At my second comedy gig, much like James T Kirk doing the Kobayashi Maru* test, I skewed the odds in my favour (by inviting a lot of my friends). There were so many of them that the venue was at capacity, and they probably made up two-thirds of the audience. I did it because I […]

I think I’m different to most people, perhaps even slightly weird, and I love it. Michael Lazerow is responsible for an inspiring piece here on being weird, in which he writes:‘Normal is blah. You don’t want to be blah. Blah is boring. Boring people are forgettable. I like weirdos. They are interesting. They have crazy ideas. They have

Now, I may be the most white, middle-class English person you’re aware of (in fact, I probably am), but I certainly know a thing or two about hip hop (please don’t call it rap*). I draw great inspiration from this phenomenal musical form for my public speaking philosophy, specifically: Have fun. Be yourself. Disregard convention.

Round Two – Fight! Here are three quotes from Bruce Lee, with my own practical applications for speaking: “Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.”Meet people, use the internet, find and listen to the most useful voices out there. “I always learn something, and that is: to

Martial arts philosophy and my public speaking philosophy have huge parallels, which you will see from the rest of my blog: Adaptability (see my post ‘Be Like Water’). Flow, with unconscious competence (see my post ‘Kung Fu Candour’). Going on-stage can be a form of combat, where – and this may seem deep, but you’re