An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
* Develop your own unique voice and style.
* Let your audience know who YOU are.
* How you got this far.
* What life has taught you.
* Craft stories and lessons from your own experiences.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Gamlin.
As The Motivational Firewood® Guy, Steve has been (since 2004) blending back-to-basics Positivity, Visualization & Humor, teaching his clients to SEE their desired outcomes, understand their WHY, and build ACTION PLANS to achieve them. He does this on-stage via his keynote speeches, and off-stage via his Vision Board Mastery learning program, 1-to-1 and Group Coaching, plus Live and Virtual events. Bottom line: Steve teaches people to identify what their goals LOOK like, FEEL like, SOUND like…even SMELL like.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I had a very enjoyable childhood. Great family and friends. Spent plenty of time riding my bike, playing baseball in Little League and basketball in the driveway. We had a pool, which was really great.
When I was 11 years old, a seed was planted when I first saw a radio DJ named Dr. Johnny Fever on a sitcom called ‘WKRP in Cincinatti’. That was the ‘big bang’ for me. I also wanted to be a stand-up comedian (thank you Steve Martin), an author and a teacher of people (non-classroom), inspired by my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Feren, whom I adored.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was 13, an embarrassing moment in the 7th grade Spelling Bee crashed my confidence, and thus began a slide in my grades and classroom participation which lasted all the way through college…where I barely graduated by 62/1000ths of a point. Summa cum ‘this close’.
At the age of 24, at the urging of a friend, I finally took steps to enter the radio industry, although I lacked the confidence in my voice to be an on-air DJ.
Instead, I thrived as an off-air Rock Morning Show Producer, although I still wished I had the guts to get on the microphone. That role didn’t happen until my 8th year when, due to our Morning DJ leaving, I ‘had’ to be the voice of the show…or the owner was going to put the whole station back on satellite radio (ugh).
Several days of awkward attempts at ‘trying to sound like a DJ’ ended when I turned on the microphone and simply said, wearily: “Hey everybody, Steve here, NH’s Classic Rock Big 101.5…(sigh)…you know, I may stink as a DJ but if you tolerate me reading the weather for the next 42 seconds, I’ll play you an awesome rock song”.
The resulting knock on the door (which I assumed would lead to me being canned) was my boss ‘Evil’ Jack (who was a really nice guy) saying: “Brother, that was the funniest thing you said all week. Just be yourself!”
That lesson continues to serve me today as a speaker, writer, coach, podcast host, etc.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In June 2011, my marketing person called me in a panic: “Hey Steve, I sponsored the 9th hole at a fundraising golf tournament tomorrow. I need someone to measure how far people can hit a marshmallow with a golf club…and I thought of you!”
After I stopped laughing, I replied: “I’ll be there!”
Early the next morning as I sat in a golf cart with a gym bag full of marshmallows in my lap, a woman climbed in and asked: “What are you doing with all those marshmalows?
My response: “I’m measuring how far people can whack them with a golf club!”
Her reaction: “What do you do for a living, because I can’t imagine this is it?”
Me: “I’m a motivational speaker, blending back-to-basics positivity and humor.”
Her: “Do you have a card?”
Fifteen months later, she called.
It turns out I’d been sitting next to the Team Leader/CEO of one of the most successful real estate offices in the area, who quickly became my biggest client and referral source for the next few years.
The big lesson: Be aware of ‘opportunities’ at all times!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Not sure if it would be classified as ignorance or arrogance, but when you start out as a speaker it can be very easy to believe: “Hey, I can talk to ANY audience!”
Wrong. Ohhhhhh, so wrong.
After securing a speaking engagement for a very prestigious client, one of the HR Directors at the organization reached out and asked: “While you’re here, could you also do a presentation for my small group of engineers?”
In the ignorance/arrogance of my early days, my reply was: “Sure!”
The first event went okay (despite losing my remote clicker for a panic-stricken 30 seconds at the beginning).
The second event started rough, as the person who was introducing me crumbled up the sheet of paper which contained my introduction and a lead-in for the first words I would deliver, threw it over his shoulder and said to the attendees: “I Googled this guy and he seems okay. Come on in, Steve!”
I walked into the room in a sheer panic, was immediately blinded by the sun glaring through the window, then attempted to high-five a bunch of engineers…who do NOT enjoy having people ‘violating their space’.
Here’s how I describe that presentation now:
“You know those old World War-2 movies, when a plane gets shot? How it spews a little oil, then catches fire and trails smoke until it finally crashes? Basically, I got shot 2 minutes into a 75-minute speech and trailed smoke the rest of the way”.
It was ugly. Really ugly. And that second HR Director was furious with me. Looking back, I can’t blame her.
She demanded, and received, a significant refund.
The lesson: Know who you are, as a speaker. Know your audience. Make sure you understand their pains, their needs, their style and their language. And if you are not the right fit, have a conversation with the person in charge and, at the very least, attempt to refer another speaker more suitable for their needs.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Almost a decade ago, I saw a post inside the National Speakers Association Facebook Community from a woman named Nancy Vogl. She was about to re-launch her speakers bureau. I had no idea who she was, but took a moment to respond with a comment wishing her all the best.
Several months later, she reached out to me: “Hi Steve, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to cheer me on. I’ve been checking out your speaking videos and I think you’re really good. I also looked at your website and marketing materials…and WOW, they need some work! I’m not sure if I will ever find the perfect event for you to speak at, but I want to help you any way I can.”
We got on an hour-long phone call shortly after, and I took several pages of notes from her suggestions.
Nearly a year later, as I was driving home after an appointment, Nancy called. As I live in a state which discourages (complete with a $100 fine) being on the phone while driving, I pulled into the parking lot of a local cemetery and answered.
“Hey Steve, write down this phone number and call them immediately. I just met with the Executive Director of (organization) and she is very excited to have you headline their event next May!”
That turned into the biggest speaking event I’d ever been part of.
Even now, Nancy is a treasured mentor and friend…and she is still looking out for me.
P.S. Every time I drive past that cemetery, I smile.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I share this advice with people who are interested in becoming speakers, podcasters, video presenters, etc:
“If you are afraid to start because you are worried that you ‘might’ not be great, let me take those fears away from by saying: YOU WILL STINK on your first attempts!”
There’s a message that my Dad used to tell me over and over: “You can’t get any better if you’re not willing to screw it up a few times.”
What do many of my most-requested stage-stories consist of now?
The many (cough cough) ‘learning experiences’ which occurred in my early years.
Another thing I caution people to avoid doing: Do not go back and mock, erase or delete your earliest attempts, no matter how bad they may be. I get it, they can be cringeworthy to re-live, but here’s the gift they contain: they demonstrate how far you’ve come.
I used to be very critical of my earliest performances. These days, I simply look back and say: “Oh my gosh…that is adorable. Look at me, just getting started! If you glued macaroni and glitter around the edge of that speech, my Mom would hang it on the fridge!”
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
I see the world as a giant event. There are people who choose to be in the front row, connecting with every word and movement. Then there are people who are still ‘part of the crowd’, but prefer to be a little farther from the stage. Then there are those who sit way in the back, in the shadows. These may be people who lack the confidence to sit up front, or anywhere ‘in the light’. They may have come in late, having sat in their cars wondering if they even belonged there. They rarely make eye contact, and very likely will not raise a hand or participate. These are the people that I work the hardest to reach, every time.
Why? Because that used to be me.
My biggest message to everyone who makes the effort to attend one of my events, listen to my podcasts, watch my videos or follow me on social media: “If anything I share inspires you to think one more positive thought, to speak one more kind word (especially to that person in your mirror) or take one more positive action to create success in your life or business…then our time together is huge win.”
My aim is to help these people believe in themselves a bit more, to see their potential, and to intentionally take action to improves their lives, businesses, relationships, health, etc.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
As challenging as things were at first, one gift of the past couple of years has been the shift to virtual presentations versus having to be in-person. Do I think virtual will ever fully replace being live? No, but it has allowed me to expand my business reach.
My most popular product is Vision Board Mastery, an audio learning program designed to teach people how Visualization ‘really’ works (beyond ‘wishing’ with an Arts & Crafts project). As more and more live events and conferences got canceled, my team and I created a way for corporate clients to access my program on-line, and benefit from ‘team’ coaching…without having to all be together in the same room.
And my clients are loving this opportunity to connect this way.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This is something I learned by observing my grandfather. He never actually said the words, but he lived them:
“Leave at least one situation, every day, better than you find it.”
For him, it was as simple as seeing that a neighbor’s fence was broken. Having been a lifelong carpenter, he’d go to their house with his tape measure and pencil, head back to his workshop to make a new piece, then go fix it for them. And they might never be aware that Al Dionne had even been there.
For me: as a speaker, writer, coach, humorist, podcast host and video content producer, I go into everything I create with the same attitude. I simply want to leave as many peoples’ lives as possible, better than they were when I arrived. That means I must be consistent, and go into every situation with that outcome in mind.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
1) Authenticity (Develop Your Unique Voice and Style)
I recently had the opportunity to speak to several groups of new and eager speakers. My opening line went like this: “Please do not ever let me hear you telling stories about starfish on a beach OR how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team! Both of these topics have been ground into the dirt.”
Develop your own unique voice and style.
Let your audience know who YOU are.
How you got this far.
What life has taught you.
Craft stories and lessons from your own experiences.
2) Watch How You Talk About Yourself
If self-deprecation was an Olympic sport, I would have taken home a pile of gold medals from my 20s into my early 40s. Under the guise of using my worst experiences in life as teaching lessons, I set myself up as a punching bag for all to see and hear. How could I not see the damage that I was causing (to myself) for so long? Because I was getting laughs, and thought that made it okay.
It’s one thing to admit that you’ve made mistakes in the past, but when you continuously label yourself an idiot, you instantly lose credibility with others…and keep yourself from growing.
I’ve often used this analogy: It’s like a circus clown who willingly takes pies to the face and falls down for the audience, all day long, to make people laugh, then walks home sad and alone in the dark when the show is over….and nobody cares (not even teh clown, at that point).
You need to see your value before anyone else can see it. Make sure you honor yourself, on- and off-stage.
3) Experience (What Life Has Taught You)
One of my favorite stories to share is how I became a speaker: In August 2003, during a particularly low point in my life, I took out my frustrations on a $3.00 bucket of golf balls at a driving range, in a thunderstorm, barefoot in the wet grass, under power lines…daring the lightning to hit me.
After sharing that incident with my brand-new life coach, he stopped laughing long enough to ask me: “Have you ever thought about being a Motivational Speaker or a Stand-Up Comedian?”
Within two weeks, I was pursuing both…and now I get to re-live my unique story, over and over.
If you are willing to look hard enough at everything you’ve gone through (or even just survived) in your life, you will find plenty of messages you can share as a speaker, writer, podcast host, video creator, etc.
Always remember this; Even though some things may seem boring or not very profound to you, they may contain the exact spark or nugget of encouragement for someone else. Become a miner and dig up your own valuable nuggets to share. Your story makes you very unique and interesting. It can make you attractive in a very magnetic way as well.
4) Know Your Target Audience (and Their Pains)
As I shared earlier with my audience of engineers, oh boy is this an important lesson! In my early days, I assumed I could speak to any audience. How wrong I was. It is very important that you understand the struggles that your audience is experiencing, and how they communicate, so that you can provide effective solutions. These days, whenever a potential client reaches out to inquire if I am available for a particular event date, my first questions include:
Who will be attending (industry, demographic information)?
What is the theme of the event?
What are the challenges that these people face?
Let the answers to these questions determine whether or not you are a good fit.
If not, but you take the stage anyway, you run the risk of uncomfortably uttering that line from the old Southwest Air commercial, mid-speech: “Wanna get away?”
5) Treat Your Speaking Like a Business (Know Your Value)
Of all the lessons that I learned early on, this one cost me the most.
I love being a speaker, I really do.
But in my early years, I was more interested in getting in front of as many people as possible, occasionally spending several hours driving to nly speak for 15 minutes, justifying it by saying: “It’s okay, I needed the practice.”
So what did I do? I took every stage that I could, whether or not people (or organizations) had any money to pay me.
And what did that tell the world? That I’d speak for free, anytime and anywhere.
That also extended into the pricing for my training and coaching programs. I was practically giving them away. And how much value do people place on things when they are free? Not much.
Over the past decade, I put the right people in place around me to make adjustments to my speaking and program pricing.
And wouldn’t you know it: as the prices increased, the right people began to see the value of what I had to offer and that, if they did the work, they could create better results in their lives and businesses by investing in me.
Bottom line: know your value, and learn (it can take time, belive me) not to flinch when people ask “How much?”
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Number 1: Do NOT (never, never, never) follow that old advice about ‘imagining your audience in their underwear’!
I do recall saying this on-stage once, as I covered my eyes and laughed: “Someone told me to imagine you all in your underwear…and WOW, a few of you made some very ‘interesting’ choices!”
Number 2: Here is something that helped me, early on: If you have a story, a bit of advice or a lesson that could help someone else, would you regret letting them get away without telling them? I would.
And yes, a room filled with people can be very intimidating, but here is how I describe it:
Every time I am on-stage, I am having an intimate conversation with as many individuals as possible, sharing what life has taught me, personally and professionally. I connect directly with as many eyeballs as I can, making my way around the room, to create as many ‘head-nodding moments’ (if you’re a speaker, you know exactly what I mean) as possible.
I honestly am not chasing after applause. I am pursuing impact and connection.
Basically: How would you have a conversation, one-on-one with someone? Take that approach and expand it to reach a group of people, all of whom could benefit from you sharing your message all at once.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
For me, this speaks directly to (and from) the 4 Core Values that are written on the wall above my desk:
Build the best relationships.
Create a vivid vision with every client.
Cultivate kindness with every conversation.
Be fun as heck to work with!
I believe we can all benefit from being aware of, and living by, our core values. To know them is to put yourself on a path to creating the best version of yourself. Get enough people on their own authentic path and wow…the ripples you help to send through the world could be amazing.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
My favorite person in the personal development world has long been Jack Canfield. His messages, style and energy have inspired me to become the type of speaker, author and coach that I am today. I had the great joy of speaking with him for several minutes before a conference 7 years ago (during which he asked for a copy of my Vision Board Mastery program) and I would love the opportunity to continue the conversation.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I am…a lot, ha ha!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Steve.Gamlin.Author.Speaker.Motivationalist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevegamlin/https://www.instagram.com/stevegamlin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegamlin/
And coming soon to TikTok!
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
I am honored to have been invited to share this conversation. Thank you very much for having me!
Steve Gamlin On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
