In this 2015 educational lecture, HiFiSpeakers’, Mark Whitney, analyzes the work of Steve Jobs, Brian Regan, Barack Obama, Monica Lewinsky, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Joan Rivers, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, and others.
Event: District 5 Toastmasters Fall Conference
Date: November 7, 2015, 3:00 PM
In Attendance: Honorable Lark Doley, President, Toastmasters International
Venue: Town & Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, CA
If you prefer, you can listen to this lecture using Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the Substack App.
Bring Your Show Back Story
This lecture was delivered once. It is unscripted. I had no notes. No prompter. No written set list. No index cards. Nothing.
But for the World Championship Of Public Speaking, an annual District Event in a major metropolitan area, with the President of Toastmasters International in attendance, is about as big as it gets in Toastmasterland.
Room was packed at 250ish. Late in the business day. I knew I had to really “bring my show” to hold them for the full hour!
This lecture contains several videos, the order of which I memorized, like the Set List I memorize for stand-up.
I spent six months carefully selecting and organizing the video clips from among more than 50,000 in my vault. I spent about six months meditating on this speech. I thought about what I wanted to say before and after each clip. As each clip played for the audience, I had time to think about what I was going to say when the clip ended.
After this lecture was finished, I collapsed in exhaustion at the hotel. The night before, I only slept three hours, imagining how this lecture would play out.
It is common at big events to have multiple performances. For example, when you see a comic on Netflix, they typically roll cameras on multiple performances, taking the best from each.
This was a one time deal. I, accordingly, wore two mics and we rolled two cameras on this lecture, so we would be sure to have a record of this event.
I am normally very tightly scripted. So, this was a personal accomplishment that allowed me to really be in the room with my fellow Toastmasters.
Thanks to my man, Dananjaya, for leaving the unsolicited comment. A most pleasant surprise!
~Mark Whitney, November 16, 2024
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Reach out if you would like me to perform the updated version of Bring Your Show for your District or Regional Toastmaster Event!
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