This is probably the first communication you have received dated 2014. We made it though another year. And we are still here. Whew – congratulations. So, New Year’s Resolutions? Not me. I think it’s silly to pick January 1 as some magical date to begin to change my life. Weight loss? Why wait? Personal relations? Why wait? Financial planning? Why wait? Improve my speaking skills? Why wait?

I prefer to dig into those things all year – not hold off until January…only to see me give up later. But we all need to improve. If you are that kind of person – more power to you – go for it. So what should you be working on to be a better speaker in 2014 than you are now? Some hints:

1. Make yourself a BRAND. Something that when people hear it – it reeks of you. Me? I’m Mr Half Dome. That’s a large peak at Yosemite National Park. I’m the expert in hiking it. Yes, 40 times up this strenuous granite mound and I wrote the only hiking guide to doing it. That’s my brand for all that I do. This is my tag line: “Getting you to the top of YOUR mountain.” Neat. What’s yours?

2. Develop your story. What is it that makes you – well, YOU? I tie in my hiking and obstacles into my talks. Obstacles? How about 4 major hospital stays including emergency open heart surgery. People like to hear about how others overcome the odds. Develop a signature story.

3. Become the expert at what your passion is. Be the best pottery spinner; the best naturalist, the best Greek history speaker. Everyone is an expert at something. People listen to experts.

All this will help you become an “in-demand” speaker on cruise ships. No pay, but it’s as close to Hollywood as I’ll ever get and a free cruise for two is nothing to sneeze at.

Enjoy 2014. How are YOU going to spend it?

Carpe Diem – Seize the day.

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