceptions and reasons to link with some people you have not really met, but for the most part strangers just fill your feeds with crap. I argued with "experts" on how you should build up your numbers, only to now see them disrupting their own teachings to veer back to a more realistic approach for connecting online and in-person.

Don't get me wrong, I love social media and have used it as a valuable tool since it arrived on the scene.  But do not think it has magic powers, or that giving Facebook $10 to boost your posts will have much of an impact.  The key word is "social".  If you can use these tools to engage people hand enhance conversations, then do it.  But if you think likes, links, shares, and follows have any value by themselves, then you are lost.

I enjoy seeing the "gurus" of ten years ago adopt ideas that are in line with my "Coffee, Meal, or Beer Rule". as a lot of time and money has been wasted in this whole ideas that social media will sell things for the average person. The average person cannot look to a Kardashian business model, as that is simply not how the real world works.

When I began my career as a speaker ten years ago, I was warned that I could not make a living talking about "networking" from a traditional perspective.  I was advised to jump on the social bandwagon as it was the "hot topic".  Today my long-standing ideas are not only gaining ground, but they are what is working for people in a variety of industries.

We can embrace social media tools while at the same time disrupting the hype.  If you want to be more successful and uncover unlimited opportunities, you need a "Choose People - Not Screens" mentality.  

All opportunities come from people.  There are no real shortcuts.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Best Year Ever

As we enter 4th quarter of 2017 my business numbers make me smile. Having worked as a speaker, facilitator, and master of ceremonies for 8 years, this is the year I want to replicate. I have worked with the most amazing clients, earned a great income, and have grown as a person.

I have always had the potential to get my business working as it is this year, but there have always been something holding me back.  My work on "The Paradox of Potential" has oddly been part of the reason that I am accomplishing more this year. Asking so many questions of others about the gap between their potential and results, and seeking for their answers on how to bridge that gap, is leaving me inspired in countless ways.

This year I have operated with more intention. This has had a huge impact and has overlapped with my goal of making ages 50 -75 the best years of my life. 

If someone asked me for advice on how to cultivate their own path across the gap, here are the 10 steps:    

1.      Take ownership of your life 2.      Set clear goals 3.      Work past the fear                                            4.      Connect with people  5.      Be aggressive with gratitude  6.      Deliver on all projects                            7.      Accept that change happens 8.      Ask for help and delegate 9.      Try new things                          10.   Believe in yourself 

 In seeking your own potential, you need to find your intention.  If you need help, join the Potential Mastermind Group (so some other group) and get around people who are there to assist you in finding your best year ever.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

10 Steps Toward Your Potential (1 of 10)

"The Paradox of Potential"

#1 - Take Ownership of Your Life

There are many reasons that we are where we are in our personal and professional journeys.  The past is the past, and we each had to navigate many good and bad experiences to get here today.  

Finger pointing is a common pass time and it holds us back from moving closer to our own potential.  In my discussions with people at all stages of their careers, the ones who are struggling the most are quick to place the blame on someone or something.  

In my own career path I have had some highs and some lows.  If I desire to take credit for when my hard work and ingenuity paid off, I also have to take ownership of the low times. While there were always other people involved in the ups and the downs, the once constant was me.  

If you are not feeling positive about your current gap between your potential and your results, grab hold of everything that has ever happened to you and let go of the blame.  Do not blame yourself, but also do not blame others.  You are where you are and that is a great place to start.  

You are the architect of everything that happens from this day forward. You do not need to ask for permission from anyone else to make changes.  Take ownership, but with that you must take 100% of the responsibility.

Personally I have struggled with doing this, as I worry that if I fail all the fingers will be pointing at me.  Yet once I learned that I must be in control if I want the levels of success that I desire, then I am willing to take my chances as the one in charge of my life.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

The Journey Toward Your Potential

It is frustrating when you know you or your team has potential, but the bottom line is not showing results. Many people find themselves spinning their wheels with a desire to achieve more but they are simply not finding all their success.

There is a paradox around potential.  Often when a company hires a new person they get excited about their expectations about that individual's pending contribution, only to wonder later how they missed the mark. But potential does not equal results.  There are so many other parts that are often overlooked, and it has become my passion to get people focused on how to bridge  that gap.

Human resource professionals have all sorts of personality and skills tests, but they do not always predict outcomes.  Some managers trust their gut instincts, only to later question their own methods. But this is not just about individuals, whole teams can get caught in the chasm can continuously come up short from their desired possibilities. 

In a survey now consisting of over 250 people I have found that 70% of the people feel either they or their companies are not doing all they can in this area of reaching potential. Of those who feel they are reaching all they can, I am not sure if all the participants are being honest with themselves about all they can achieve. Some are clearly comfortable where they are, but when I speak with them it is clear they do not have stretch goals.

Not that goals are the magic bullet.  Many with goals are always missing the mark. Yet, I am learning that your potential is never really the entire destination, as you move a long your path you keep learning and growing and this brings about greater potential.  Each time you get close the prize of potential moves farther out.

The paradox of potential is all about how meaningless potential is without the actions.  It is common to assume potential has meaning, but alone it is just another label we are assigned or self-proclaim. If you take pride in potential without results there is not really anything there. 

It is not about building a bridge you your potential, but rather a scaffolding. You move across and can always add on and take a lateral path or go up and down.  Even diagonal. 

If you seek to go after success all alone you might get there, but when you share the efforts with others you will often get there faster. Potential that is recognized by the people around you is often more realistic and achievable. Consistent analysis and conversation with trusted peers will help you get closer to your best. 

My own business has grown since I made the study of my potential a daily effort.  The honest dissection of past mistakes and missed goals, and openly sharing with peers has allowed me to expand my sales by over 50%. This cannot be a coincidence. I had previously gotten caught up in the dream of my potential for success, but was not focused on the small actions that would take me where I longed to go. 

Those who want to push forward toward reaching more potential cannot be scared to have many discussions with co-workers, vendors, customers, etc...  Wishing for better results will not make them happen.  Stripping away facade of potential and getting real is the key to success.

I am currently seeking more people to take this short survey.  It will only take a few moments, but it will continue to allow me to better understand how people wrestle with their own journey toward their potential.  www.SurveyMonkey.com/r/potential1234

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Recession Proof Your Career by Choosing People

My career as a speaker was built during the "Great Recession".  Before the crash I was advised that if my desire to be a professional speaker was real, I should change topics, as teaching people how to engage, network, build connections, etc... was "fluffy and nobody would pay" for that topic.

Enter 2008 and 2009.  The economy plummeted and people were being laid in near record numbers. Business professionals were scrambling either to find their next job or to show their extra value to their employer to avoid being the next one to be let go.

Those who were finding success attributed their career stability to their networks.  All the news outlets were running stories about the power of networking, and the topic was considered anything but "fluffy".  While I had not had years of experience as a speaker, my take on how to make, grow, and keep your business relationships touched the problem faced by so many people.  Associations who were hungry to provide real value to their members hired me to present and I created win / win relationships with several organizations that have continued to work with me or refer me to this day.

Over the last two years I have again begun to see the eye rolls from meeting planners (and more so from the conference committee members) about the topic of connecting with people.  The reality is in our busy and tech crazed business world the need to establish long-term and mutually-beneficial relationships is more important that ever, but in a strong economy people do not see the immediate need to connect. 

Yet we live in very uncertain times.  While the stock market and job numbers are showing strong gains, there is little trust in what is ahead.  The division in our society over the current state of affairs in Washington DC (and the world) leaves our economy vulnerable, and people are talking about when the bottom may again fall out.  

If people are worried about the economy, they should be taking steps to recession-proof their careers now.  Too many of us (myself included) did not adequately understand what 2008 / 2009 was going to be like and how long it would take us to regain our previous income levels. Conversations these days are often full of questions about what is coming, but I am not seeing many people actively making plans to be ready for the less favorable economic possibilities. 

All opportunities come from people and there is nothing better to ensure that you will bounce back in the face of adversity than having established a network of people who will be there to help out in good times and bad.  The problem is that our social media crazed world has lead people to think they have more powerful connections than they really do.  A like, link, share, or follow means nothing if there is not a real relationship behind it.

Earlier this year I spoke at a conference of successful business leaders who were among the most "self confident" people I have worked with in my career (read that as: nice, successful, and arrogant).  While my presentation went fine, a few of them complained to the organizer that my focus on the importance of connecting with people was "old fashioned" and "dated".  They voiced their belief that this was not top of the list to take their companies to the next level. My belief is that when you choose people you always find victories, especially over the long run.  When I think about the business sector where these CEOs operate, they will be among the hardest hit if their is a correction in the economy.  To lessen the importance of the relationship side of growing a business will leave many of them struggling or bankrupt.  

Everyone is vulnerable to the possibility of a stall (or fall) in the economy, and business leaders and associations should be exploring what is next. Cultivating a culture of connecting is not only good for today, but will help prepare everyone for any bumps in the road.  

Choose people everyday, as there may be a time when you need them to help you.  When the economy stalls is not the time to start networking.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer 

EmCee Role Must Evolve With The Changing Meetings Industry

I will admit, not all professional speakers like being the Master of Ceremonies for a conference or other live event.  Speaking and hosting are two very different skills, and the amount of time and effort that has to go into being the MC of a multi-day event does not equal the value in the amount paid for the services.  Keynotes pay more when you look at the "per hour rate".  

Plus the greatest skill many speakers possess is how quickly they can clear out of the conference after they finish their on-stage talk.  Too few stick around and chat with the attendees.  An EmCee has to be "on" not just up front in the general session, but in the hallways, at coffee breaks, during meals, at happy hour, etc...

I like serving in the role of EmCee.  I like it a lot, and it is a growing part of my business. It is especially cool when coupled with a keynote and my "Conference Catalyst" program, as I know in these combined roles I can help set the tone for the whole event.  It is a big responsibility, but it matters to the success of a convention.

Over the years my approach to being EmCee has morphed. With all the changes in the meetings industry I am undertaking the most intense effort of study and content curation of my decade long career.  Last year I wrote a one-man show as part of an exercise in storytelling (which spun out my new keynote "The Paradox of Potential") and this week I am taking my first workshop in Stand Up Comedy.  While I am not looking to create a comedy routine, there is much I can learn from comics that will serve my audiences in the future.

A conference is no longer a series of presentations.  It is a show, but most people who speak at events are not yet aware of these showtime expectations of the modern audience.  Thus, the EmCee must become the thread that runs both personality and audience engagement throughout all aspects of the agenda.

Becoming an astute observer becomes more important than ever for the master of ceremonies.  To identify the core learning objectives in the general sessions and some of the featured break-out sessions is paramount to the success of the event host.  "Content Weaving" and "Summation" are becoming what separates the professional from some random board member or employee who fills the host role. 

As with any new undertaking, the commitment to the long-term is my biggest focus.  There is too much a stake to imagine my fresh path will be enough for the avalanche of changes that are impacting the business side of meetings.  Yet is is somehow exciting to know that what got me to this point in my career is not what till take me to the next level. To stay relevant we all must keep learning.

Meeting organizers all have different opinions as to what is important for a successful meeting, and some see a master of ceremonies as just an extra expense. But the most innovative in the business are telling me that hiring 'the right EmCee' (not just anyone) is now becoming a fresh priority and an area they are giving more value in the budgeting process.  Having a solid host means they do not have to worry about every detail while also having to manage an EmCee who is not experienced in the planning and execution of a conference.  

I foresee that I will be working in the meetings business for the next 15 years, and it is clear that more changes are coming. I expect the role of EmCee to grow, thus I am working hard to expand my offerings.  Stand Up and Improve classes are just a part of it.  I need to crystallize my skills at summarizing events and observing what is impacting the culture of the conference (and beyond). 

Meetings are a combination of learning and human engagement, and I am well suited to serve audiences who care about both while also living the story of the experience.  

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

Hire a Professional Master of Ceremonies

6 Reasons to hire a professional master of ceremonies for your next event.  When you make your attendees a priority you realize the investment in an EmCee is minimal compared to the impact on your event experience.

Hear episode 278 of the "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" podcast.