Latest / Presentation Thinking / #217. Montana von Fliss moves millions by finding her “one”

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#217. Montana von Fliss moves millions by finding her “one” · Presentation Thinking

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Welcome back to Presentation Thinking, the Storyteller Study
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Club podcast that explores all the things at the arts, the
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science, the strategy, the craft of of Better Business
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storytelling. And today, there's no one better
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to have on than my one of my favorite people on earth, one of
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my favorite presentation thinkers, Montana Von Fliss,
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internationally recognized keynote speaker, communication
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coach to the executives, big companies, and what 2025's most
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watched Ted X of of that year. What Montana?
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Welcome to the show. Thank you.
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Yes, all of those things are true.
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As wild as that seems, it still blows my mind that all of those
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things are true. And I do know they're true
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because I was there and I'm loving every minute of it so.
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Yes. Thank you for that introduction
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you've. Probably been busy ever since
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every time I look at your Ted talk, there's like a new million
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views on it. I know, which is nuts.
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It's wow. It's and and so so do you want
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to tell us? Yeah.
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Like so the title is how to be confident even if you're not
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right. You got it.
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OK, Can you we'll dive right into that because like you're,
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you're a famous Ted talker and I would love to hear what that's
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done for you. Like, is it what you thought it
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would be? And yeah, like, tell us what
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that whole what it's like to to do something viral like that and
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so helpful to so many people. Sure.
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I, I mean, and I'm still sort of experiencing it, you know, it,
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it's still in the process of viraling.
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That's not a verb, but we're just going to make it right now.
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I don't even know if it is technically viral, but it's
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still gaining views and, or so I'm told.
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I don't, I don't look at it anymore because I don't have to,
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but I, yeah, it is wild. The, the short answer is it's a
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very wild experience and different, certainly different
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than I expected. And I'll tell you that, you
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know, I said yes to doing the experience because what a great
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opportunity. Of course, I, I, I want to share
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my ideas. I want to help more people.
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That is my #1 core value with what I do.
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I want to help more people. So I was like, does it fit?
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Yes, it fits that. So we're saying yes.
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And at the same time, I was pretty scared, I'm going to be
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honest. Like that was my biggest stage
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pretty much up until that moment.
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I mean, I've had larger crowds, but the, the, the opportunity, I
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would say, you know, and that platform is probably the biggest
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I have ever done. And, and so it got all the old
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scary thoughts revved up and running like, Oh no, what if,
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what if, you know, catastrophe, disaster, Yikes.
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And so I had to do all of the work that I that I'm offering to
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others about how do you appear confident even if you're not
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feeling it right for that very talk.
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It was so meta, so meta. That's.
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What I was going to ask if like it's some it's got to be some
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added pressure, you know, which I feel like anytime I go present
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about presentations and I'm thinking like this better be
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damn good, you know, And so I think you had to you were
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walking the walk and you you sort of had to.
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I really painted myself into a corner on this one.
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Like he, I was like, what did I do?
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I, I basically am up there saying, you know, here's how to
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look confident no matter what. And I'm like, but what if they
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see me shaking? What if you know what I mean?
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All those voices, all those thoughts and worries came in.
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And in fact, you know, the only, the only good news is that by
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now I'm used to it. Like I have felt whatever word
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you want to put on it, performance anxiety,
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nervousness, fear of public speaking, whatever you want to
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call it, I've had it since the first time I stepped on stage as
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a kid. Now what I think the benefit of
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that is, is that I've just had a lot more time and a lot more
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times at bat to try different things and sort of figure out
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something that helps me to manage through that.
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And so that's I had to apply all that and it is in the Ted Talk
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like that. Those steps are all there.
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Plus I added a few things to the recipe to enhance the the
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recipe. I really did.
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And that maybe I'll have to tell that in my, you know, next Ted
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talk or I can share it with you right now.
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But it's, I just want to say I was expecting for it to be crazy
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and you know, a lot of pressure and, and it certainly was.
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And I did all the work to work on that, which I can happily
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tell you about. But also about the views thing,
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I just want to say real quick because I don't know, I don't
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think that's even the most important part.
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I did not in my wildest dreams think that it would get this
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many views. You want to know the only
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thought I ever had about the number of views?
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Well, two thoughts. One thought was, oh, Ted Talks
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are so ubiquitous now. Like, you know what I mean?
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There's no way that it could hit the jet stream, but I still want
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to do it. I still want to share it.
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It'll still look cool on my website.
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Like, you know, I want to help people.
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And here we go. And then the second thought I
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had prior, I think was something like, I just hope it's not an
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embarrassingly low number of views, you know, like 300. 21.
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Number my my friends and family, the people who were at my
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wedding, you know what I mean? Like.
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That would no. That's the only thought I had.
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So the fact that it's gotten all these numbers, I can tell you
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sort of what has happened from that.
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Totally didn't expect it. I couldn't even.
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And it's different than I would have if, if I had thought, oh,
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what if it hits the millions? I think it would have been in my
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head prior. It would have been different to
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what it is in reality. So where do you want to go next?
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Do you want to hear my secret sauce for how I got through the
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hardest one or do you want to go towards the views thing?
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The views. Thing is like, it's kind of
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interesting, but let's just say it doesn't do your taxes or
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babysit your kids. It doesn't have all your
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problems. That's the short.
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Answer right, right. And I guess it, it speaks to
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maybe it shows like I'm curious if you think more people should
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not necessarily pursue a Ted talk, but should pursue a stage.
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You know, like, I think there's especially post COVID maybe, but
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young, young professionals, maybe people who have had that
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fear of public speaking ever since speech class, maybe just
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have avoided it at all costs. But I've seen it.
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I'm sure you've seen it. But like what what is the value
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in general of putting yourself out there sharing those
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thoughts? You know, you've seen it to a
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big, a big extent, but I'm sure you've seen it through your
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other your clients as well. Well, there's so much value, but
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let me just say also, if you don't want to do it, you don't
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have to do it. You, you get to decide, OK,
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let's just be real clear about this.
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You get to make the choice of whether you wish to do it or
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not. And I think that's important to
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remember that you always have choice, OK?
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Even when it's like your boss telling you, I just want you to
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remember you always have choice. Because if you explore a little
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bit like it, do I actually wish to do this?
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Even if it scares me more than anything, Do I actually wish to
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do this for some reason or another?
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If you're able to find that reason, that is the most
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powerful thing that you can use to your advantage to get
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yourself up in front of that stage and execute to the best of
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your ability, truly. So that's a good place to start.
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Like you don't have to do anything, but if you do want to
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like find that little kernel and hold on, hold on to that little
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spark and blow on it. Make it into the fire.
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That will like help you get onto that stage.
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The value, I mean, I've seen so many values, I've seen so many
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people. And and of course, the most
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delicious, satisfying stories are the ones who are like the
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people who are the most afraid to do it or like, I've never
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done this before. And then you see them up in
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front of 2000 of, of their peers, you know, at their
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internal company conference, like in front of a bunch of
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salespeople who are, you know, tough customers and rocking that
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stage when like a couple months before when, when they told me
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like Montana, I don't think I can even stand up in a meeting.
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And then you see them getting up there and doing that like the
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what that does. Like I'm thinking of one person
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in particular and what that did for herself, herself, esteem
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her, her feeling, you know, like she she walked off that stage
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and she goes Montana. I think I can do anything.
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And I'm like, that's right, you know, And that's, that's like
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gold, right? That carries outside it beyond
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the job, right? Like, yeah, impacts your
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personal life. Absolutely.
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And then, you know, of course, we also know, we've seen it
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right in whatever. No, it doesn't matter what your
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career is in. I work a lot in tech, but I've
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seen this in other realms too. When I work with attorneys or,
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you know, doctors, whatever field I have encountered, I have
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noticed that if you work on your own personal skills around
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communication and presentation, public speaking skills, it will
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help you advance your career. Period.
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It just does. I mean, again, I don't think I
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have to enumerate that. If you're listening, you, you
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know, you've seen that and you know, and.
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I think we're lying to ourselves if we think it won't.
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I think it's just like in a you just come to that term at some
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point in your career when you see others maybe accelerating
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and you're, you know, and you put two and two together and it,
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I keep feeling like it's all we have left now.
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I think it'll become even more valuable now.
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Yeah, right. It's easy to build.
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It's easy to do those hard skill things now, like that's leveled
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out a bit. Yeah.
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So this softer stuff, the communication stuff.
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OK Montana, is it a hard skill or a soft skill?
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Is that a debate? Does it even matter?
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Well, you know, I mean, I'm sure there is the actual dictionary
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definition. Put it under soft skill I
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suppose. Because it's not, for example,
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it's not knowing how to program a computer or, or, you know,
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something that they consider a hard skill for a particular job.
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But the thing that that bothers me about it is just that I think
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the word soft, you know, gives it this sort of, it weakens the
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yeah, like it. And I think it is actually just
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as important in in a lot of ways as many of the hard skills.
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And and I know everybody can debate about that.
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OK, find me. We'll debate about that another
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time. But like truly, you know, most
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jobs that I have seen have needed things like, you know,
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being able to communicate to your Co workers, being able to
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talk to leadership, being able to talk to the team through a
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difficult patch. How do you get through this
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together? These are not just through
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emails, right? These are there's that and that
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by the way, that's communication too, right?
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There is still a lot of humans needing to talk to other humans
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do make all of these things happen, right?
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And and I think when that gets undervalued, it's it's really to
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your own detriment, unfortunately.
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But but we don't have to go there.
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We can go to like, hey, look at all the benefits.
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Look at how fun it is. Look at how good you feel when
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you go. I'm really going to invest in
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this. And I don't mean hiring a coach.
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You could hire a coach, you could hire me.
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But you, you also don't have to. You could decide I'm going to
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work on this and on your own. You could, OK, you have a
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presentation coming up next week.
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Or even let's say it's just an update to the team.
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Let's make it even lower stakes. Start with the lower stakes
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thing on your calendar or agenda.
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But what if you decide I'm going to spend 15 minutes every day
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practicing for that moment? And you literally like stand up.
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I just think there's more energy when you stand up.
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You don't have to. But get in your office, you turn
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on Zoom or whatever virtual platform you use, and it's just
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you. But you imagine your audience
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there. And then you speak through your
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piece, whether it's 2 minutes or 15 minutes, whether it's a big
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stakes or a low stakes item, you speak it through out loud as if
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the audience is there. Right away you'll start to
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learn, oh wait, I need better speaker notes or I need to place
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them in a place where I can see them.
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If you do that every day, every day, it will teach you what you
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need to do and what it needs to be and what you need to execute
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it like that or as much as you can like that on the day.
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Then you'll start to notice. And especially if you start to
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get a little bored with that good, now it's time to shake it
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up. What if I played with emphasis?
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What if I made friends with the pause?
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Like really land a point and then pause like a boss?
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What if I did that one time? You can do that.
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You're more likely to do that if you've done it a couple times in
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your little mini rehearsals on your own.
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Just put them on your calendar. Do that now on the day it it
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might go a little differently still than you and it and it you
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know, by the way, I think it always does.
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Every moment is different, OK, And that is reality, right?
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But when you have some of these supports, like you have more
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familiarity, you've built a little safety in your system
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through doing it a little bit every day.
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And you know what? Don't tell me you don't have 15
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minutes. You do before you brush your
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teeth. Have you done your intro?
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If not, put down your toothbrush.
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Think of me and put down your toothbrush and just run your
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intro right there three times. Run it in the shower.
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Run it when you're, you know, exercising or cooking a meal,
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doing the dishes like you have the time.
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You just feel uncomfortable and doing it and that's why you're
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not doing it. But you do want to get over it
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because that is the way to get better at it.
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And you can do that completely for free and on your own.
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Now I just want to say real quick, if you're feeling some
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resistance around that, just want you to think real quick.
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Can you imagine, let's say the World Cup just happened.
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Let's imagine some of those players were like, you know,
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messy. I'm, I'm really good at this.
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So I don't feel like I need to practice or I, you know, I don't
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know, I've thought about it enough.
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I've thought about it a good deal.
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So I probably don't need to practice.
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Can you like that's, you know, crazy.
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We'd never do that when it comes to sports.
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But then when we think about that with public speaking,
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speakers do that all the time. I'm just going to think about
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it. I'll just make the deck and
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think about it every day. And probably just the way I'm
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thinking about it is mostly worrying.
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And then I'm going to get there on the day and just hope that.
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It comes out differently, doesn't it?
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Yeah, out of your mouth. And then what you think you were
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going to say unless you do rehearse.
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And practice and practice. Like your tongue is literally a
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muscle. You have to work it and practice
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it. Sorry, what were you saying?
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Is no, is that, is that one of the biggest pitfalls you see
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with most of your like executive clients is just thinking they
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can kind of just show up and, and and wing it?
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Yes, yes. Oh, and they have.
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Oh, Montana. I don't do well with rehearsal.
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I it just gets too robotic and I'm like, well then either
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you're not rehearsing enough or you're not rehearsing in the
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right way. Again, align it with reality.
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Let it be different every time. If you're trying to have it be
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exactly the same or like memorize some verbatim script,
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that's going to sound robotic, right?
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First of all, the written word. If you're going to write out
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your script and either speak it or recite it from memory, that's
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going to sound robotic. It's going to sound like
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someone's reading to you. We know what the written word
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sounds like, and it sounds very different than the spoken word.
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So you got to build yourself the scaffolding that you need so
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that you can say sentences that are in the spoken vernacular.
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Like the way that we speak has different vocabulary, different
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syntax, different vibe even. And So what is that?
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It could be, I don't know, maybe you speak your look at your
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slides and you speak your text into something that has like a
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voice to text technology and that's your script.
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Or maybe you just use short bullets.
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This is one of my favorite short bullets, just enough to remind
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you of what you want to say. That's your jumping off point
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and then you let it be different.
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But you do that every day, finding different, you know,
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versions, iterating. I know you tech books like that
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word iterate, please iterate. I call it rehearsal, but please
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iterate every day. Try it, let it be different, you
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know, and, and and then see what you're capable of.
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Then then you you find, oh, I might be able to use the stage
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in a more purposeful way. I might be able then to pop in
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that great story that I know would be more engaging.
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So I think yeah, people tell me that all the time.
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No, doesn't work for me. I'm like, I don't know if what I
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don't know. First of all, if we are thinking
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about what rehearsal is, I think they think it's just saying a
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verbatim script over and over again.
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And I think it's way more playful and it's like practiced
19:37
extemporaneous speaking. It's like a hybrid is how I
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think of it. I, I kind of do actually feel
19:45
that. Like I've been through those
19:47
rehearsal sessions where I didn't fully commit and I was
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just like, yeah, I'm going to talk about this here and then
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I'll talk about that there. And like almost like it feels
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too, too playful or, or fake to be like, yeah, I'm going to give
20:03
you the presentation now. I'm going to.
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So like in my head, I'm like, I'm going to just save that
20:07
energy for the real thing, but better to just invest in it and
20:11
like really do the walkthrough, do the simulation, right.
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Always, and I'm going to tell you right now, it's not going to
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feel probably probably most of those will not feel great.
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It'll feel awkward. It'll feel like, but there's
20:25
nobody here and you won't have that show energy that you get.
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It won't have that magic and as much right that you really do
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get that added magic when the audience is real and there.
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But wouldn't you rather bring your a game and then add the
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magic? That's that's what I'm here for.
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I love it. OK, so for your Ted X, did did
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you have a formal like a dry run at that same venue on the same
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stage? What was the process like for
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that? Now we're getting to it and yes,
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I promise we're going to kill you.
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What was the secret sauce that I added?
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I swear that's coming. Got it.
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Hang tight. But right now I want to tell you
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yes. So I think every Ted X is
21:09
probably slightly different. I have only experienced the one
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and the way that that lovely team did it was they had a dry
21:20
run. We had a well wait, let me back
21:23
up. First of all, I was their coach
21:25
in years prior. OK, OK.
21:27
When they began the TE DX Bellevue women and this group of
21:31
three women who run it are just they're like now they're like my
21:35
aunties for life. They're so amazing, cool, cool
21:38
people. And I started yeah, as their
21:42
coach and, and so they didn't have it to my memory anyway.
21:46
They didn't have much of A dry run system beforehand.
21:50
And we started building it in together just because I have,
21:53
you know, performance and and acting experience, theater
21:57
experience. I was like, you know, people do
21:59
really well if you have a bit more rehearsal prior.
22:02
And so then we started building that in every year we would do
22:05
it. We'd add something right, like
22:07
to the point where we got to. And then by the way, after a few
22:12
years, they were like Montana, I think you need to get on this
22:14
stage. And I was like, I'm the coach
22:17
and they were like Montana, I think you need to get on this
22:20
stage. And it was just a great example
22:22
of like how the people around you who believe in you, how they
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can hold this bigger idea and possibility for you.
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And then they'll just like hold that until you step into it, you
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know, and like just kind of keep gently nudging you towards it.
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They did that for me anyway. So we got to a system where we
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had, when I was the coach, right?
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It would be each person got, I can't remember what it is, maybe
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4/2 to four coaching sessions prior, like on virtually.
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And then we'd all meet together a week or two weeks maybe prior
23:00
to do a, I mean, I think it was more like 2 weeks prior to do a
23:04
dry run, you know, where everybody is like, you know,
23:09
deer in the headlights, like, all right, this is real.
23:11
Like there's going to be an audience, you know, and, and
23:15
then they would receive notes from everyone and then do
23:17
another coaching session with me.
23:19
And then the day before, they didn't have this originally, but
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I was like, you got to have it like a tech rehearsal.
23:27
This is another thing that folks who have don't have a lot of
23:30
theater experience don't inherently know.
23:33
And I learned that the hard way. They don't always have like a
23:37
tech rehearsal or a dress rehearsal, like where you're
23:41
with the tech, the lights, the sound, you're wearing your
23:45
costume, so to speak, or whatever outfit you want to
23:47
wear, you're running through it using whatever monitors or, you
23:52
know, whatever they call them confidence monitors.
23:55
The I'm losing the word but you know what I mean.
23:58
Like basically it where it has your script or your bullet
24:00
points in a. Plate Teleprompter.
24:03
That's yeah. So some places have
24:05
teleprompters, which I call they're the ones up in I line.
24:08
And some places have confidence monitors, which are like the
24:11
ones on the stage that are kind of angled up, but they do sort
24:14
of force you to look down if you're checking in with them.
24:18
If you're like too married to them, then you're looking down
24:20
the whole time. So people, everybody, even
24:24
people like me who are more familiar with stuff like that,
24:27
need a tech and a dress rehearsal.
24:30
So they added that day before basically that whole thing, full
24:36
tech dress rehearsal. And then when we got there on
24:39
the day they did, we got there a little bit early.
24:42
And for folks who had slides, they could kind of run through,
24:44
make sure everything was working.
24:48
Yes. And and then then cut to holy
24:54
cow, there's 300 people in the live audience, 6 cameras from
24:59
the Ted crew rolling and ready, set go.
25:05
No second take hit it. Imagine that, Mikey.
25:10
Then it's. And then they call your name.
25:13
Oh no. Did you get Walk Out Music?
25:15
Did you get to pick? I did.
25:17
I think I did. God, that's a good question.
25:19
I don't remember now. I blacked out.
25:22
No, I don't. I don't remember if I think I
25:24
did. But I, I, and I got to tell you,
25:27
I even practiced and rehearsed my walk out.
25:31
Like that's how much I practiced and rehearsed for this thing.
25:36
Now that's not even in the video, but you can't see that on
25:39
the video. Yeah, we just see you starting
25:40
out. But I knew that I needed to run.
25:44
I, I practiced and rehearsed for waiting in the wings.
25:47
I practiced and rehearsed for like, you know, the, the moments
25:51
before that. What am I going to do?
25:53
But you know the thing that I didn't account for?
25:56
And here's here comes the secret sauce story.
25:58
OK, The thing I did not really think about enough was so they
26:03
put me at the end of the program.
26:05
There were 5 speakers and they put me 5th.
26:08
Makes sense because mine's all about presentation skills so
26:11
it'd be kind of rude to put me. Right.
26:13
Yeah, that would be ridiculous. The audience would be like
26:15
judging everybody, you know anyway, so it made sense.
26:20
But on the day that meant I had to wait backstage for over, I
26:26
don't know, 2 1/2 hours or something because they had all
26:29
the other talks and the big ideas and the transitions.
26:32
They had a musician and an intermission.
26:36
And I was like on the roller coaster backstage, I'd be like,
26:40
I did all my mantras and my silent sentences and my
26:43
breathing and my talking to myself in the mirror.
26:47
And then I and then I, you know, go watch a little bit and be
26:49
like, OK, here comes the wave. And then I'd have to go
26:52
backstage and do the whole process again.
26:54
And I was on like this felt like, like a roller coaster or
26:57
some kind of terrible carnival ride, up, down, up, down.
27:01
And I couldn't really eat lunch because my tummy was too
27:04
nervous. And so by the time I was waiting
27:08
in the wings, you know, it had been a long road, right?
27:14
And I, but I'm like, I got this. I OK, you know what I mean?
27:17
I planned to walk out there like a superhero.
27:21
I did that. I get on the red dot, I start my
27:24
piece and so far so good. I even get like a little, a
27:28
little laugh, which always sort of puts me at ease a little bit.
27:31
That's just sort of my style. I don't suggest everybody has to
27:36
tell a joke or anything at the top, but certainly that works
27:40
for for my style and what I like to do.
27:45
But then kind of like maybe it was when I heard that laugh, I
27:48
was still speaking. By the way, this whole time
27:50
while I was speaking my my intro, the thought occurred to
27:54
me like I could feel that the audience was tired.
27:58
They had just sat through many other big ideas and stories of
28:03
trauma and redemption. And they knew just as I did that
28:07
after mine, they could go to the lobby for free wine and cheese,
28:12
right? And and you could just feel it.
28:14
They were tired. And then I was like, Oh my God,
28:16
and I'm tired and Oh no, this is now going to be a disaster.
28:22
And Oh my God, she's not here now.
28:26
Let me explain. If she's not here, my go to
28:29
silent sentence. I have several, but one that I
28:32
love. I share in the in the Ted talk,
28:34
my little silent instruction to myself that I always say that's
28:38
my favorite. I invite you to be here with me
28:41
while I am here with you so that I can help you to the best of my
28:44
ability. OK, that's my fave.
28:46
Sometimes I shorten it. Invite and help and then let's
28:51
go, right? It reminds me of my deeper
28:53
purpose. I love to help people in this
28:55
way. And when I say you, I'm, I, I'm
28:59
here to help you. I really think about it as like,
29:03
let's say it's that audience of 300.
29:05
I think about it as I know there's at least one person in
29:09
this audience who needs me or needs to hear it, how I put it
29:15
right. And I, I'm thinking about them
29:18
like I'm, I'm going to help one person at the very least here
29:23
today. And that just really always
29:24
tends to, I wouldn't say I feel calm walking down, but it
29:28
focuses my energy in, in, in a very grounding and purposeful,
29:34
intentional way. So I was using that as I was
29:38
practicing for this big opportunity.
29:40
And I was realizing as I was doing, I did probably like 30
29:44
different practice runs in front of different audiences that I
29:49
gathered. I everyone I knew, I was like,
29:52
will you watch this? Do you want to gather a group?
29:55
I'll do it for free, please. I need a practice audience.
29:58
And I noticed that, as we said before, my levels were, you
30:07
know, reaching like terror level.
30:09
And as the days got closer, it would get higher and higher.
30:13
And I wanted to quit. And I was like, I can't do,
30:15
there's no way I can do this. It's too big.
30:18
And, and I went, you know what, though?
30:21
OK, we got, we're, we're, we are genuinely here to help one
30:25
person. So what if we take that idea and
30:29
we strengthen it? And this sort of comes from my
30:32
acting background. Like I went, well, who is that
30:35
person? Who am I talking to?
30:36
That's some basic acting technique.
30:38
Who's not only who is my character, but who is the
30:41
character that I'm talking to? Who is this person?
30:43
Who is this? Who is this person that I'm
30:44
talking to? This persona, if you will.
30:47
But to me, like persona feels not real.
30:50
So I I had to make in my this person real in my mind and
30:54
character. Yeah.
30:55
No, I don't know how why, but in my mind, she was a young woman,
31:01
maybe a high school age, college age.
31:04
Maybe she had like a college entrance exam or a big job
31:08
interview or something coming up and she didn't have access, you
31:13
know, to this kind of information or this kind of
31:17
help. And to tell you the truth, I
31:19
think maybe she was me when I was younger.
31:20
But anyway, she was this character.
31:23
This is who I was talking to. So every time I would practice
31:28
it, when I said I want to help you to the best of my ability, I
31:32
fully pictured this young woman and I put her in my audience, in
31:36
my both my imaginary audiences when I was practicing this by
31:40
myself and in my, you know, rehearsals that I made with with
31:45
real audiences. And it was like what it really
31:49
it like it turned up the efficacy in a really lovely way
31:53
for me because I'm like, I will walk through hot coals to help
31:57
you, Mikey or you, you know, specific young woman who has a
32:02
job interview coming up, right. And so that was it.
32:05
That was the the secret sauce that helped me.
32:10
Like I will, I will help you kind of no matter what.
32:16
And we can talk later about how healthy that is for me mentally
32:20
and emotionally. But let's just say we found the
32:22
right button that helped me to get on that next stage, right?
32:26
So it did. I got I, she helped me walk onto
32:30
that stage then. Oh my God, they're tired.
32:34
I'm tired. This is a disaster and she's not
32:37
here. That's literally what the
32:41
thought said in my brain. And maybe because I practiced it
32:46
so many times, my silent sentence about, you know, and,
32:49
and thinking about her. But when I heard myself say
32:54
that, and by the way, this is important for anybody who has
32:57
any type of anxiety, I think that's a really excellent thing
33:02
to watch out for when you can hear yourself say the thought,
33:05
whether it's a helpful or unhelpful thought.
33:08
Obviously mine was not a help, helpful thought, right?
33:11
But when you hear it, that's an opportunity right there, because
33:15
if you're hearing it, that means there's another self or another
33:19
voice that's also present, right, 'cause if you're hearing
33:23
a voice, then inherently that means somebody else is here
33:26
online hearing this right in, in my head.
33:30
And so I right there I heard and she's not here.
33:33
And right there I answered like when what some other self that
33:37
lives in this head, Montana, the cameras are rolling.
33:41
So maybe she's not here in the live audience, but he's out
33:44
there in your future video audience and she needs you.
33:48
You give it 100% go. And I was like, like power up,
33:55
like. Yeah.
33:59
I got a captain and then, you know, you've seen the rest of
34:02
it. It, it, it all went fine.
34:05
It went well. It went well now.
34:08
So good. Yeah, thank you.
34:09
But the laughs like right away and two, I've always wondered
34:13
what a Ted X what a Ted Ted X audience looks like and figured
34:19
it's a very broad audience. So at least like you, it was
34:22
probably largely women at this one, but but.
34:25
All. Different industries and, and so
34:28
it's, I think it's hard to hit something that resonates with
34:31
people. You don't know who you don't
34:34
know their background, you don't know their job, their industry,
34:36
any of that. So I think that would have
34:38
psyched me out. It it, it will and that's
34:40
exactly what was happening is I my anxiety self was psyching me
34:46
out, which by the way, side note will put a pin on that I know
34:50
don't even call it psyching me out.
34:52
I call it that's my anxiety trying to protect me and I now
34:56
call them my protectors, which they'll sign up.
34:59
Just start, just try that on for size.
35:01
What if you're like, oh, thank you, my protectors.
35:03
I got this because that that's now how I talk to them, you
35:07
know, and I and they don't that doesn't make them stand down by
35:10
the way. They don't go poof.
35:11
I wish that made them go poof, because anxiety is going to
35:14
anxiety. You know what I'm saying?
35:16
Like that's their job. They're here to protect you.
35:19
Just like in in inside out too with with Riley, you know, they
35:23
anxiety is they're trying their best to help her.
35:28
And so, but now I just go, oh, right, that's your job.
35:33
And I, my job is to go out and help that one person in the
35:36
audience. So I'm going to keep walking
35:38
towards the stage and I'm like, you can come with me, but we're
35:41
going to keep walking towards the stage.
35:43
Yes, I hear, I know, and it keeps going, but have you
35:45
worried about this? But have you thought I'm like,
35:47
thank you, thank you so much. We're still walking.
35:50
We're going to help that person out there and you know that
35:53
specific person. Oh my gosh, that's my main tip
35:56
right there. You got to make that silent
35:57
sentence and you have to try different ones like what works
36:02
for you? What is your little button, your
36:05
override switch that that helps you even though you're still
36:09
shaking and sweating? I was still shaking and
36:11
sweating. Go.
36:12
I got to do this anyway. It's kind of like, what's the
36:15
thing that's going to, you know, hear those stories about people
36:18
who can lift a a car off of another human being like in
36:21
those horrible. I've never seen this, but I
36:24
don't even know if that's real. But it seems like you hear these
36:26
stories of people just doing amazing things in moments of
36:30
need. And I think you got to find what
36:34
is that for you? What is the desire, the thing
36:37
that you want that is more powerful than the thing that you
36:42
fear. And you and then you build it
36:44
into your process. You don't just then go, well, I
36:46
hope that happens on the day you build it into the system.
36:49
You make it repeatable and reliable by doing it every day.
36:54
You're going to floss your teeth every day, which by the way, I
36:56
hope you're doing, but you're also gonna say your silent
37:00
sentence every day. Like just give it a try 'cause
37:04
you might be surprised. Like I was on that red dot, how
37:08
that sentence, I thought it was like for just the wings or just
37:11
before. But because I had said it so
37:14
many times and all those rehearsals in my moment of, I
37:19
don't know, that was my moment in the valley, my moment of
37:22
darkness on that stage, that that rehearsed plan, that those
37:29
words, that thought, that person that I had created came in in
37:33
that moment and then just lifted me right back up, you know, and
37:38
you can build that for yourself. Anybody can.
37:41
And, and it's just a matter of sort of becoming the scientist,
37:46
I guess, you know, sort of experimenting with it and
37:49
collect data. Did that one work?
37:50
Well? What if I shift this word?
37:52
Does that work better? Get curious about that, try it
37:56
out. And I have to tell you one
37:58
little kind of rather amazing. It sounds too like fantastical
38:05
in a way through, but this is the absolute truth.
38:08
So I got an e-mail a few weeks after the live event.
38:13
Now the the video was not posted for months.
38:17
It took about 5 months I think for the video to be posted.
38:21
So it's just a few weeks after the live event.
38:24
I got an e-mail like via like one of the organizers sent it on
38:29
to me from a young woman. No wait, wait for it, wait for
38:34
it. Just graduated college and she
38:37
goes Montana, I really loved your talk.
38:39
Lovely compliments, but even better, she goes.
38:42
I had a job interview a couple days after I saw your talk.
38:47
I applied your techniques and I got the job.
38:51
Oh my God. And I was like.
38:53
Right. Like job, mission accomplished.
38:55
What did I create you in my mind?
38:58
Are you real? That's so cool.
39:02
I so cool, so cool. And I just, you know, honestly
39:08
was yeah, it was sort of hard to believe, like, wow, that that
39:13
really happened. But then after the video got
39:19
posted that that is probably one of the coolest and one of the
39:24
unexpected amazing outcomes of doing that Ted Talk was I I
39:31
still I get messages all the time from women, men, non
39:36
binary, everyone. I get messages from people all
39:40
over the world telling me how it helped them or how they applied
39:45
it in this scenario or that scenario.
39:48
And I, I, I mean, it is, it's magnificent.
39:54
I mean, it is humbling. It is glorious.
39:58
It is. Oh man, I mean, that is better
40:01
than honestly better than anything.
40:04
And that's, that's what I would say that's been like the biggest
40:07
benefit. If you, you know, if you will
40:09
that that I have seen from doing the talk and you asked that
40:12
like, I don't know, an hour ago, but I, I will tell you that that
40:17
was unexpected and it's, it's really lovely.
40:21
Apparently just begun to Yeah, yeah.
40:22
You're going to hear so many more of those stories as as more
40:26
people find it and and apply it. That's so, so cool.
40:29
So it's like a muse, you know, it's like you.
40:32
I I think Terry zu Platt, you know, in in story camp talked
40:35
about his best speeches for Obama are the ones that he wrote
40:38
for one person in mind. He he thought about that that
40:43
Boston event story and how he wrote it for his Uncle Dan or
40:46
whatever. And like sure enough, his uncle
40:48
Dan calls him a those good speech or whatever.
40:50
But I think I find like trying to write it like an e-mail to to
40:56
that person, that long lost friend or something like that.
40:58
The voice becomes more impactful and like you said it effective.
41:04
100%, yes. I mean, you always have to think
41:07
of who's your audience, right? But I think what well, one of
41:12
the many takeaways I got from that experience is the more
41:16
specific you get with your who your audience is, the better.
41:21
I mean, and what if it's fun? Like, what do they look at first
41:24
on their phone in the morning? What keeps them up at night?
41:27
Like what brought them through the door?
41:30
And then even even more fun to start creating that character.
41:35
You know, what's their story? What, what do they, what do they
41:39
need? What you know, and everybody has
41:45
got something like that, right? Like they're all worried about
41:48
themselves. And by the way, that also helps
41:50
me to feel a little bit less concerned about myself.
41:55
And am I saying perfect sentences because everybody else
41:58
is so worried about themselves, right?
42:00
And we know this. Nobody's walking into your
42:02
presentation with their notebook going well, I sure hope Mikey
42:06
says perfect sentences because that's what I'm here for, right?
42:10
Yeah. That's not even what the
42:12
audience ever wants. And it Isn't it wild that we put
42:17
those things on ourselves as priorities?
42:21
Wanting to be liked versus hey, I hope one person needs to hear
42:27
this and does hear it. I think that's such a good
42:30
mental shift that I've, I've run into that as well.
42:34
Just worried that like the greater and I hope everybody
42:37
likes this, but yeah. You know, like what I have my
42:41
worried thoughts that by the way, I you know, I can talk a
42:45
good talk like. And then there she put the
42:47
thought of her and she said, but you know what happened the very
42:50
next time I got up on stage, the same worried thoughts plays in
42:53
my brain. And you know, maybe someday a
42:57
lot of practice it will it will fade away.
42:59
That would be lovely. But you know what kind of
43:02
doesn't matter if it does, because now I have the response
43:06
ready to play right after that or to to replace it or to talk
43:11
back to it and kind of take back control like what I wish to do
43:16
in this moment, you know, so like mine are things like you
43:20
better be perfect. I think I'd say him in the Ted
43:23
Talk and they're still the same. Don't don't mess up like you
43:26
like being perfect is somehow my nervous systems idea of safety
43:31
and So what are what are do you do you feel willing to share
43:35
like what's what are some of yours that always plague you or
43:39
come into your mind? Sure.
43:42
I think it's like that I'll be outed as as an outsider, like I
43:46
typically go speak to B to B marketers, product marketers.
43:50
And so as a creative, speaking to these people who are a bit
43:52
more technical, I'm worried that I'm just not technical enough,
43:56
smart enough, you know, not speaking their language.
43:59
So almost like who is this outsider?
44:02
You know, why does why does he think he has something that
44:05
we're going to learn from? So I'd say it's that and then
44:08
and wanting to be then Gosh, I hope, I hope everyone likes it.
44:12
I just want to be, I want it to be liked, but I have, I, I think
44:18
just coming out and saying who I am and this is my angle has
44:23
helped alleviate that. Like I am not, I'm, I'm not you,
44:26
but I've hung out with a lot of you and, and I'm, you know, I,
44:30
this is how I see your world as through the eyes of a creative.
44:34
You know, or by the way, is the reason it is useful for them to
44:38
hear you talk about that subject, right?
44:41
Sure. Because they already know what
44:43
they know. Right.
44:44
So it is, yeah. So if you can, yeah.
44:47
But yeah, talk to yourself into understanding why that's
44:49
valuable to them and and believing it.
44:52
So. Yeah.
44:52
But I've never done the silent script.
44:54
You know, I have said to myself like, I really want it.
44:59
Reminds me of the movie You, Me and Dupree.
45:01
I doubt you've seen it because it's I.
45:02
Have not seen it, should I? Should I put it on?
45:04
No, you should not. OK.
45:06
It's like Owen Wilson is a but he's like sort of a deadbeat
45:10
friend who has to go into career day to fill in for his friend
45:14
who's an architect. And so he goes in and he's like
45:16
a loafer. He sleeps on couches.
45:18
He but his career day speech is pretty hilarious.
45:21
And he's like, one of you is going to get this.
45:23
So I mean, that's why I tend to think I channel my you, me and
45:26
Dupree. And I'm like, I'd be stoked if
45:27
one person is also a PowerPoint nerd and and sees that it could
45:32
be elevated and and I've lit a fire for them.
45:35
You. See, you're doing it.
45:36
You're using the power more of like bringing out down what is
45:39
the lowest bar for success. I think that's what I'm doing
45:42
with that. Like there is one person in this
45:45
room at least, right, who I know can can get something out of
45:49
this and that just doesn't do. I can feel the relief is
45:52
palpable to my system. Like, oh, you mean I only have
45:55
to help one person. And then you know what, it just
45:58
aligns with reality. What I, what I notice in what
46:02
you're saying, it reminds me a little bit of imposter syndrome
46:05
and what I believe this is just my opinion on what imposter
46:09
syndrome is, is I think it's just a misalignment with reality
46:13
because the reality is you were invited to speak there.
46:17
I don't even know all the circumstances, but I just know
46:20
already from your story that this group of people invited or
46:24
somebody from them invited you to speak there, right?
46:27
So they already are validating the reality that they would like
46:33
to hear about your skill set and your opinions, your insight, all
46:39
your techniques, your help for this audience, right?
46:44
So that is the reality. And I think whenever we try to
46:48
be like, no, I wasn't, I'm not worthy.
46:52
It it it's dissonant, right? It's like, 'cause the reality is
46:57
you were hired at this job. You were accepted to this school
47:02
program. You were invited to speak at
47:04
this event. So.
47:06
And sometimes it can be hard to be like, I am worthy.
47:09
Yeah. Like, that doesn't feel true
47:12
yet. But what does feel true like,
47:15
like if I say, Mikey, you are worthy, like, and I'm sure you
47:21
have a lovely people around you who are saying that as they
47:23
should and you and and you know, if that works for you, say that.
47:27
But if that's not, if you're like your system, you feel a
47:31
little that's I don't, I don't buy it.
47:34
Then you have to go, OK, try again.
47:37
I was invited here. Like does that one feel true?
47:41
OK, in some cases Montana, yes, in some cases where we're like a
47:45
pay to play sponsor. So we, hey, if we get a booth A
47:49
and a well, you'll get a keynote slide.
47:51
That's where it's like, oh, now I really, yeah, who's this
47:54
sponsor, you know, trying to hawk their stuff.
47:59
So that's where I psyched myself out.
48:01
I hear you. And then.
48:02
But what is true in that circumstance?
48:04
Is it true, for example, that there could be the one person
48:11
we're going back to, the one person in that audience who
48:16
might need what you have to say? Is that possible?
48:20
Is that within the realm of possibility?
48:22
And I have found the way to put myself up to there.
48:26
It's just like nobody has spent as much time as you nerding out
48:30
about this stuff, you know? And so whether it's helpful to
48:33
them or not, they'll at least know that you are very
48:35
passionate about this topic. And hopefully that is contagious
48:40
to to to a few people there of. Course that of course that's
48:44
great like that's a perfect I I'm taking the word perfect out
48:48
of my So what I meant to say is that's an excellent reframe
48:53
right there. That's an excellent example of a
48:55
reframe. So what about, you know, the one
48:58
you gave me before, which was some version of I'm not worthy,
49:03
I, I didn't. Say those words like I'm an
49:05
outsider. I'm an outsider, you know, I'm
49:07
not as technical as I am sure. Yeah, yeah.
49:10
What might be a good replacement sentence for that?
49:13
And the reason I want to take you through it is because I
49:15
think it's helpful for people to hear like, OK, where I would
49:20
start is, first of all, what are you telling yourself?
49:22
And we just got 1. I don't some version of I don't
49:25
belong. What are you?
49:26
Telling. I'm.
49:28
Not one of them or but but what's my we're?
49:30
Not one of them, right. We have got that right.
49:32
So that, but I'm just telling people that's the first step is
49:35
to just become cognizant, become aware of what what?
49:39
Understand what is just that currently running recognize.
49:43
Yeah. Yeah, what is being said in
49:45
calling out? Because the truth is we're so
49:47
good at following our own instructions 'cause if you say
49:50
that, then your whole system hears that and we should go into
49:55
protection mode. Because what, what if you were
49:57
talking about 1000 years ago in a tribal situation, not
50:01
belonging could equal death, banishment equal death.
50:06
So your nervous system now is in this fight, flight, freeze,
50:11
fawn, you know, whatever. You know, some sort of very
50:14
uncomfortable F word, right? Like my fly free.
50:20
Just some that's really what it feels like anyway to me.
50:24
And and so once and then sometimes that has to just I
50:29
sometimes I'm just hijacked by that for a while until I kind of
50:34
like I said, I hear at what some point when I hear it, that's the
50:40
moment where you got to go. Oh, I can now make a different
50:45
choice. The moment you hear your those
50:48
things being said in your mind, that's when you have the
50:50
opportunity and it always comes. But sometimes you wait a little
50:53
bit for it. But.
50:55
But you have to like actually identify it and recognize, I
50:57
think that's being said in there.
51:00
And when it's, you know, you do this sort of outside, like, you
51:04
know, before the the event ideally, right?
51:08
And you sit down and you think, well, OK, like mine was you got
51:12
to be perfect. And my that's kind of tricky
51:14
because it's like, well, wait, isn't that a good thing?
51:16
Isn't that trying to, you know, get yourself to be a good
51:20
presenter for them? And it's like, is it possible
51:24
this is one of the tenants you have to run it through first of
51:26
all, is it helpful? Like yours is, is pretty, you
51:28
know, that's definitely not helping you, right?
51:31
But being perfect, it feels like, well, wait, maybe that is
51:34
helpful, But is it possible? Is it possible to be perfect?
51:39
It is not. So your system tightens and
51:42
tries to do it anyway. We try to go with whatever that
51:46
thing that we're telling ourselves.
51:47
So then you need to just play around with what would be a good
51:51
replacement sentence. And it could be a whole
51:53
dialogue. But let's start with like one
51:55
sentence. Like for me, I was like, OK,
51:58
wait, I don't need to be perfect.
51:59
I mean, no, But like I said, not in the audience doesn't even
52:02
want that. Like, why am I being held
52:04
captive and gripped by this? And I was like, well, I want
52:09
what do I what the next? That's number two.
52:12
What do you want? You're walking into pick, pick
52:16
your audience. You're walking into one of
52:19
those. What do you genuinely want?
52:23
You not just like, I don't mean like what you're going to say in
52:27
your script. I mean like you in your heart of
52:29
hearts. What do you want?
52:31
I want to change people's mind that PowerPoint isn't a check a
52:36
box to check, but it actually, I want them to see that it when
52:40
they pour into presentations that they can actually get some
52:45
really strong benefits for their team, for their companies, for
52:49
their careers, you know, And so I just want them to see it
52:51
differently and change their perspective on something that's
52:54
seemingly boring and snoozeville into like that.
53:00
You actually have some agency over how you approach it.
53:02
And if you do it with some intentionality, you can do
53:05
wonders for your career. Oh, that's it.
53:09
You hate it because at first I was like, OK, to what end?
53:11
That's for everybody who's building their own.
53:14
You want to go, what do you want?
53:16
Right. And, and it has to be something
53:19
that you want sort of that's within your control.
53:23
Like I want, we can't always control changing, but you can
53:26
invite people to a new perspective that's within your
53:29
control, right? You can invite them to a new
53:33
technique. You can invite them to a new way
53:36
of thinking about it. And then you always got to add
53:39
on like to what end? What what's the benefit to them,
53:43
right? If they take this invitation and
53:47
you did it without me even asking you, you were like, and
53:50
if they do it, will you said something?
53:52
We have it. It's on the recording, OK.
53:54
Run it back. No.
53:55
Yeah, run it back. We, we always say it goes
53:58
straight like we want them to get a promotion.
54:00
You know, I, I like, we wanted to change their careers and
54:03
their and their their companies for the better.
54:05
Now, now you're cooking with gas, right, because your, your
54:10
silent sentence is now starting to be focused on the person
54:13
outside of you, which is always good, right?
54:16
It inherently just takes the spotlight off of you.
54:19
I, I want them to like me. Perfectly understandable.
54:24
And by the way, I have that same 1 something about our
54:27
childhoods. But anyway, that's another
54:29
podcast. But right, we cannot make other
54:33
people like us and that just like puts so much more like
54:36
focus on us. But if we can focus on them,
54:41
right, I want to help them to the best of my ability, which is
54:44
mine. I want to invite them to a new
54:47
way of thinking about presentation so that they can
54:51
take their career to the next level.
54:53
Something like that, right? You can work on it and like put
54:55
it in your, you really should also always shape it and put it
54:59
in your own words, right? And and like, how might you say
55:03
it? Like something that's focused on
55:05
them that you genuinely hope is the outcome.
55:08
But maybe one sentence like what?
55:10
How might you say that in your words?
55:12
I something along the lines of I want you to see this on this
55:17
overlooked medium as something that can catalyze your career.
55:21
And so you can get, you can get promoted, you can climb the
55:26
ladder fast because everyone sees you as a serious
55:28
storyteller, because that's what we've observed, you know, from
55:32
the, the ones who we've we've seen.
55:34
Yes, 100% agree. You do that.
55:37
I've seen it. We we did it at story camp,
55:39
which we have to stop talk about story camp, by the way, before I
55:42
go. But but tell me, how did that
55:46
feel to you? Did you feel kind of excited
55:48
about talk, you know, doing this?
55:50
Yeah, it's fun. It's it.
55:53
Yeah, it, it's just this whole concept of like a, a
55:57
presentation mission statement or a purpose statement as a
56:01
presenter, whether it's your internal meetings or, or on some
56:04
big stage, I, I love it. And I, I just don't think it
56:08
gets talked about other than from you and from your Ted talk
56:11
and from everything you're you're promoting.
56:13
I think this should be more common because it does.
56:17
I don't know that purpose is everything.
56:19
Yeah, it can drive you past the scary stuff.
56:22
Yeah, I mean, I still have the jitters and like I said, you
56:26
know, all those those feelings. But when I have that override
56:30
switch that mission, I love that word for it, a presentation
56:33
mission. I mean, I, I settled on silent
56:36
sentence simply because I wanted to just let you know that it
56:41
was, you know, something that you can keep as a secret in your
56:44
own mind, in your, you know, in here and you can use whenever
56:50
you need to and you can be creative with it.
56:53
You can build 1000 of them. You can think about different
56:55
ones for different audiences, have fun testing them.
56:58
And, and, and that's sort of where I, I landed with silent
57:02
sentence. But it's self talk, it's
57:05
intention sending, it's a mantra, it's a mission.
57:08
I love. I haven't used that word for it,
57:10
but I'm adding it now. I love it.
57:12
It's a presentation mission and whatever you want to call it,
57:18
you know, that's that's up to you.
57:20
But for my money, you're leaving something on the table if you're
57:24
not doing it, Whatever you want, call it.
57:27
And the way it works best again, is not just we had this little
57:32
moment together right now. You figured that out and you
57:34
were like, oh, that feels better.
57:36
That's more aligned with what I want to do.
57:39
And OK, I actually feel like I could talk to any audience.
57:41
You didn't say that. I'm going to just put those
57:43
words in your mouth right in here now.
57:46
But like, that's what most people feel.
57:48
They're immediately like, oh, wait, I can do that.
57:50
Or I and I, I even kind of want to do that now.
57:52
That's when you know you're on something with a good contender
57:55
for a good silent sentence for you, whoever you are listening
57:59
here is when you start to feel, oh, wait, now I kind of want to
58:04
go say this to everybody because I can feel this alignment with
58:09
my passion and what I know could happen if if they could really
58:14
hear this and benefit from this. So then not just that, the
58:20
moment of like, aha, I found it. That's lovely.
58:23
But then we have to do the hard work.
58:25
You're going to have to take that sentence.
58:27
Whatever version you like, don't get, don't do me and be
58:31
perfectionist about it. Just a version of it you like,
58:35
write it on a sticky note and put it up on your monitor and
58:38
you're going to say it every time you possibly can, every
58:43
rehearsal. You know, when I do it, every
58:45
time I join a Zoom or any virtual meeting, because then
58:49
now it's built in, I click join and regardless of whether it's a
58:56
podcast interview, it's a one-on-one coaching moment,
59:00
which I do a lot of, or it's a group coaching or I'm on a big
59:04
stage doing a keynote. That sentence is just built into
59:08
the system now, right? And that's that is what I think
59:12
the real, I don't know if it's not even magic, it's real.
59:16
It's real. Like it is.
59:17
Literally. You're giving yourself the
59:19
instruction that you know helps you perform in the way that you
59:25
wish to perform. And I think have you ever seen
59:27
it spoken out? I guess technically you, you got
59:30
to share yours in, in your talk out loud, which is again the
59:33
meta factor. But when I think of like, you
59:36
know, like Steve Jobs keynotes, he would always be like, I'm so
59:40
excited to share these three products today or, or whatever.
59:44
I think like saying out loud that the mission that you're on
59:48
or why you are excited, I imagine it's OK to to to say
59:54
some of those things out loud. It is and I love that you said
59:57
that and that often happens. I I often find that it bleeds
1:00:00
into my spoken intro as well. And and I see that in in clients
1:00:06
and speakers that I work with that it that it often will that
1:00:09
like the the keywords and I think that's great.
1:00:11
It makes it even stronger. You don't have to you.
1:00:14
It could just all live in in inside but.
1:00:18
If you add it, I think it then it just reminds your system
1:00:22
again and then again and then again.
1:00:23
And that is just fantastic. And by the way, it's not just
1:00:26
for right before you speak. It can be at the top of every
1:00:29
slide in every transition or as needed.
1:00:34
You know, like in my story when, when I certainly needed a
1:00:38
little, a little realignment with my mission, my presentation
1:00:42
mission. Yes, love it.
1:00:44
Oh my gosh. Tina von Fleiss.
1:00:47
Hey, I invite you to Boulder November 3rd through 6th.
1:00:54
We're coming back for Story camp #2 you're AOG, a pioneer of
1:01:00
Story Camp One for those who haven't heard of this or
1:01:03
listening or like, what is that? What if I were to put it on you
1:01:07
to say, like, what the heck is story camp?
1:01:10
How might you package that up? Because I'll probably borrow.
1:01:13
Yeah, yeah, happy to do so. First of all, story camp is my
1:01:17
favorite thing ever. That'll be the first tagline.
1:01:21
Second of all, like the actual with a more log line.
1:01:24
Like what is it? I call it sleepaway camp for
1:01:29
speakers. So anybody who wants to up level
1:01:32
their public speaking skills in any way and for any reason, you
1:01:39
get to come to this beautiful location and attend all sorts of
1:01:46
lovely sessions. So some are, are more like
1:01:49
Keynote, some are workshops, some are very, very hands on and
1:01:54
and with the greatest minds working on presentations and
1:01:58
presentation skills today. I mean, when you told me about
1:02:02
it, when you first contacted me and told me about it, I was
1:02:05
like, Oh my gosh, I only wish I had had that idea and created
1:02:11
story camp. Like, I was like, yes, and you
1:02:14
hadn't yet even told me anything about it.
1:02:16
I was like, yes, I'm there, yes, I'm there.
1:02:18
This is my dream come true. And then you know what?
1:02:20
It exceeded every one of my expectations truly in every way.
1:02:26
I was thinking, you know, I was talking to my husband and I was
1:02:30
thinking, you know, what would I say to people who really like
1:02:33
what was my favorite thing about story camp?
1:02:36
And and I immediately went the food.
1:02:41
And then that was pretty good. That both made us laugh because
1:02:45
of course the food was amazing. And just the way you
1:02:48
orchestrated those shared meals, I have never in my life been at
1:02:53
and I've been at a lot of these, you know, whether they're treats
1:02:56
or conference settings or whatever, And the big heavy
1:03:01
hitter keynote speakers, you never get to like hang out with
1:03:04
them or they, you know what I mean?
1:03:06
They do their thing and then they they, they go elsewhere.
1:03:10
But every like every shared meal, every moment, I was
1:03:14
sitting there with, with Terry Suplat, Obama's speech writer,
1:03:18
you know, at his table for lunch and just, you know, chatting
1:03:21
about Obama stories. And I was like dying.
1:03:25
It was so cool. And then Amy Cuddy, who is my
1:03:30
hero, my personal Ted hero and I just I think the world of her
1:03:36
and her work got to read her book presents just anyway.
1:03:39
Everything about just love her work and her as a person.
1:03:43
And the fact that I got to hang out with her and have tacos, I
1:03:48
was like, what is happening? So yes, the food was good, but
1:03:54
it was like the community. So not only did we get these
1:03:58
great classes and these opportunities to get up on
1:04:01
stage, everybody in one way or another got like an opportunity
1:04:04
to receive some coaching and some feedback, even if it was
1:04:08
just like at the amazing. I love the I can't remember what
1:04:11
you called it but it was like the slide deck SOS help station
1:04:15
where presentation. Help desk from Ghost Range.
1:04:19
Yes, like they just could like help you with all the things
1:04:23
that I find so hard about making all the the visuals and ghost
1:04:28
ranch is just so good at that and having that as just a
1:04:31
station that you could visit. I I mean truly everything was so
1:04:36
fun. Oh, and then there was I don't,
1:04:38
I also don't know how you managed to do this.
1:04:40
Like where there's there was time to take a hike or go in the
1:04:45
beautiful pool or. Just like.
1:04:48
You know, write in your journal and be in nature.
1:04:51
It was everything. It was everything I dreamed of
1:04:54
and more. And all I will say is I hope I
1:04:57
get to go to every story camp that ever happens.
1:05:00
The end you helped us make it what it was, and I think it's
1:05:04
going to be we're going to keep building on it and we know what
1:05:06
worked. We're always going to keep it
1:05:08
small. I think that was part of when we
1:05:10
kept hearing from everybody's like the, the I got to meet
1:05:13
everybody I got to hang out with.
1:05:14
Yeah, Amy and Terry and Montana. So the access to these brilliant
1:05:18
minds and the, the caliber of the people who show up, by the
1:05:21
way, are it's no joke as well. So the peer-to-peer learning
1:05:25
was, was pretty exceptional as well.
1:05:27
Everyone was so invested in being there.
1:05:29
Yeah. And it's like, like camp where
1:05:31
you kind of like build these bonds, you know, like it's so
1:05:36
quickly through all this, you know, shared experience of kind
1:05:39
of walking through the hot coals together, you know, of like
1:05:42
having to to work on public speaking.
1:05:45
And there was just so much lovely trust.
1:05:49
I mean, I know it's sort of a joke.
1:05:51
It's it was a safe space. I'm just going to say it, it was
1:05:54
a safe space and it was super fun anyway and.
1:05:57
The views weren't bad either. Yeah.
1:05:59
Yeah. Well, thank you for that plug.
1:06:01
We're going to use that Montana. Oh man, I will do it.
1:06:04
I would say that again and again 1000 times.
1:06:08
So truly I'm I'm and and and by the way, how dare you be so good
1:06:14
at it on your first one. We had some.
1:06:18
How dare you, Sir? High praise.
1:06:20
High praise. Yeah, we've we've got some
1:06:21
improvements to make, but we're we'll be always iterating.
1:06:25
That's so funny because like truly I could not think of a
1:06:28
thing. Like we even got to roast
1:06:29
s'mores. I mean this it was it was
1:06:32
awesome. I can't wait to go to the next
1:06:34
one and I will be there and I will see you there.
1:06:37
You will big time going to be there story camp.com if you want
1:06:40
to secure your your registration before supply while supplies
1:06:45
last. And in November this time, like,
1:06:47
what's it going to be like in the mountains in November in
1:06:49
Colorado? So in Boulder, it can be hit or
1:06:52
miss, like we could have a snow, we could have sunshine, we might
1:06:55
have both. Like usually if you if you get a
1:06:58
dusting, the sun comes and blazes it, but it could be
1:07:02
chilly. We'll need to bundle up.
1:07:03
We'll bring some layers we'll have.
1:07:05
Campfires. The S'mores taste that much
1:07:06
better. Will we have campfires, Mikey?
1:07:08
It is the the Mountain West. So I, I don't know pictures of,
1:07:13
of fires. I don't know if they're allowed
1:07:14
in Colorado. That's true.
1:07:16
That's true. Sometimes.
1:07:18
Like we we did have that restaurant experience that had
1:07:22
one of those sort of much more controlled like everywhere.
1:07:26
They might have. Yeah.
1:07:27
Chautauqua is a little more campy.
1:07:30
It'll be a little more throwback vibes, but it's it's such a cute
1:07:33
campus. Like we'll all have our own
1:07:35
little cabins and stuff. It's going to be awesome.
1:07:37
Yeah, it's going to be cool. All right, So Montana, I know
1:07:41
we're at time here. We should keep doing this, but
1:07:44
do you have any parting shots for for those who have listened
1:07:47
all this way? I would say, yeah, my number one
1:07:51
piece of advice, which is also, by the way, my most ignored
1:07:55
piece of advice, which is just funny, but I also get it, is to
1:08:00
practice. Like if you had a piano recital,
1:08:03
you'd practice. If you had a baseball game,
1:08:06
you'd practice. Like, you just got to put
1:08:08
yourself in that mindset. If you're going to run a
1:08:11
marathon, you're going to be doing some practice.
1:08:13
You're going to build that into your life.
1:08:16
So why not set yourself up for success?
1:08:19
Give yourself a chance, even if it's.
1:08:20
Uncomfortable practice, practice.
1:08:22
Practice and then video it and then video it and watch it back
1:08:25
next level. Heard a month, then.
1:08:27
OK, all right, You heard it here.
1:08:30
Well, Montana, this has been so special.
1:08:31
Thank you so, so much for the time and the ideas and the
1:08:34
stories. Where what's the best place to
1:08:36
find you? Montana Von fliss.com.
1:08:38
Yes, Montana Von fliss.com for sure.
1:08:40
Also, you can find me on LinkedIn and Instagram and my
1:08:46
new YouTube channel. All right, what Montana von
1:08:49
Fliss? Just search that and you'll find
1:08:51
the things in the with the things and the stuff.
1:08:55
Well. Thanks, Mike.
1:08:56
Friend of the show, thank you so much for being here.
1:08:59
Let's do it again sometime. We'll see you in November.
1:09:01
Sounds great, see ya. All right.
1:09:03
Bye, Montana. Thank you.