Events | Warwick Merry CSP CVP

Archive For: Events

Is It The Best Person For The Job?

During April, my gorgeous wife and I toured the UK as we were there for a couple of family occasions. While we were in Glasgow, we toured the Clydeside Distillery.

It was a fantastic couple of hours. I learnt so much about distilling, the relatively simple process (which explained so much about Hawkeye and BJ’s still in M*A*S*H), the challenges of making the simple process remain simple and then how to distinguish one whisky from another.

Our guide (you can see half of him in the photo montage above) knew so much about the process, the history of Glasgow, the Clyde river and Whiskey in general. He was also fun and entertaining. Definitely the right person for the job.

Contrast that with my friends neighbour. He had some trees that needed trimming. They were hanging over his cable tv connection and powerline to the house. Not an easy job and one that requires some skill.

… Or does it? …

The neighbour decided to have a go themselves and … well … let’s just say I was entertained for several hours receiving texts from my friend. With things like:

The cut trees got caught on the power line
The guy was actually holding the power line
He fell off the fence he was standing on
He fell off the ladder with the chainsaw going
He cut one bit that he could only just reach to find the release of the weight moved the rest of the branch out of his reach
After 5 hours, great risk to his own life, and too many dangerous situations to consider, he trimmed the trees.

The risk of life and limb, time it took and potential for major damage (if not a fatality) seemed that he had the wrong person for the job. The investment of a couple of hundred dollars to get the right person to do it quickly, safely and easily would seem to be worthwhile to me.

Is It The Right Person For The Job?

Regardless of whether you are hosting tours, trimming trees or running events, you always need to consider, is it the right person for the job?

Too often I have seen conferences hosted by the CEO, the Sales Manager, a Funny Guy from accounts that are OK but don’t give the full impact because they don’t have a professional host. Award ceremonies that are lacklustre because the person who should be in control, isn’t!

No matter what task you have at hand, it is always worth asking, “Is this the right person for the job?”

I was fortunate to be at QuickBooks Connect last week.

It is the annual conference that Intuit, the parent company of Quickbooks, held for all of its customers and user. Unlike many other conferences, there was no big sell, no doing things on the cheap, no”get ’em in and get ’em out” mind set. It was all about how do look at the needs of many of our customers and provide them with a great experience and real value for their business.

Some of the out of the box things they had were:

Live music in the expo
Free headshots (just making social media profiles like LinkedIn look a little more professional)
Conversation time with other suppliers like the Tax Office. payment providers and other software companies that “plugin” to QuickBooks.
There was even a whole day dedicated to bookkeepers, accountants and financial people so they could do a deep dive on some of the features and processes.

In addition to the entertaining plenary sessions, there were plenty of truly valuable break out sessions for the audience. Sessions that business owners NEED to know about.

Recruiting, social media, cash flow and plenty of other topics.

As a side note, one of the break out sessions on recruiting people that stay was run by Anneli Blundell. She also happens to be my guest on the latest episode of the Get More Success show. Have a listen!

Essentially this was a User Group Conference. In the past, they have been more common for larger, enterprise level software organisations. With every increasing numbers of small to medium business using core business software like QuickBooks, these kind of user conferences are on the rise.

Intuit’s QuickBooks Connect is an example of one done well.

How can you connect with your users/clients/customers and provide extra value to them and their business?

It doesn’t have to be a conference. It may be a virtual conference, a webinar, video, podcast, reference guide – there are many options.

Let me know if you need any help or ideas.

One of my speaker buddies gave my a gift yesterday. Yes that’s right. It is BaconJam!!

Made right here in Melbourne at the Salami Shack. It’s made of 90% bacon. No bacon flavouring here!!

Now my buddy knows my passion for bacon. So as a token of thanks for some event work we are doing together, when he saw this, he bought one for me.

What a gift! It is not too big so I don’t feel indebted. It is something he knows I love, so I feel heard and considered. And it is something out of the ordinary, so I feel surprised and delighted.

Contrast this to when I often receive a speaker gift of a bottle of wine. While I am grateful for the gift, I don’t drink – so it is a little bit wasted. It is also very common, as in the previous speaker also got one, so I don’t feel that special, and if I have travelled interstate, I now have the added issue of trying to get it home without it breaking.

When you are giving gifts to your speakers, or associates, is it a gift worth giving?

A few subtle questions to the recipient and a stalk on their social media may help you give a gift worth giving.

Want to Do Something Delightful in the Dark?

Photo: DialogueInTheDark.com.au

At the recent Australasian Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME2019), I got to meet some fabulous puppies and some amazing people!

They work with Guide Dogs Australia to host the Dialogue in the Dark sessions.

I have always admired the massive amount of training and care that a guide dog needs. Even more so since my friend Vic started training and caring for puppies for Seeing Eye Dog Australia. But this conversation (or dialogue) was a fabulous one to have.

What is Dialogue in the Dark, I hear you ask. Well it is a simulated tour of Melbourne done in the dark!

Don’t worry though, you get a white walking cane to assist you and some very capable guides (usually visually impaired people so you are operating on the same level playing field) and often their canine friends.

That’s not all they do. They also run individual and team activities conducted in complete darkness and delivered by these professional facilitators with blindness or low vision.

The workshop place you in unpredictable situations similar to many business landscapes, highlighting the importance of effective communication, leadership and trust. It also provides a great reminder about the importance of human interaction.

Dialogue in the Dark workshops have been operating for 30 years in more than 40 countries.

From its Aussie base in Docklands, Dialogue in the Dark offers a range of professional development workshops, team building tours and school experiences in partnership with Guide Dogs Australia. It also provides more than 20 people who are blind or have low vision with employment, training and development opportunities.

And, the best part is that all the revenue generated from Dialogue in the Dark is re-invested into the operation.

If you are after something fun and different to do or you want to take your team (of have your boss take your team) on a great team building exercise, I highly recommend Dialogue in the Dark.

So do you feel like a tour of Melbourne in low visibility? It is one of the most delightful things you can do in the dark!

The Best Thing to Do With Your Conference App

I am fresh back from AIME2019. The events for events. It was interesting to say the least.

I was particularly interested in Conference Apps. There is so much to offer with Conference Apps in 2019 and there are many options.
Some of the well known ones in Australia are CrowdCompass, DoubleDutch, Entegy, Whova, EventsAir, and Cvent. Some events still create their own apps as well.

But I can’t help think that something is missing with the majority of conference and event apps.

Ah yes… the delegates!

I continue to see delegates ignore the conference app and rely on a printout of the program or refer to banners listing events around the conference. It would be hard to justify the $5k+ investment in an app for your event if the majority of your delegates don’t use it or get value from it.

Yes it is “cool”, yes it can do “amazing things”, yes it keeps us interconnected but we need to keep in mind that a conference app is like fire. It is a brilliant tool but a poor master.

So what is the best thing to do with your Conference or Event App?

The very best thing to do is … turn it off! Not permanently, but for now, turn it off, put it to one side and get the key element of your app sorted. That key element is the Strategy.

Here are some important considerations as you put your App and Event Strategy together:

Old Mature People

Yes the work force is starting to add Digital Natives and they are welcomed with open arms. But don’t forget not all people aged 45 and over (myself included) are as comfortable putting everything on our phones. Also, our eyesight is not as good as it used to be and we haven’t worked out how to make the font bigger yet. Plus we also think it is rude to be on your phone all the time rather than it being “normal”.

So how are you going to encourage us to fight our instincts and actually adopt this technology?
In general, people don’t like change and we have been getting a printed copy of the program for years so why can’t I have one now?
Oh and why does everyone start sending me messages now that I have it set up? I have enough email already!
(Can you see their inner grump come out?)

No compelling reason to use

I get it. The app can be fun. There is a competition and you can win things. Not sure how but ok I can do that. Yes I can see the program and the sponsors and exhibitors but what else?

Most apps need to have the delegates download the app, register and then create a profile, Without a compelling reason to use the app, these three steps are your first hurdle.
Add to that, most delegates can be quite protective of their contact information so they don’t fully complete the profile information leaving it challenging the show the value if the data is incomplete.

What is a compelling reason to have delegates take these three steps? An early adopter reward is great but delivering great value is better. What is yours?

Look for longevity

Most Apps are used a little prior to the event, just post event and that is it. How can you make it worthwhile to get extra longevity out of the app? Most people download the app and then just leave it on their phone (I know I do). Why couldn’t you use it for some post event messaging, encouraging people to connect and talk about their conference success stories, or even promote next years event?

Continue to add value to app and delegates

Too often the app is considered because of it’s value to the organiser. The ability to save on printing costs, direct and immediate messages to delegates, and promotion of sponsors and exhibitors. As you continue to use your app, look at adding value to delegates. Can you direct link to social media channels, enable connections with senior managers on site, link delegates to exhibitors they are interested in, have “how to videos” on popular products, behind the scenes interviews with speakers, chances to win high value, industry related services/products?

Make it easy

Too many apps are painful to use. It has to be made intuitive and simple. One conference I hosted decided that each day they would change the order of the icons on the screen so that delegates would be more likely to try some ones they hadn’t. All it did was confuse the delegates and they reduced their usage of the app.

In the initial notification of the app, maybe have a simple How To video and Easy Starter guide. Have App Gurus with big App Guru names badges/t-shirt walking around and supporting the delegates. The easier you make it, the more they will use it this year and from now on.

Make it meaningful/Deliver Value

While the gamification of conferences is an important step, it can’t only be about the games. There has to be meaning to the app. Having an app just to say, “we have a conference app” is not enough.

We need to have an app that makes people love using it and those who haven’t downloaded it yet ask there friends how to get it. So what can you do so that people who don’t have the app ask their friends to help them set it up?

Pay for the free event Wifi

This is particularly true for Australia and for events held in the bowels of buildings.

While speaking at an event in the USA, they had no internet access in the dining/trade show area. You know, that area where people talk and ask about what they have seen and what should they see and what is coming up next. With only the app to guide them and it being reliant on the internet, it was a big fail.

Australian hotels/convention centres free wifi always seems quite limited. I am happy to blame the NBN for some of it but part of it is that the “included” free wifi is usually pretty low speed.

Check your budget, get a sponsor if you have to but have a solid wifi connection across the event.

Get Your Strategy Right

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.

Your strategy has to be more than “We should have a conference app.” Your ROI, ROO, and ROE (Returns on Investment, Objectives and Energy) will only be as good as your strategy.

At the very least, you may want to consider the following:

What will you do to ensure early engagement?
How will you ensure longevity?
How will you encourage the late adopters?
How can you level the playing field in the gamification areas so that late comes still have a chance to win?
What value will it offer the delegates, sponsors and speakers?
How will you stop it from being a blatant “sell” when talking about exhibitors?
How can you make it more that simply a digital program?
How will you measure it’s success?
Do you need GPS tracking recording to measure tradeshow movements?
Can you include beacons for the tradeshow floor?
What will make the delegates LOVE it?
What fun things can you include?

Conference Apps are here to stay. But we MUST do more to make them of significant value to the delegates.

If I can help with your approach, please get in touch.

From Little Things Big Things Grow

Not only is “From little things, big things grow” a great line from a Paul Kelly song, it is true of our efforts as well.

Two years ago, my brother in law gave me an apple tree. And I am so thrilled that after fighting back bugs, possums, drought, hail and bashing it with a lawn mower (accidentally), we have been harvesting the first fruit from it.

Like a conference or event finally coming to fruition, it is a joy to taste the fruits of your labour.

But the thing is, it hasn’t been a hard slog. Yes there are times when it is hard work but most of the times it is just a load of little pieces.

Pruning back the tree (or the run sheet) to focus on the real value elements.

Sharing the progress of the buds (or registrations) as the tree/event comes to life.

Ensuring the right support is there (fertilisers, AV, MC) and now to enjoy the final product.

What event or project are you working on where all your little things are finally falling into place?

Don’t worry if seem like you are only doing little things.

Remember – from little things, big things grow.

Here is the song from Paul Kelly that chronicles the struggles of our indigenous peoples performed at the memorial service for Gough Whitlam.

How You Can Easily Add More Value To Your Prospect

I just got off the phone from a prospect who is looking for someone to host their annual industry awards and dinner.
Her colleague had seen me host an event and had been part of my Sponsorship Workshops, so it was a lovely phone call to get.

She was talking to me about some of the concerns she had, the unique industry issues they have, the history of their events and was looking for solutions and ball park pricing.

It would have been very easy for me to give a ball park price and have a limited conversation and not give her too many ideas before they sign me up. In fact, some of my colleagues tell me I am too generous with my information.

But I know something they are yet to work out. This prospect even admitted it!

She said she was a little concerned about the event – because of it’s history, their limited budget and the pressure to get it “right.” But after speaking with me, discovering that my dad worked in the industry, hearing some of the suggestions and possibilities she could do so shift the focus of the event and make it more positive for everyone, she felt far more comfortable.

That is worth the risk of giving away too much.

When your customer or prospect feels better or more comfortable about an event because of you, you are becoming part of the team. Some of the PCO’s I work with have said to me, “Now we know you are the MC, we know we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

If you can make your customer or prospect “feel comfortable”, the value is immeasurable.

So how can you make your customers and prospects feel more comfortable?
What can you do, what information can you share or what ideas can you give them so that you are strongly embedded as part of the team?

All relationships start somewhere. If you can add comfort to the relationship as swiftly as possible, the value is priceless.

Australia’s Best Conference MCs

I had a whole other idea to post about today but I found out that on Friday, I have been listed as one of the Best MCs in Australia.

It is very exciting!

The list was released by Industry Authority David Staughton in his review here.

He notes that with many conferences and events costing in the hundreds of thousands, it needs a professional Master of Ceremonies to keep things under control and on track.

I must confess, it is esteemed company that I am on the list with and there is one factor that is common with them.

They make the Emcees job look effortless!

This is a double edged sword (and it is for every profession). If you are doing your job so well that it looks easy, pretty soon other non-professionals think, “well anyone could do that!” I have to tell you, that is simply not the case.

Most of us have been to an event where it was hosted by; the CEO, the Sales Manager, the funny guy from accounts, or some kind of celebrity. If nothing goes wrong or off script, they usually can do a fairly good job.

Events RARELY go to plan and nearly always go off script!

Events are now needing far more from the Master of Ceremonies too. It is not enough to simply read the introduction and manage the time. Some of the additional tasks that I do are: social media commentary during the event, pre-event videos, event marketing, post event summaries, engagement with delegates during breaks, audience warm-ups, panel session and fish bowl moderation, and sponsor relationships.

If you are spending a lot of money on an event, you want that event to maximise the value gained, that is what a great Master of Ceremonies does.

Check out the list of Australia’s Best Masters of Ceremonies and let me know who you love to see on stage.

Drowning in Words or Starving for Sentences?

When you are on stage or have to speak to a group of people, it is feast or famine.

You either have so many words that you can’t stop talking or you are a rabbit in the headlights and the words won’t come out. You know that you know what you want to say, it’s just that the words have disappeared!

That’s where the art of linking or Segues comes into play.

There are four different types of segues. One of my favourites is the final one Chaos.

This is where there is no link whatsoever but you force one in there anyway. They appeal to my sense of humour as well as adding an obvious transition.

If ever you have been stuck in a presentation or talking to someone and are not sure how to get to the next topic, these are brilliant.
You can simply ignore what you were just talking about, come up with a whimsical statement or even something surreal and then launch into the next topic.

Monty Python did this all the time on their sketch show. You may be watching something about a family discussing Woody or Tinny words and then up comes “And now for something completely different” followed by something equally ridiculous like a Fish Slapping Dance. They were so well known for this segue that it became the name of one of their movies.

The similar one you will hear more often is when the host says, “Without further ado” and then changes the topic completely.

If you are interested in finding out how to better connect your presentation points or writing points, why not join me for the free 30 minute session, Sorting our Your Segues this week.

Simply go to GetMoreMCSuccess.com/segue for more information or to register.

How to Answer the Burning Question, “Was it worth it?”

As I have mentioned many times, my gorgeous wife and I have a small farmlet about 90 minutes away.

We were there again this weekend and I spent a couple of hours foofing around with some fencing that needed the box stay restrained, the droppers re-aligned, some significant wire repairs and most of the wires re-tensioned. During the process, it started raining heavily (of course!)

Was it Worth it?

To do all of this work, I had bought some equipment: 1.5km of medium tensile wire, a wire spinning jenny, wire strainers, gripple strainers, gripples, staples, fencing ties and some other gadgets as well. I am sure it was over $500 worth of stuff (most of which will last a long time and be used for many fencing jobs).

Was it Worth it?

My wife and her friend were sitting in front of the fire, enjoying drinks, cheese and nibbles on a gorgeous, relaxing Saturday afternoon while I was out there with Winston the Wonder Poodle accidentally putting to much strain on an old wire, struggling with high and medium tensile wire, trying to tie knots that will last for years and getting harassed by horses.

BUT WAS IT WORTH IT?

When it comes to measuring success of any venture, you need to consider the three R’s. ROI, ROO and ROE. Specifically Return on Investment, Return on Objective and Return on Energy.

ROI – Financially, it probably wasn’t worth it. I could have paid a handyman $100 and they could have done the work. But longer term, the financial side of of the equation will pay off. There is a lot more fencing to be replaced and a bit to repair. Having our own gear gives us the freedom and flexibility to do it when we want and cheaper than getting someone else to do it.

ROO – It was certainly a worthwhile objective. The big hole in the fence meant that cows from next door were coming to and fro as if they owned the place. Now that fence is fairly solid and I have a lot more confidence. My objective to have it animal proof (except for the Kangaroos) has been achieved. It also looks a lot tidier.

ROE – No doubt I could have hung out in front of the fire just relaxing. But the sense of achievement I got from tapping into some skills I hadn’t used since I was a teenager was fantastic. Knowing I have made the fence animal proof once again means I no longer have to wonder about how to get the animals back and what sort of impact they may have on our property or the horses.

So Was It Worth It? Definitely.

Here’s the thing. So often we do things, socially, around the house, at work, for others and we don’t consider “Was it worth it?” In my experience, this is particularly true for businesses who sponsor events or want to exhibit at trade shows. Often this is because we don’t know WHY we are doing it. So how can we tell if it is worthwhile if we don’t know why?

It is important that we take the time to calculate if our effort was worth it and if we got the results we were after. If we didn’t consider why not and what we can do differently next time.

That way, you can always answer the burning question, was it worth it.

PS If you are considering Sponsorship or Exhibiting, join me on a free online session on How to Get the Foundation Factors of Sponsorship Right.
Click here for more information on the session or to register.

Can You Help With a Bale?

Sorry the photo is bad but it was taken back in the day when we couldn’t see the photo immediately after taking it, so it will have to do.

It is my dad, feeding out hay in the “Bull Paddock”. It was rare to have so many cattle in here but it was because, at this time, 1/3 of the farm was flooded and under water so the cows went wherever we had space.

Times have changed.

Those trees aren’t there anymore. In fact, the house got burnt down six months after our family sold it. (It lasted over 100 years in our family and six months in someone else’s!)

For many farmers, the grass isn’t as green either.

That is the life of a farmer. Constant changing of factors beyond your control.

While farmers have developed a reputation for complaining about the weather (it probably is the most discussed topic), no amount of complaining changes it.

Too wet and it washes the crop away or makes it impossible to put your cattle on it. Too dry and everything dies and you have to sell or kill your animals. That Goldilocks Zone where everything is “Juuuuust right” is so rare.

Add to that the prices you are paid for your crop, cattle, milk or produce is typically set by someone else and it becomes a challenging life. My Uncle and Aunt say “Farming is the kind of thing that looks great from a car window”.

Out of interest, the milk price today in Victoria is about 44 cents per litre according to Dairy Australia. According to correspondence to the Australian Parliament from the Australian Milk Producers Association, the milk price in 1985 was about 32 cents per litre. That is about 1% increase per year. Far less than the CPI. Some dairy farmers are being paid less per litre than what it costs to produce.

The current drought in NSW and QLD is reaching crisis point. No doubt you have seen footage, images or heard stories about the complete lack of feed. So I am going to do a little something for the farmers and I am hoping you can help.

If you are in Sydney on Tuesday 7th of November, I will be hosting a LinkedIn Panel Session for LinkedIn Local Sydney and all proceeds will be going to Buy A Bale to get more hay for our farmers.
This will be an amazing session with some great speakers who will share their experience on how you can make the most of LinkedIn. You also get to ask as many questions as you want.

Our fabulous line-up of speakers include (click on their name to check out their LinkedIn Profile):

JILLIAN BULLOCK
Award Winner for ‘Best Use of LinkedIn 2018 Australiasia’ from the Social Media Marketing Institute, and a Certified LinkedIn Ninja.

JANE JACKSON
Best Selling Author of Navigating Career Crossroads, ‘Your Career’ Podcast Host, and Career Management Coach

ANNA McAFEE
Global Founder of LinkedInLocal and the Aussie lady who started a viral global movement

GEOFF ANDERSON
Video Producer, Best Selling Author of ‘Shoot Me Now’, and Keynote Speaker

DION WOO
Entrepreneur and co-founder of LInfluencers, a group who leverage the influence of companies, individuals and charities

You can find out more or book a ticket here.

If you are not in Sydney and still want to help, you can donate to Buy a Bale here. To help us track our campaign, if you can please put under “How Did You Hear About Us” – Other and then put our campaign number, RASN94911 in the details field.

Thanks for your support. I hope you can help with a bale.

Are You Prepared For Major Failure?

“Expect the Best and Prepare for the Worst” has been my mantra in preparation for the events I host. It also applies to other areas of my life.

On the way back from the shed yesterday, the car felt funny. It had some weird vibrations going on and I couldn’t work it out. When I saw in the mirror some bits of rubber flinging into the air, I knew I had a problem.

I pulled off on the side of the road. Then I thought traffic was pretty busy and I didn’t want to get too close to it. The emergency lane was pretty narrow as they had that new barrier wire up. So I just got very close to it.

Yes, my tyre was flat – well, probably a little beyond flat! Luckily I had a spare, most trailers don’t. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t luck, I made sure I had a spare on the trailer and I check it’s air pressure when I check the trailer tyres.

A quick change of tyres and I was back on my way.

Again, I was expecting the best but preparing for the worst.

The same thing happens in the events that I host. Things go wrong ALL THE TIME. It is just a matter of planning for them knowing that you can plan for 80% of the problems but 20% will come out of left field and you just have to deal with them.

In my 20 years of hosting events here are some of the things that have happened to me and others around me:

Yesterday my friend landed in Sydney to do her early morning keynote and her luggage (with her performance outfit) went to Adelaide
Flights have been cancelled, missed, delayed causing speakers to be late or not turn up. I had a flight rescheduled coming from Perth to Adelaide. By the time I got to Adelaide the even would have been over. So instead I went back home to Melbourne and had 20 mins to spare to present to the audience over the internet!
AV has failed (this happens so often that it is not really a problem anymore. The show will go on!)
Power outages
Evacuation alarms – one went off at a charity dinner I was hosting right as we were coming to the end of the night and half the people simply went home!
Speakers not showing up (this has happened a couple of times and my event organisers love that I have a keynote up my sleeve and ready to go when it does)
A death at the event. This has happened once for me and has had me re-evaluate some of my protocols.

So Dear Reader, in what you do and in your life, how do you expect the best and prepare for the worst?

Are you prepared for major failure?

How You Can Tell If Your Event Is A Success

Too often we focus on the cash flow or the ROI of an event when we are measuring success and not the ROO and ROE. Whether this event is a corporate conference, a party with friends or your child’s next birthday party, the intent of this is the same.

Don’t get me wrong, a financial analysis (Return on Investment ROI) of your event is imperative, but it is not the only thing. You have to look at your Return on Objectives (ROO) and Return on Energy (ROE) as well.

ROO is important as once we know our objectives, it will change the focus of the event and what we do at it and with our attendees.
ROE is so important as we only have a certain amount of energy to contribute so we want to put that energy in the right spots.

The problem with this is that most events do not have well considered Objectives or they are not measured appropriately. All too often people write of the cost as a “Branding effort” without even attempting to measure how it impacts the brand.

For your next event you need to ask yourself some key questions:

How will we determine if this event is successful?
How will we measure it?
What systems do we need to put in place today to help measure it?

Sometimes your measure of success is long term and you can be willing to make a financial loss in the short term for a much greater return down the track.

Whatever you decide, you have to measure it. As the old saying goes, “What get’s measured, get’s improved.”

Do You Get Compliments That Count?

I was thrilled to host the Australian Fraud Awards last week. The client was delighted with the job I did, but that is another story.

This story is about the little microphone that I use (see the image highlighting). It is a dFine 4088 from DPA Microphones.

You may well be thinking, Who Cares? And the answer is, the audience.

At this event, the AV crew said afterwards, “We love your microphone. It is fantastic.” So when the experts compliment your equipment you know you have done well.

I first saw speakers like Lisa McInnes-Smith, Amanda Gore and Keith Abraham have their own microphone. So I set a goal and then bought my own mic as a reward for myself for reaching that goal in my business. But during the research I did, I wanted to get a mic that sounded good, was easy to use and was comfortable for me.

Having the right gear makes all the difference, regardless of what you do. Having your own gear that is tuned to you, adjusted to your needs and works every time (that the pro’s think is amazing), well that is what the pro’s do.

Without it you will be “OK” but who wants to be OK when you can be AWESOME!

So Dear Reader, how good is your gear?
Have you got gear so good that the pro’s compliment it?
What gear do you need?

What Are You Laughing At?

I love the idea that life is far too important to take seriously.

Let’s face it, no one gets out alive (although we act like we are invincible) and some people are waaaaay too serious.

Laughing does amazing things to your body. It releases some fabulous chemicals and drugs that help you relax, de-stress and shift your perspective on to what is truly important for you.

Whether you are laughing at yourself, cat videos on the internet, classic comedy sketches, Australian Politics (don’t get me started), US Politics (just … don’t…), funny songs, family interactions, some other bloke being hit in the testicles (it’s always funny when it happens to someone else) or just laughing for the sake of it, it is so important to have a laugh.

Sometimes you have to laugh in the middle of a meeting. You know those ones that if you don’t laugh you are going to cry?

I am often laughing on stage – regardless of how serious the event is. The delegates love it, the organisers know how important it is and the person who signs the cheque loves the energy it brings to the event and the number of people who then make the commitment to come back next time.

I recently had the good fortune to be interviewed on the Laughter Channel Podcast. The host, Pat Armitstead, grilled me about comedy, laughter, influences and the importance of laughter. You can listen to our episode here.

But for you, Dear Reader, what are you laughing at? How are you incorporating some laughter in to your day?

PS If you are super keen you can watch the video of the interview here.

« 1 2 3 4 5 »