I attended a Lisa Ryan talk about a year ago, and liked her message a lot. That night it was all about Gratitude: “write down five things that you are grateful for every day for 30 days. It will make a huge difference in your life.” I did, and it did. If you are searching for a new job, or want to make a job charge or career change, try it.
So when I received an e-mail announcing Lisa Ryan’s latest eBook, “Afraid to Speak to Paid to Speak,” I was disposed to want to read it, see what else she had to say. It’s a pretty quick read, 90-100 pages.
Now you are reading this blog, The Interview Doctor, because you want to make a career change or know someone who does, right? You or they want more from the current job, or want to land a new job, and what does a book about “paid public speaking” have to do with finding a better job, right?
Answer: it could have a LOT to do with landing a better position. The book is a lot about Lisa’s development from ‘afraid to paid’ through Toastmasters. I am frequently surprised by the impact that public speaking practice has on a person’s confidence level. In fact I witness it pretty regularly at Toastmasters meetings. Lisa Ryan’s book comes from the point of view of a Toastmaster who has gone from a panic-attacker to a nationally recognized author and speaker. And, as she tells in ‘Afraid to Speak’ her confidence grew with the regular “stage time” practice that she obtained in Toastmasters.
The how-to-get-to-a-point-of-money-for-public-speaking book is organized into ten easy-to-follow chapters. Lisa demonstrates through her own fairly funny stories (the wedding day memory is a classic) as well as the experiences of other “paid public speakers” that effective public delivery of a strong meaningful message can be learned, and used for personal gain.
This week I used her ideas again at a Toastmasters meeting, referencing “Afraid to Speak” and its outline of ten chapters for an impromptu speech; her ideas hit a home run. Here are just three: (chapter one) if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail; (chapter five) Pause longer, and your speech will prosper, and (chapter six) Act confident and you’ll be confident. (To get all ten, you’ll need to spend the $2.99 on Amazon.)
Do these ideas work for job seekers, and their need to tell crisp, concise and entertaining stories about their work history? Of course they do; check this eBook out, and check out the Toastmasters experience that she references in the book- both will prepare you for landing that next good job!