Happy Birthday, Mugsy

It was my birthday on Monday (no, I'm not offended, no reason you would have known). Yesterday was my old pal Mugsy's birthday. I haven't seen him since 1974, but we were good friends until then. Funny how you lose touch with people when you move somewhere else. Mugsy and I were in a gang. No, not that kind of a gang - this was the sixties. We were just a group of pals who used to play football, drink Tizer (ask your parents) and ride our bikes around the wasteland near our homes. As well as Mugsy, there was Spanish Mick, Maria the Legs, Sexy Sandra, Woody Woodger, Michelle the Voice, Rosser the Tosser and Squid (whose real name escapes me to this day). Me? OK, I was Big Al.

We were a tribe, I suppose. For a period of maybe five years, most of us gathered together nearly every night. We had other friends at school, family, and later on work, but we felt comfortable in each others' company. I doubt if many of us even send Christmas cards to each other these days. But this is not a nostalgic paean to lost friendship. Rather, it's a recognition that we all still need our tribes.

My tribe these days is other speakers. When I go to speaker conventions I feel really at home, in the company of people with a similar lifestyle. We don't need to explain to each other what we do. We understand.

I hope Mugsy, wherever he is, has found a new tribe too. Happy Birthday, Mugsy.

Rest when you need to

I love this time of year, particularly when the days are crisp and clear. There's also the prospect of a week or two without any gigs. Don't get me wrong, I love being in front of an audience, especially when I'm being paid. However, I also like to be able to relax with my family, and have some "constructive downtime".

One of the speakers I saw in Canada put it really well. She said that people often gave themselves a "reward" of relaxing after a period of hard work. She doesn't see it like that at all. Her view is that a period of relaxation is an investment in your future health and well being - and that of your family too. It's particularly relevant for speakers. We're on the road (or on planes) a lot, and arrive home tired. We flop down, saying "Phew, I need a rest" (or words to that effect). What we should do is take a rest when we feel like it, and say "I'm building up my strength for the next trip".

So, I'm going to sit down, pour a cold beer, and invest in my future. Cheers!

Back Home

Yes, I know, I promised to send updates from the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Convention. I flew back into the UK this morning, somewhat jet-lagged, and remembered that I'd been chatting to so many speakers, and watching great presentations, that I'd hardly been online at all. No bad thing, since I'm often online for too long.

The event was fantastic. Great speakers, great organisation, great partying. And yes, it was all at my own expense. I don't claim anything from the PSA for attending events. After all, I get a benefit from it, as well as representing you guys.

You'll be delighted to hear that our own Lesley Everett delivered a stunning keynote presentation, and received a well-deserved standing ovation. Even more reason for you to sign up to see Lesley, along with several other great speakers, at our first National meeting of the year on January 19th in London.

See you there!

Ice Cold in Halifax

That's the Nova Scotia one, not the one in the UK. I flew in here this morning to attend the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Convention. I't's bloody freezing. Minus three at mid-day and a foot of snow. At least it feels like winter, but clearly global warming doesn't work everywhere.

Over the next few days, I'll be reporting from the Convention, giving the highlights, best tips and points to ponder (maybe I should tell Readers Digest). As I type this, in the business centre in the Harbourfront Marriott hotel, there are no speakers in sight, at least, none that I can spot. Well, there is one - Lesley Everett, the personal branding expert from the UK who flew over on the same flight.

So it's off to the bar to look for loquacious Canadians. More news soon. Stay warm.

I'll write this blog in the style of...

.. a Cockney cab driver. "I were up the Comedy Store the uvver night, wotchin' some fantastic improv, and I were finkin' wot a valuable skill it is for speakers, mate..." I know, it doesn't really work, does it? The guys at the Comedy Store would have done it so much better.

But there is a valid point here. The ability to improvise is extremely valuable to speakers, for several reasons. Firstly, it gives them a good chance to cope if something goes wrong. Secondly, it can make them more creative when preparing a speech. Thirdly, it can make them a devastating destroyer of hecklers (of course, like me, you don't get heckled, do you?)

After the show, I spoke to Neil Mullarkey, founder of the Comedy store and improviser supreme. I asked him how he did it. "Simple" he said "All you need to do is to say 'yes' to everything. If you're playing the role of a baker, for example, you simply believe that you are the best baker ever, and act accordingly". It certainly works for him, since he entertained 400 of us in the audience for two hours, along with his comedy colleagues.

It really does sound simple. I'm gong to try it (not necessarily being a baker, but you know what I mean). Why don't you give it a go? And maybe I'll see you at the Comedy Store too.