speaking
I have three rules when I speak.
(And the first is the most important...)
1.
Do. Not. Bore.
The content of Shakespeare and the face of George Clooney can't salvage a lifeless, boring talk.
At the heart of every memorable presentation is some level of entertainment and emotional engagement. That's why my talks are always rooted in good storytelling. And good storytelling opens the door for the content to make an impact.
2.
Content retention
Here's a test for your next speaker: Ask one of the listeners to recap their talk a week later. It's likely they won't be able to recall much (if any) of what they learned. This is what happens when mediocre presenters cobble together random anecdotes for 30 minutes. I infuse my talks with memorability so the listener is able to process and implement the content long after the talk is over.
3.
distract the A/V team
In a conference setting, the toughest crowd to engage are the folks running the sound and lights. Why? Because they're the only people in the room not actually there for the content.
My goal is for the talk to be so good that they look up.
That's why I love watching them when I speak. Their attention is the hardest to capture (which is why I want it). I know that if I win the A/V crew, I win the room.
"B.T. was a huge hit at our event. In preparation, he asked questions to make sure he understood the audience. His comments hit the mark and resulted in everyone in the crowd leaving uplifted.
B.T. has a gift—transparent, honest, working to make sure his presence mattered. I would recommend him for speaking engagements of all sorts. He will find a way to connect.”
Talk Sample 1
Plywood Presents
I gave this talk to a group of creatives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in Atlanta.
This talk unpacks an unbelievable 100-year old historical tale to teach the most powerful business principle today.
"B.T. is a powerful communicator—intelligent, funny, and incredibly engaging. He took a vague topic, with little direction, and delivered a show stopper. It was one our best talks of the year!”
Talk Sample 2
Creative Mornings
In 2017, I got to speak to some of the brightest creative minds in Atlanta at a monthly lecture series called "Creative Mornings."
The theme for the month was "taboo." In this talk I challenge the listeners with a metaphor about ladders.
"B.T. spoke at our company's Annual Conference and it was truly the highlight of the week. The care and consideration he took in preparation was amazing, meeting with our team to understand our needs and perspective to tailor his presentation. He discussed being a great boss and our team filled up their journals while laughing and crying about the real life examples shared.
The tactical takeaways were so powerful as well. Our leaders couldn't stop sharing how much they could take back to their teams and implement immediately and even more importantly, what they can take back to their life as well.
Having B.T. come into your company and speak to this very important value of being a great leader is a gift and your team will be better for it. If you saw the surveys you wouldn't have another event without him.”
Talk Sample 3
TEDx Peachtree
I only had six minutes on the TEDx stage, so I knew I had to make it count.
This talk is a call to action for our faith communities to engage the LGBT community differently.
