I did stand-up comedy for about ten years part-time, and then went full-time for over two years. During that time I met a lot of very unusual people: some smart, some deluded, some needy, many very talented. Here’s the secret: We were a bunch of weirdos, but we’d managed to find something we were good […]

I can talk about – and for that matter, tell – stories all day, and it was the basis of what I used to do as a stand-up comic. My favourite story structure is the ‘Hero’s Journey’, used for films like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ (read more about it here). The elements

Picture the scene: you’re really worried about your next presentation for a variety of reasons, and your stomach’s churning at the very thought of getting up in front of everyone to speak. It’s easy to fall into a spiral of nerves; the brain kicks into its ‘fight or flight’ mode and you start shaking with

I have a son, aged 5. He’s trouble. A bit like Batman’s arch-enemy, the Joker. I also have a daughter, who’s nearly two. She’s trouble as well (the Harley Quinn to his Joker, if you know who that is). Okay, most of the time they’re actually fantastic, but my wife and I live with the

“Story-telling is joke-telling.” – Andrew Stanton, Pixar Here’s Andrew Stanton’s TED talk on stories, and I think it’s pretty much spot-on (warning, there’s a rude word a couple of minutes in). It describes the way to tell a good story, which is a great way to deliver really engaging public speaking (see also my post ‘Don’t Tell