The Speaker's Secrets

102: 1 Year of Spanish!

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I have officially been learning Spanish for one year. What an life-changing, mindset-altering journey! In this episode, I share my experiences - inclu...

101: Part II: No More Boring Public Speaking! with Ivan Wanis Ruiz

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is part 2 of the interview between me and the seasoned Ivan Wanis Ruiz. Ivan is an engaging, energetic speaker who's done tons of hosting and cor...

100TH EPISODE

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We made it to 100 episodes! Thank you!!!

99: Part I: No More Boring Public Speaking! with Ivan Wanis Ruiz

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Don't you hate boring speakers and dull presentations? Well, today's guest has made it his mission to end boring public speaking. He brings super fres...

98: Change. Justice. NOW. This one's for you, #GeorgeFloyd.

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There. is. so. much. to. say. I'm sure you've seen the protests and uprisings surrounding the unjust murder of George Floyd. But that's not an isolate...

97: Quick Tips for Zoom, Skype, etc...

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everything's changed. Instead of meeting in person, videoconferencing is now the new normal (for the foreseeable future). Even with the added barriers...

96: Forget a Feeling!

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Feelings are fickle. They're reliable one moment and gone the next. They can't be trusted! But... they're ever present in our lives; we are, by nature...

95: Bad Idea: Lacking with the Tracking

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine wanting to be better at something... but never getting feedback. You don't know what you're doing well, what you suck at, what people think - ...

94: A Losing Game: Focusing on the Wrong Faction

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everything in your life is divided into two factions. Focusing on the right one will bring you mountains of personal power, peace and progress. Focus ...

93: Bad Advice... Excellent Lesson

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you learn the most helpful and life-changing lessons from the most bizarre situations. In this episode, I talk about how the presidential ad...

92: Eliminate for Efficiency

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a million things you had to do (or wanted to) and you didn't know where to begin? Does it sometimes seem impossible to prioritize yo...

91: Keepin' It Real

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to communication, it's important to keep it real. People relate more to those that are willing to be transparent, clear... and open. Thi...

90: The Power of Pomodoro

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In my opinion, The Pomodoro Technique is underrated. Not enough people are talking about it. During these times of quarantine and isolation, we can us...

89: Adapt or Die

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Honestly... I don't even need a lot of show notes for this episode. The title really says it all.

88: The ONE Thing We All Need Right Now

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's a lot going on in the world right now. Everyone is feeling the effects of the changes that are happening daily due to this pandemic. But there...

87: You Can't Go Wrong With A Good Story

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There are some techniques in communication and public speaking that will always do the trick. A well-timed story is one of them. Humans communicate th...

86: Systems > Goals

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody has goals. We want to achieve THIS, I want to achieve THAT. We're obsessed with the end result. But ask yourself: do I have systems in place...

85: Networking Made Easy

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No matter what you do in this life, networking matters. Effectively connecting and communicating with other human beings is the name of the game if yo...

83: Don't Get Trapped!

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you're reading this, chances are you care about your development - both personal and professional. You care about sharpening your skills, investing...

82: Worry 'Bout Yourself First...

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s face the facts: you can't control how anybody reacts to anything. This rings true for communication especially. Too often, we spend precious t...

81: Modify Your Mindset

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I've observed that there is a mindset many of us have when it comes to public speaking and communication that sabotages us greatly. I see it everywher...

80: Elevated Awareness: What We Can Learn From Loss

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is inspired by the recent tragic situation where we lost a hero of our generation: Kobe Bryant (along with his daughter, Gianna & others)...

79: The Allure of Alliteration

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alliteration is awesome. It’s just a small, simple technique that speakers use to have an immense impact on their audiences . (I consider it a heavi...

78: To Be Liked or Not... 🤔 (Part II)

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the opposite of last week's. Today, we focus on the things you should absolutely avoid if you want to foster connections and strengthe...

77: To Be Liked or Not... 🤔

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you feel about being liked? Do you care about it... or not? Well, it's obvious that we won't be liked about everyone, nor should we necessarily...

76: Elevated Awareness: The Burden of Becoming

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What do you want to become in 2020? Who do you want to become? Aiming to "become better" is all fine and dandy, but sometimes we miss the mark. Someti...

75: Elevated Awareness: The Power of Being PRESENT

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There are certain things we can do as human beings that dramatically change the way we experience our own lives. Being present is one of the most impo...

74: Why You Need Those Transitions

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's something that often gets left out of the conversation of public speaking: transitions. These words and phrases are may be small... but they m...

73: Gratitude: The Underrated Gem

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Take a second. Think about how grateful you've been lately. If you're anything like the regular person, you could probably use some more gratitude. Th...

72: The Dimension of Self vs. The Dimension of Others

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to public speaking, there are two dimensions: Self and Others. Both are extremely important, but you can get trapped in the Dimension of...

71: Return of the Mack: Lessons Learned

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, life happens when you're not prepared. And life happened to me. For the past few weeks, I've been unable to upload any new content (explain...

70: Being Vulnerable: Why It's Important (In Life and Public Speaking)

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of the day, we're all human.  Humans with successes, incredible achievements, phenomenal skill, extraordinary potential. Humans with flour...

69: Want To Be At the Top? THINK BIGGER.

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Take a moment. Think about the people that are the top of their fields, or have sustained their success for a long time. CEOs, world-class athletes, e...

68: Stop Running Away From Competition!

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1938, Toastmasters realized the importance of public speaking competitions. 81 years later, people still get to test their expertise against other ...

67: Why Your Listening Is Lacking

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you interrupt people when they're speaking? Do you tend to look into your phone while you're in a conversation? These are two of many questions you...

66: What A Cliché...

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to speaking, there are a few things you should avoid. Clichés is one of them. Since clichés are phrases that we hear thousands o...

65: After Hurricane Dorian

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Speaker's Secrets episode.  On Sept. 1, two islands in The Bahamas got severely damaged from category 5 Hurricane Dorian, one of th...

64: Please Don't Forget This...

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to communication, sometimes there is one thing that we forget to do.  Sometimes, we get too busy. Other times, we just don't think a...

63: Prop It Up

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 2015, at the World Championship of Public Speaking, Mohammad Qahtani pulled out a cigarette and a lighter and proceeded to smoke. (Well, he didn't ...

62: How to Engage Your Audience

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you're speaking ANYWHERE, audience engagement should be your #1 goal. Period. (A speech without audience engagement is like a PB&J without the brea...

61: Elevated Awareness: What You See Is What You Get

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever bought something new - like a car or some shoes - and you started noticing everyone that had it, too? There's a filtering system in your...

60: Elevated Awareness: Be REAL With Yourself

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We aren't taught to be REAL with ourselves.  In school, we're conditioned to always strive for 100%. We're rarely taught that failures are an inte...

59: Courageous Communication (with Courageous Corey)

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Corey Singleton (aka Courageous Corey) is an extremely influential leader, dedicated to educating, encouraging and empowering others daily. A huge par...

58: How To Be A Public Speaking Authority (with Andre Kelly)

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Andre Kelly is a Bahamian Toastmaster, corporate trainer, youth ambassador and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Public Speaking Authority...

57: ...Or We Could Just Be Silent.

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, you read that right. Sometimes, when you're speaking, you can just be silent. It works. Not only does it just work, but inserting silen...

56: Let's Get Visual

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Flair. Allure. Pizzazz. These are all the things we want in our speeches and presentations. Here's a quick way to get them: through using visual...

55: Cómo Me Ayudó El Español (How Spanish Helped Me)

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Most times, you need to get out of your comfort zone if you want to see transformation.  One of the quickest ways to evolve is through learning an...

54: Stop! You Just Can't Do This!

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Well, you can actually do whatever you want. But - there are some things you just can't (or shouldn't) do if you want to become a better communicat...

53: Vocal Variety: How to Not Bore Your Audience

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How many times have you listened to a monotonous speaker that just dragged on and on... and on? Probably more times than you can count. It's highl...

52: Why "3" Is So Crucial

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Veni, vidi, vici. Snap, crackle, pop. Stop, drop and roll. These phrases are all popular. And they have one thing in common. They all use the Rul...

51: The Chopped Champion

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago, I gave a speech in Toastmasters. I opened up about a dark, uncertain time in my life - a time when everything that I'd been working on ...

50: What I Learned From Competing

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After competing in the world's largest speech competition, winning at three different levels, and experiencing a notable loss, I have some specific th...

49: Leaders Are Not Born but Made (with Shelomo Solson)

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We all know that person that has the title, but people tend to roll their eyes whenever they delegate a task. In contrast, we know the person that's i...

48: Part II: The Art of Public Speaking (with Arman Chowdhury)

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this final part of this interview, Edrico and Arman share unique insights into public speaking - like why you should never, EVER apologize before s...

47: Part I: The Art of Public Speaking (with Arman Chowdhury)

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Speech anxiety. Overcoming embarrassing moments. Moving past fears. Empowering yourself through your mindset. How Toastmasters can help EVERYONE...

46: The Negativity Necessity: Revisited

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

ACCEPT YOUR NEGATIVITY. That's right. Embrace your negative emotions.  We've been told to run away from negative emotions; that we shouldn't fe...

45: Elevated Awareness: The ONLY Circle That Matters

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's a simple reason why so many people are irritated & frustrated, why they feel imprisoned & oppressed: they're focused on the WRONG CIRCLE. I...

44: How to Keep Your Audience Interested (and Awake!)

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"OMG. This speaker is BORING."  "I'm ready to go."  *struggles to stay awake*  Sadly, we've all been in situations where we've sai...

43: For Every Question, There's An Answer...

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Picture it.  You've decided to conquer the world's #1 fear. No more comfort zone for you! You're ready to become an excellent speaker.  But...

42: Why Your Insecurities Will Never Matter

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You have insecurities. You might hate them. You might even be mad at yourself for having them. But here are a few secrets: Everyone has them. And ...

41: Curveballs in Public Speaking

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week's episode emphasized a basic truth: life is a curveball-thrower. It can be very unpredictable.  Public speaking isn't exempt.  Somet...

40: Sticking With It (No Matter What)

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many times, things don't go as planned. That's life.  This episode is a perfect representation of that. (Go ahead - tune in! You'll see why.) ...

39: Black History Month: D33PLY ROOT3D with Dockta Dre

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dockta Dre is an entrepreneur, spoken word enthusiast, community advocate, and professional barber. For this Black History Month episode, Edrico an...

38: Inspiration Blocks (& How to Get Rid of Them)

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's nice to dream of always being inspired, but the truth is - we're not. Regardless of the task, sometimes you just don't feel like it. Other ti...

37: Gather Info Like A Pro

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You know what experts and people of excellence do? Their research. Regardless if they know diddly squat about something, or if they're the worl...

36: Elevated Awareness: How to Stay Motivated

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's exceptionally easy to just set the intention to be motivated. To talk about it. Think about it. Dream about it.   But how do you stay motivat...

35: Simple Success Secrets with Dr. Chester Wilson

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Chester Wilson is a top-level professional speaker, university lecturer and consultant/business owner. Dr. Wilson has devoted decades to helping o...

34: Why MLK Was So Impactful

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the most visible Civil Rights activists of the 50s and 60s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the course of history. He was also an unforgettab...

33: Work That Presentation, Beloved

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You've been there. Bored out of your mind.  The presenter? Monotonous. The PowerPoint? There are paragraphs on each slide being read... verbatim. ...

32: Who Are You Talking To?

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You want to be effective in your speaking this year, right? Well, there's one thing you need to remember: no two audiences are alike. The speakers ...

31: The Big Three: 2018 Edition

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's the last day of 2018. We've covered a lot of important information this year. And let's face it: standard "recap" episodes can be unoriginal. ...

30: 2019: The Public Speaking Resolutions You Need

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ahh, the time of year when resolutions abound. Many people are focused on the new year and their goals that lie ahead.  While I'm sure you have th...

29: Holiday Parties & Networking 101

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

End of Year Christmas parties. Family gatherings. Toy drives. Secret Santa gift exchanges. The holiday season is rife with opportunities to network...

28: Elevated Awareness: Your Comfort Zone Is Killing You

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Your comfort zone is killing you. If you ever wonder why you're not growing or transforming, why things are staying the same... most likely, it's b...

27: Dealing with Time Limits

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to speaking, time is crucial. Whether it's 5 minutes or 60 minutes, most of your speaking opportunities will have a time limit.  It'...

26: Staying on Topic

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Oh no. How could this happen to me?!" You ask this in your mind as you watch witness your train of thought vanish. You're abandoned, left with fea...

25: Why Evaluation is Essential

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What comes to mind when you hear word 'critique'? What about feedback? If they make you uncomfortable, or you tend to shy away from them - that's ...

24: Elevated Awareness: Death by Distraction

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tell the truth. You're distracted. You go to read, but you log on to Twitter instead. That workout was supposed to happen... but Netflix did. It's...

23: Speak Your Story with Will Tidwell (SpeakUpZee)

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Mr. Will Tidwell. Better known as SpeakUpZee, Will is a motivational speaker that has a major focus on community outreach and impacti...

22: Speaking on the Spot

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Hey, I know you didn't prepare anything... but do you mind bringing a few words?" What do you do now? Freeze? Draw blanks? Or respond to the ch...

21: What To Do When You Mess Up

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You're delivering the speech you've practiced 100 times. You get to an extremely important part... but your mind goes blank. These things happen. ...

20: Imagine, Inspire, Influence with Arin Patterson

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Arin Patterson is a passionate public speaker and author that has a mission of impacting and improving lives. An educator by profession, Arin has now ...

19: Elevated Awareness: Why You Are the Priority

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We all prioritize things in our life, whether consciously or not. Our responsibilities. Our family. Twitter. Our favorite Netflix show. But how o...

18: Use Your Space, Don't Let It Use You

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you mindful of your space while speaking? The stage setup? How you should move back and forth, if you can? If you're not, you should be. Profic...

17: Elevated Awareness: When You Feel Overwhelmed

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you sometimes feel that you're stretched too thin? You feel like you have too many things to handle with basically no time. You can't help but feel...

16: Conclude with Class

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First impressions are lasting ones. You know what else are lasting impressions? Conclusions.  The last words you leave with someone are often t...

15: Wrote It? Note It.

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You have a speaking engagement coming up. You know what you want to say. But what's next? Do you type the speech out? Do you memorize it? How do you d...

14: The Eyes Have It

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The feeling of a genuine, connected gaze is distinctly different from a conversation with no eye contact. That's because eye contact is a basic part o...

13: Elevated Awareness: The Comparison Epidemic

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever compared yourself to someone else? (It's OK, I know the answer is yes. We all do it.) But this is one the worst thing we can do to ou...

12: How to Get Started

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You have the tips, the suggestions and the information. You just need to get put them into motion. (It's important to take ACTION and not just let the...

11: Public Speaking Dynamics ft. Arman Chowdhury

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Arman Chowdhury - best known as @ArmaniTalks - is a battle-tested Toastmaster who has been creating massive waves of change online. As a pioneer in th...

10: Your Body Speaks... More Than You Do

15 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Your body is intelligent. It even has its own form of communication: body language. Truth is, people listen more to our bodies than our words!  If...

09: Self-Awareness in Public Speaking

08 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Socrates said, "To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom." To that, I add, "To know thyself is the major key to success in public speaking and mo...

08: Elevated Awareness: The Myth of Multitasking

01 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You want to be more productive, right? Well, stop multitasking! We believe that we get more done this way, but we're WRONG. In fact, multitaskin...

07: Introduce with Impact

24 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 07, Edrico shares the most effective ways to introduce your speech and hook your audience. It's all about introducing with impact! Find ...

06: Why YOU Need Public Speaking

17 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to reach your fullest potential in life, you must develop your public speaking skills! Ignoring this simple truth will hold you back while...

05: Elevated Awareness: The Art of Aging

10 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

AGING. Literally everyone on Earth is experiencing this. Then why is the topic of aging still so sensitive and taboo? Why do we have so much resistanc...

04: Organize Your Speech

03 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, you might have a clear message to get across but you're not sure how to organize your thoughts. We all want to make sense when we speak in ...

03: Prep for Success

27 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Having nerves before public speaking is no longer an excuse! There are so many simple things you can do to curb any unwelcome emotions and create feel...

02: The Dreaded Distractors: Ahs and Ums

20 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ahs and ums: those little annoying words that keep popping up when we talk! Don't be alarmed if you use these filler words. (We all do.) Still, it's e...