The Pro on the Go! .

Product Review: Kickstart -Fruit Punch with Mountain Dew

"Amazing drink!"

Special guest Post: This Girl

This girl. She’s learning what most women already know. She’s learning the tactics some people (men and women) will take in order to rationalize disregarding your message. They’ll criticize your hair—because valuable women should have beautiful hair.

They’ll talk about your sexuality—because anytime they don’t like your message, your sexuality is fair game. They’ll talk about your clothes—because valuable women dress a certain way. And anything bad that happens to women is the result of the clothing they choose. They’ll criticize you because you don’t wear makeup because women, valuable worthy women, wear lipstick.

They’ll deride your tears—because women are so emotional. Never mind the fact that, had the strongest among them gone through what you have, they would cry too. They’ll talk about the patch on your jacket—as if it’s relevant—because they can’t comprehend that a flag belongs, not to a country, but to the people.

They’ll talk about how you should’ve been nicer to the unpopular kid—because, as always, it’s your responsibility to prevent violence against you. Men aren’t expected to behave but women are expected to soothe them and not provoke them. You must behave a certain way and, if you don’t, you deserve to suffer violence or even death. When you ask for, demand, safety and protection, they’ll tell you that you don’t deserve it.

(They’ll tell you that the real threat to you is texting and driving and that you should just give up your cell phone. As if you wouldn’t gladly give up that and more to change what happened to you and your friends. The real threat is shoot-em-up video games. The real threat is violent movies and television shows like The Walking Dead. Seriously??)

They’ll criticize you if you show strength and they’ll criticize you if you show weakness. If you’re proud, they’ll say you’re arrogant. If you’re vulnerable, they’ll mock you.

They’ll show contempt for your intelligence, the fact that you’re well spoken. When you stand up and speak as a woman, they’ll call you a child. When you cry, they’ll tell you to grow up. Nothing you do or say or become will ever be enough for them.

But that’s alright.

Keep speaking up and out. Keep standing true to yourself—wear what you like, love who you love.

Shout, cry, laugh. Because you, baby girl, are already MORE THAN ENOUGH. And there are millions of us, who are so proud of you.

Special Guest Post; Five public speaking tips for people who fear public speaking

The big presentation is just a few days away. You're expected to deliver big ideas and cover key points. The audience could be managers, co-workers, clients, or suppliers. Are you nervous? If you are, don't worry. Over 70% of adults fear public speaking. But there are some simple things you can do to relieve that anxiety and give a presentation that captures attention and influences ideas.

Focus on concepts instead of content. No one wants to hear about budgets or statistics. These can be shared through a handout or by email. People want to hear ideas and stories that capture their attention and lead to a conclusion. Which for you is a good thing as it's easier to tell a story than to memorize data. When designing your presentation, continuously ask yourself "what's the point". Then create content that helps you get to it.
Have a conversation. Many speakers go into auto pilot, sounding like a pre-recorded message, never changing pace or acknowledging the audience. Instead, think of it as having a conversation with friends. If you say something funny and people laugh, stop talking and let them. If someone has a question, welcome it. You can then answer right away or let them know you'll come back to it shortly.
Be slow. When people are nervous, they tend to speak fast. Speaking too quickly makes the audience feel rushed. Try to talk slower than you would in a normal conversation. It might sound weird to you on stage, but to your audience you'll sound relaxed and confident. If you find yourself getting flustered or feeling overwhelmed, just pause and take a deep breath. They will not mind waiting.
Make PowerPoint your assistant, not your boss. It's not the number of slides you have that matter. It's what's on them. Avoid lots of text, and never ever read a slide to the audience. A simple picture that supports your point will be much more influential and visually interesting. Using photos instead of text will also give you the freedom to go off script or adlib without being out of sync with your slides.
Lower your standards (for yourself). Everyone in the audience knows it's not a Broadway show. They're not expecting to be entertained or for an award winning performance. In most cases they'll be happy if they're not bored to tears. So relax, have some fun, and know that everyone in the room wants you to succeed.

Cheers,

Marc Gordon

marcgordon.ca

Special Hockey Post; The Jersey and Last name explanation

              The explanation of my jersey number and name.

              My cousins in Cleveland,OH changed their last name may years ago because people couldn't pronounce it!

          The number 76 is inversted for the 67. The last time Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup