“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”
— Dale Carnegie
This past weekend I attended the 1st ever Financial Blogger Conference in Chicago and had the privilege and honor of being invited to give a presentation to the 250 to 300 personal finance bloggers in attendance.
I've been talking about this presentation on the blog for the last few weeks because this was going to be my first ever public speaking experience, which is a whole new ballgame for me. I talked about how I read Stand and Deliver [Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through this link.] by Dale Carnegie to help me prepare, and I ended up watching over 50 TED videos and a few other presentations to pick up some pointers and shape my own style.
I was nervous, but that's a good thing. If you're not nervous about something that you're about to do, you probably don't care very much. But what added to the anxiety is the fact that I was scheduled as the last presenter—and that comes with a lot of responsibility.
Unfortunately, the hotel wouldn't allow pyrotechnics, and I didn't have a marching band with me (kidding!), so I really had to knock it out of the park with my speech and do what I could to finish off the conference on a good note. If I bombed the presentation, that's the last thing people would remember, and the entire conference would have been ruined.
Okay—maybe not exactly, but if you're eating a sandwich and the last bite is nasty, the entire experience is ruined.
Arrival and Meetup
I arrived in Chicago early Friday afternoon and met up with Cliff Ravenscraft from PodcastAnswerMan.com and GSPN who was also invited to the conference to speak about podcasting. Cliff was my roommate for the weekend and it awesome to meet him in person after we've been talking online and working with each other for over a year now. He's just as kind and humble a person in real life as he is online.
We had setup a get-together with GSPN and SPI fans in the Chicago area, and about 25 to 30 people came out to eat some deep dish pizza with us and hang out. The food was great, but the best part was just hanging out and getting to know each other.
This was the first real SPI meetup ever and it was just so amazing to meet someone for the very first time and the first thing they say is “thanks for everything”. I can't even describe in words how incredible the feeling is and it just solidifies the fact that we all have the power to reach and teach a large number of people using our blogs and the internet, and really change people's lives.
More SPI meetups will be planned for the future. I promise.
🙂
The Personal Finance Blogging Community
The personal finance blogging community holds a special place in my heart.
When I first started my 9 to 5 job back in 2005 I used to read personal finance blogs every single day. It was reading these blogs that taught me the power behind blogging and the ability of a blog to reach a ton of people, and really changes people's lives, as they did for me. I reading a lot about saving money and investing at the time.
I still do.
So, to present material to the PF community about my own success and give back tips and strategies that would help them was a very poetic way to just thank them for everything they've done for me.
It's pretty crazy because most of them already knew who I was, and in fact the moment I stepped through the doors of the hotel a number of PF bloggers sitting in the lobby immediately came over to say hello, shake my hand and welcome me to the event. They all knew me by name and even referenced specific blog posts that have helped them or events that have happened to me that only people who read or listen to SPI would know.
The entire weekend I made a lot of great friends who are now friends for life, and I'm already looking forward to next year's event. I'm not exactly your traditional “personal finance blogger” as you know – since I talk more about making money online and entrepreneurship, but never once did I feel like I was out of place the entire weekend.
A lot of other cool things happened during the event:
- I won a Plutus Award for the Best Entrepreneurial Blog! Thank you to everyone who voted for me!
- I met Ramit Sethi from IWillTeachYoutoBeRich.com, who at one point (while still working 9 to 5) inspired me to ask for a raise and get paid what I knew I was worth. I got a $20,000 raise the next day as a result. Ramit is an incredibly smart dude. Go Bears.
- I watched an amazing presentation by Adam Baker from ManVsDebt about product launches, which is something I'm preparing for in the near future. It should be online for public view soon.
- I hung out a lot with Caleb Wojcik, who is a good friend and colleague of Corbett Barr from ThinkTraffic.net. Caleb is such a cool dude and he's incredibly tall.
- I lead a 30 minute round-table discussion about using Facebook as a tool for your blog.
- And I think one of the best moments was being able to meet LazyMan from LazyManandMoney.com, who you may remember me writing a blog post about, crediting him for starting the snowball effect of growth for the SPI blog. I hugged him. I seriously did.
Now that I think about it, being last to present was perfect because by the end of the conference I wasn't just presenting to a bunch of personal financial bloggers who I had never met before, but I was actually speaking to real friends that I made over the weekend. It definitely helped me connect with them more during the actual presentation too.
The Presentation
Leading up to it, I felt like I had the last final on the last day of finals week in college – I couldn't stop thinking about it and studying all weekend.
From time to time I'd spend a half hour to an hour in the bathroom just practicing my presentation while watching myself in the mirror. Even the few moments right before the presentation a few new friends saw me pacing back and forth down a random hallway, mumbling to myself and doing breathing exercises (something I now do before I record each podcast session).
I just really wanted to crush it.
Then, I was eventually called up on stage and did my thing.
(Click here to watch How to Stand Out of the Crowd on YouTube)
The entire presentation felt like an out of body experience to me.
I walked up on stage, and the next thing I remember is the audience clapping and handing back the microphone. I guess I was “in the zone”, a feeling I used to get when performing music on stage or during a field show. It was great to have that feeling again.
As far as how well it was received, I had no idea until after the final remarks and people lined up to congratulate me and compliment me on my presentation. I literally stayed for 30 minutes afterwards just talking to people about it, and I even asked for what I could do to improve (since I have another one coming up at Blog World Expo in a month), and nobody had anything to say but compliments and “keep doing what you're doing”.
Not to toot my own horn, but I'm really proud of myself.
I put in the hard work to make sure the presentation was tight, and it paid off. I even made the audience laugh a few times, which is something I wasn't sure I could do.
In Stand and Deliver by Dale Carnegie, the number one tip is to practice, practice, practice – and I did just that. I had gone over my presentation at least 50 times and even though after 50 times I still missed a few little things I wanted to say, the presentation still flowed and I got my points across with impact.
Here are some specific comments I remember people saying that really stood out to me:
- Are you sure this was your first time speaking in public? (It was, although doing the podcast definitely helped!)
- I loved that I didn't have to read any slides. (I made the slides 1 or 2 giant words on purpose. I wanted the presentation to be between me and the audience, not me, the audience and the slides.)
- I never heard the room so quiet the entire conference. (At first, I didn't know what this really meant, until I realized that people were quiet because they were listening and not talking to each other instead. An amazing compliment.)
- You're a natural born speaker and motivator. (And this comment was even more special to me because it came from Money Girl's Laura Adams, a super successful and well-known podcast host for Money Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life. Who came up after the talk to congratulate me.)
- You ended the conference exactly how it needed to be ended. (Mission accomplished.)
After watching my performance on video, I definitely know there is still a lot of room for improvement. For example:
- Like I said before, there were still some little points that I missed. Nothing big, just other stories and examples that further supported my main points. Example: I really wanted to talk about Subway Jared during the “Tell a Story” segment, and the new Domino's Pizza commercials during the transparency segment. All good though – remembering every little part of my outline will come with more practice.
- I should have walked on the stage before my presentation to get a feel for the environment I was going to be in. When I was there it was for the first time and the podium was in an awkward spot that kept me on stage left about 90% of the time. I feel like the stage-right side of the audience wasn't being addressed as much.
- I looked up when I was thinking a lot. What am I looking at?!
- I never drank from the water bottle I was holding the entire time. I'll probably keep the water bottle on the podium next time.
Overall, I would give myself a solid B, since it was my first time. I'm happy with how it went down, but I know there is always room for improvement. I will do a lot better – I just have to keep practicing.
To finish up, I just wanted to first thank Philip Taylor from PTMoney.com for the invite to speak at the conference. He put on an amazing event and it was super smooth and every little detail was thought of and addressed. I had an awesome time and I would absolutely love to come back next year if invited. If not, I'd probably still come anyways because of the friends I made.
Next, a huge thank you to the entire personal finance blogging community. I know there's Blog World Expo, but it's just so cool to see a niched community within the blogosphere blogo-universe come together and support each other like this. Plus, you all know how to have fun and dance too. Good times. 🙂
And finally, the biggest thanks go out to you, the SPI reader, who held me accountable and gave me a ton of encouragement while I was preparing for my first public speaking gig. I'm super stoked to get it done and am even more excited to keep doing more from this point forward.
Next up, my Blog World Expo presentation on Friday, November 4th at 2:45pm in Los Angeles.
I was uncomfortable, but that's how I know it's taking me somewhere.
Pat, Pat, Pat: Ramit and JD are your heroes and you are mine. Period.
Oh and fantastic presentation!!!!!
Thank you Farnoosh! I appreciate it!
Pat,
Great job presenting! It was very enjoyable and inspirational at the same time. It seemed like you had command of the crowd. Did you plan for the laughter? It seemed like it came at times you did not necessarily expect, but handled it great none the less. Having done some speaking, I found out the hard way, that when the audience laughs, let them laugh! (I talked over the laughter at first). I think the laughter showed that the audience was tuned in and entertained. Nice work!
The laughter was planned, but in my head before I presented the “jokes” seemed to work, but I had no idea if they would translate on stage. All of them did and I’m very happy about that. Good tip about letting the crowd laugh. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Thanks Dan!
This is really interesting and something to think about with public speaking: how well will your largely internal presentation translate to an audience.
Definitely even more nerve wracking with jokes, but I think you did a great job Pat, it was personal without being your entire life story, and still really informative!
Awesome Pat! Congratulations for your first live speech! I look forward listening to that record.
Regards,
Ilpo
Cheers, Ilpo – thanks!
Congratulations Pat.
Are you going to have this video as part of your podcast?
Thanks a great idea Mark, I’ll have to think about how I want that to happen. Thanks!
I might have a solution to this. You can go to flvto.com and simply insert the url for the youtube video and download the audio from it to use as your podcast! It’s a cool free tool that I use often.
P.S. Pat – You’ve inspired me to start my own niche blog. Thanks!
Pat, you crushed it!
What an incredible weekend it was. It was great to finally meet you and shake your hand. Your speech was a perfect end to a great conference.
Thank you for all you do!!
Thanks Jon – it was awesome hanging out with you guys from the meetup on Friday all the way through the entire weekend. Thanks for all of the encouragement, support, and good luck with everything!
That’s great Pat. Congratulatons! I just started reading that book and it really has some excellent information it. You’ve accomplished so much, there’s no telling what you’ll be doing in 5 years.
Good job!
Pat! I loved your presentation and am so glad it was the last one! Ever since Sunday, I’ve been thinking of ways to “Be EPIC!” Thanks for including the video because I’ll definitely be referring back to it from time to time.
Thank you for the kind words Cathy! The most important thing to remember is it’s not about how long you spend on a post, but the message that gets delivered as a result of the post.
Cheers, and all the best to you!
Pat,
You did an amazing job. If you had never told us it was your first public speaking appearance, I would never have guessed. I connected with everything you had to say, starting with the marching band field. The greatest moments of my high school days came from the marching band field.
“Be Epic” has been running through my mind since Sunday and I’m trying to formulate the steps I want to take to “Be Epic.”
thank you,
Jessica
Thank you so much Jessica! Bandos unite! 🙂
Hello Pat,
Amazing presentation. Greate talent, great contact with audience. Just wow. And everything so natural.
Congratulation.
Thanks Mirek! I appreciate that so much!!
Pat, I think you are being a bit hard on yourself giving yourself only a B. The things you forgot we had no idea you forgot. What I loved about the conference was that it was our peers giving the presentations. We didn’t expect or want a perfect speech. Yours was polished but real and more importantly had great info. I think it is easy to be your own worst critic. I would give you A.
Thanks Peter, that means a lot to me.
I guess I maybe just watched so many TED presentations (and Ramit’s presentation), which were just so amazing, and I know I still have a long way to go before I get to that level.
I’m so glad the presentation was so well received!
It was cool to finally get to meet you. I remember chilling out in front of the door on Friday afternoon when you first showed up at the hotel. The speaking gig went very well. Of course with the benefit of hindsight/watching the video you can see where you went wrong. During the presentation nobody noticed any problems because the content was compelling enough.
I also love how you came out to the after party and had a good time. I was worried that most people would leave when they found out it was a club and yet everyone had a blast.
Yeah man – I had no idea the party was going to be at an actual dance club, lol. That said, I had a great time too. Tried to talk business with a few people there, and it was totally impossible. The music was so loud!
Like I said though, PF bloggers can dance! And so could the “storm”? Did you see that guy? He was awesome!
The storm was the man! We should invited to the after party next year too.
Agreed! LOL.
Congrats on your latest success!! It is a big step to get out there in front of folks! Loved how you watched so many TED speakers to learn from those that already do. Looking forward to hearing more great things and continuing to learn from you blog.
All the Best
Theresa 😎
Thanks Theresa! Watching all those vids was a tip from Stand and Deliver, and it totally worked. Took a lot of time, but I really wanted to do well and was going to do all the preparation I could to make it happen. Cheers, and all the best!
Pat,
I’m so excited for you!! All those podcasts really helped with your public speaking. And practice, practice, practice.
Every post you write and podcast you release inspires me to do better. Thank you for the encouragement!
~Allie
Thank you Allie! And thanks for always letting me know when you listen to the podcasts – I love when you do that. Then I know at least one person is listening! 🙂 Cheers!
Wish I had been there to see it live! I’m going to watch the video right now and I’m sure it will be awesome. I’m just now starting to discover your blog and all the great content you’ve churned out. I don’t have time to read it all, but I will be sure to refer back here often whenever I need some tips to improve my own blog.
Thanks so much! I appreciate it!
Ok, so where’s the famed wedding video? I’ve been searching for it (for much too long) to no avail!
Here it is! http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/dance
CONGRATS for the Award Pat! Well deserved… and the video/speech is excellent, especially for a 1st timer. Keep it up!
Dave
Thanks Dave! You rock!
Thanks for the shout-out Pat. It was really great meeting you in person finally and spending time hanging out.
You crushed it with your speech, but that didn’t really surprise me too much. I knew you would. And I would give you an A. Like Peter said above, what you mentioned you forgot, no one noticed anyway.
While I won’t be at Blogworld LA, I look forward to watching your speech online from that event too.
Of course dude! I hope we can hang out more when you get back home from your trip.
Not sure what I can do with the recording from BWE. I’ll see what I can do, but I believe they won’t allow me to just post it on my blog like this one. We’ll see.
Cheers, and have a safe trip to your next stop!
Pat,
THAT was your FIRST time presenting? I wouldn’t have known it. You’re a natural! Well done. And yes, I did notice you didn’t drink your water until you were done. Only the pros do that right? Great stuff!
I was wondering if anyone noticed! Haha! Nice 🙂
Thanks for the compliments Joe – I appreciate it! All the best to you!
Solid job Pat… couldn’t even notice you were nervous!
Thanks for sharing the vid
I’ve just watched your video. Wow! Amazing presentation! I can’t believe that it’s your first public speaking. You did very good but I think you will do better next time . In my personal opinion, you should speak slower and louder :D, and keeping the bottle on the podium or behind it is better because you will look more professional.
Hey Pat,
This was a great video!
I really agree with being personable as a blogger. This is one of the reasons I enjoy reading your blog, it not only makes me feel connected to your stories, but it’s a refreshing change from most blogs in this niche.
Thanks for being a great example and inspiration!
Pat,
Congratulations mate. That must have been nerve-wracking. You can tell that there were a bit of nerves, but I would kill to nail my first public-speaking event like you did. 🙂
Tom
Well done, Pat! It is obvious that you put in the prep work to make this a VERY successful first public speaking experience.
I’m proud of you and impressed by the passion and purpose you put into everything you do.
Dustin
Nice one pat, i just watched your presentation and i found it helpful and informative.
Hey Pat. Great stuff. I just wanna say that I found ya from a recommendation by a friend of mine. Someone you might know, Michael Dunlop.
I wanted info on starting a podcast and he sent me here. Ever since then, I’ve been a huge fan of everything you do. And you’re the reason why I’ve switched gears with my blog.
This video is awesome and very inspirational. From it I got some great ideas that I’ll be implementing ASAP!
Thanks a ton for all you do brotha. Hopefully we’ll speak soon 😉
Pat,
Fantastic, fantastic, job! Congrats on all of it!
I have been reading your blog for quite a few months now, but I never leave comments. I am just a lurker. 🙂 However, I was at the conference, and I loved your presentation! I especially liked how you inspired everyone to do just a little bit better as we are all capable of more than we are currently doing. Thank you for the inspiration!
I heard you shut it down! 🙂 Great job and I agree with everyone else, keep up the good work.
Pat,
Of course, I was one of those asking about your vocal exercises as you paced back and forth 🙂 I would definitely give you an ‘A’ for your presentation. I definitely left inspired and encouraged about my husband’s blogs and the ways in which I could help. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
I must say, I’ve only heard him talk about you (a million times to ANYONE he meets), but after hearing you speak at FINCON and seeing how humble and warm you were with everyone that wanted to meet you, you have definitely gained another admirer and subscriber. It really was a pleasure.
Pat, I’ve been a follower for some time, and your name was on my list of people I wanted to meet. Unfortunately, I didn’t find an opportunity to do that, but will make a point of it next year! Your presentation was awesome, and I agree, the perfect way to close the conference.
You are so inspiring! Thank you for sharing your speech. I found you because I needed to learn to do a landing page. Today I design them, install them and get paid for them. Thank you!!!!
Awesome job Pat, your preparation really paid off. Congrats!
Pat that was an amazing presentation, thanks for sharing it. You really are an inspiration to me and I listen to your podcasts regularly.
Hope I can follow in your footsteps.
Why was that such a touching speech? Maybe it’s because your blog seems so personal that I feel like my friend just did an awesome job. I don’t know but that was great.
It’s hard to believe that was your first time public speaking. You connected with the audience very well and I KNOW they had your attention. What a nice video and a nice speech. Great participation at the end, too.
Just awesome.
Pat, it was truly a pleasure to meet you at the conference, and to realize that you are just as humble, helpful and friendly as you come across here on the blog. I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now, and you’re truly one of my top 5 favorite blogs on the internet – simply for the fact that I know the content is always compelling and helpful. I’ve got a bunch of emails bookmarked in my inbox from you to re-read later.
Your speech was great, and you gave no signs of nervousness or anything. I was in the front row taking pictures of you through a long lens – so I would have noticed! 🙂
Loved the part of your speech where you encouraged us to be our best by asking us to raise our hands as high as we could – and then to raise it a little higher. We can always do better than we think!
I expected more financial stuff, but still a nice presentation….at least you took a sip at the end 😉
Hi Pat
I just caught the whole of your presentation on my iPhone while I was supposed to be putting my 3 and 1 year old boys to bed (my wife’s at yoga) – but I was compelled to keep watching. Great job for your first attempt mate!
I guess the kids went to bed a little bit later tonight than usual 🙂
Cheers!
Loz
I’m really happy they scheduled your session on the last day. Listening to you speak was the main reason I really wanted to attend the conference. I loved how easily you talked to us, the audience, I could really feel that you viewed the whole community as friends.
I especially liked how your slides only had one or two phrases on them, but they were powerful and full of meaning. I’m a huge believer in less is more, and you hit that right on the head.
Your speech wasn’t wordy and I feel it made the most memorable impact for me of all the speakers (and they were all amazing). Thanks for having the courage to share, it was life changing.
I’ll always reach higher!
P.S. I was too much of a fan girl to meet you in person, but maybe in the future I’ll work up the nerve 🙂
Thank you so much Carrie, and I really wish you came up to say hi! Seriously, I’m just a regular person, there’s no need to be intimidated 🙂
Thanks for all the kind words, and I’m glad you appreciated the less is more slides. That was definitely a conscious decision of mine.
Much love, and please next time say hi! Maybe we can grab a coffee or something and chat more. Cheers!
Hey Pat,
I know you may be saying to yourself, “AAHHH! I could’ve done better!”
For what it’s worth, I think your speech was amazing!
The best part was when you brought up story. That’s what makes your blog stand out and connect to people. Being transparent in your story and your blog is so key! Thanks for your hard work in putting everything together for this conference.
You are solid!
– David
Great job, Pat! Really enjoyed watching your speech. Inspires me to work harder and be someone worthy of speaking on a certain topic at an event some day. Well done, sir.
Pat, you had a great presentation. I’ve been following this blog since the beginning and feel like I know you so it was great to actually get to meet you.
Hi Pat
Dude…. I am speechless, really… freaking awesome how you presented that. No surprise nobody believes you that this was your first public speech 🙂
BTW: you wrote above in number 4. of things to improve that you never drank from the bottle; and in the video you say that it’s in Dale Carnegie’s book to hold a bottle with transparent content. So, there you have the use for the bottle 🙂 I am not sure why it has to be of transparent color but holding something in the hand while giving a speech gives a feeling of ‘certainty’ and you don’t run danger of making stupid gestures because you don’t know what else to do with your hands. So I feel that the bottle, in this more relaxed and not so ‘stiff’ environment, is a good choice. It might not be the best choice when speaking in front of some bankers’ society, better an ebony pen or so 🙂
Again, KUDOS for the presentation but even more for the work you were willing to put in to make the result what we can see here.
Regards from Greece,
David
Hi Pat!
This was such a great presentation. I am continually inspired by SPI and all that you do. I have been following you since intheleed.com (and thanks to your study guide, passed my LEED exam in 2009!). Got laid off last year from my construction management job of 20 years, and now I want to reinvent myself.
Thanks for continuing to prove that it is possible to be a successful internet entrepreneur. I am grateful for your “transparency”, your humanity, and your passion. It gives me great hope for all that is possible by reaching higher.
All my best!
– Kelley
You crushed it! Way to go friend for life! So glad we met this weekend.
Pat – it was really good to meet you at FINCON11. Every time I looked around, I saw you as a part of the group, which I admired. You seemed to always have time to share ideas with people and connect on a personal level.
You really did a great job with the presentation – I wish you had even more time! Dale Carnegie is the man 🙂 and you’ll continue to get even better with each presentation you do.
I really am excited to watch you and the SPI brand grow. Keep inspiring us and be encouraged that we’re always here to help you go one inch higher too.
Tim
Congratulations on your Plutus Award and on your first speech! I’d say you “crushed it!”
I thought your speech was fantastic, and I’m looking forward to spending some time reading and learning from SPI. I just gave my first speech as well, at a conference just a few days prior to FINCON, so I completely understand your point of view on speech-delivering! I remember practicing in a corner a few hours prior, as well.
I didn’t get a chance to chat with you this year, but I look forward to meeting you at FINCON12 next year.
Pat – Sounds like a great time, and congrats!
Also wanted to thank you for having Cliff on your podcast – I’ve started listening to his podcasts regularly and really enjoy them!
Good stuff man, you did a great job for your first time
I am starting to study public speaking myself just now, as I have always been pretty terrified of it. But as you know, the things we are most scared of, can have the biggest positive impact on us once we face them, and commit to becoming the master…
Keep up the good work dude,
Nick
A perfect first presentation…you should be totally proud, Pat. You brought THE message. Perfect.
I so appreciated the not having to read the slides part.
I want to thank you for answering my very newbie questions about Facebook and for being warm and genuine and approachable. What you don’t know is that many of us are also nervous meeting the people bloggers like you that we look up to.
Thanks for giving away such wonderful FREE advice and for helping me get a few steps closer to financial freedom. It’s nice to know that there are awesome people like you in the blogouniverse.
I’m reaching higher.
So glad I had a front row seat for this presentation, Pat! I agree with the others: the perfect way for the conference to end. I’ll always be doing my best to reach a little higher thanks to this talk.
Thanks for taking to the time to speak and hang out with all of us. It was a blast!
Well, I have to give you a solid A for your performance. The fact that you were able to keep me totally captivated for 30 minutes after an incredibly exhausting Saturday deserves some sort of an award. (Besides a Plutus)
I really wish I had reached my highest when you told us to the first time. Would you have noticed? 🙂
Thank you so much for giving us so many details of the conference. I can’t wait to check out the blogs you linked and listen to your speech (I know I’ll want to comment again but I’m at a place where I can’t play audio right now). Your blog was the first to spark my desire to make money online and it’s starting to happen. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you do; especially being transparent with your earnings in a consistent way.
Your presentation was great, Pat. You definitely crushed it!
Epic presentation Pat! I could really see your emotion when you were talking about your history and stories, it made you come across as incredibly genuine. Keep up the great work.
That is so awesome about Lazy Man and keeping you going. I’ve had many a moment like that and then got a mention from a bigger site. It’s a truly awesome feeling and I think it’s representative of the type of people in the PF bloggerverse.
Loved the speech and it was obvious you put a lot of work into it. Not that you looked like you were trying hard. Rather the opposite – that it flowed so naturally.
I wish I could have seen your Facebook session. Dang.
Amazing! Congrats! I didn’t even know there was a financial blogger conference. I wish you could be my mentor! (i guess its a wishful thinking…)
Pat, you are so modest sometimes that it sickens me… Just kidding! 😉
Seriously, though, I am really glad to see you actually toot your own horn for once, even if you immediately followed it with criticism. Of all the internet marketing gurus out there, you are the only one I know of who has not only had massive success, but is humble about it (and can prove that it actually happened, thanks to your tremendous transparency). So many people in this industry spend all their time bragging about how much money they’ve made, how amazing they are, and how readers *have* to buy into their systems. You are absolutely singular in your humility and generosity in the MMO sector.
Pat Flynn = Diamond in the Rough
🙂
Awesome Presentation/Message Pat! I definitely think you “crushed it”, man!
You had a great message and I definitely took some key pointers away from your presentation. You’re right. Some of that stuff may not be new knowledge but it’s definitely the kind of stuff we need to hear again.
Pat, you’re right. The room was very quiet during your speech. Thinking back, I think yours was the one presentation where I literally hung on every word. I didn’t check Twitter or comment to the person next to me or even stop to take notes. You were amazing. Congrats!
Just finished watching your presentation – awesome job. You seem to be very comfortable on stage.
Can’t wait until the Los Angeles conference!
Hey Pat,
Just spent 26 minutes 31 seconds watching your inspiring presentation at the Financial Blogger Conference.
I especially resonated with your admonitions to tell stories and be transparent. You do a fantastic job modeling that to me. I have just started to blog on my middle school math website and see video and perhaps podcasting in my future. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of us.
Your brand is powerful and authentic!
Mark
One word:
“Inspirational.”
’Nuff Said.
Pat, you say “awesome” a lot 🙂 Which is pretty cool (didn’t want to use awesome) as that is such a trade you have in your podcasts and writing 🙂
Makes your (public) speaking very natural and very you 🙂
Nice work!
Hi Pat,
I can understand its a remarkable day in your life , Such thinks not only make you popular and giving fame but also encouraging you to do something new which is out of the crowd
Hi Pat,
Just watched your presentation. You did very well for a first time. I could feel a bit of emotion in your voice but the message delivered was clear. Loved it.
Pat,
You totally rocked,
I watched your performance from start to finish, wow – I mean that is so good for me as I normally have the attention span of a goldfish, but you glued my eyes to the vid.
Loved it when you talked about being “Epic”
Awesome video. You did great for your first presentation. I’ve made presentations for over 10 years, practice, and I still get nervous. After a while though you get comfortable especially if you know the audience, familiar faces and so on.
This video is also very inspirational. Thx for keeping it real and being yourself.
Pat, WOW what can I say you did a wonderful job with this presentation. You made it look like a piece of cake.
Good Job;
Harry
I can’t believe nobody mentioned my favorite TED speaker, a Swedish health care professional named Hans Rosling. In an 18-minute presentation, he draws relationships between wealth and poverty using an innovative graphical statistics program, and he uses that data to tell a story. One of his presentation titles is “Let My Dataset Change Your Mindset.” In the most memorable speech, he states, “I will prove to you that the seemingly impossible is possible.” Then he swallows a sword.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html
A great speech can change someone’s life forever. This realization spurred me to join Toastmasters International. The club provides a very supportive environment, and it’s a great way to get more experience in front of a group.
Hi Pat,
Great news on the award, you totally deserve recognition for your podcast.
Well done and Congratulations.
Steve
Love the presentation…I have to look up that wedding video…sound cute and fun! You are excellent at client engagement and I appreciate all that you do for all of us.
Hi Pat-
I think this is one of your best post I have read in quite a while. I watched your video twice. Once with the audio on, then with the audio off (about 10 minutes). If this really is your first time speaking you are a natural, because your body language is spot on. Have you read the “Definitive Guide to Body Language” by Barbara Pease and Allan Pease?
Thanks for sharing the presentation! I met Lazy Man last week and we talked about you. Ironically, I was in your hood, San Diego, the past weekend. I want to go to the conference next year.
Hey Pat,
I watched the video and you did a great job. The anticipation of something is always more difficult than the actual “thing”.
Wow! I thought to myself that I would watch maybe 15 seconds of your speech just to get a feel for what it was like, and it was really captivating and I got lured in for the whole thing. Good job!
I admire the fact that you are transparent and put yourself in a vulnerable place and gained wisdom from the whole endeavor. As I am starting my blog about Ayurveda and Massage therapy, I look to you for inspiration. Never forget that your positive energy ripples throughout the universe.
Authentically, Monica Tomasi
I love reading this and am going to watch next. I love how transparent you are, it’s such a motivation for a somewhat shy person like me.
My takeaway from your great speech, Pat: Be Everywhere (YouTube, Blog, Podcast). Great point!!!
Wonderful speech Pat! Being last worked out for you because your speech was very memorable. You inspire me. You had it under control. Keep up the good work and I hope you get many more speaking opportunities!
Pat you were awesome!
Congratulations on your first speaking engagement. You did a geat job, and it was the perfect finale to a great series of seminars 🙂 Well done… Great to meet you as well 🙂 FinCon11 was amazing, and glad to be a part of it.
Incidently on my way home an email arrived asking me if I want to speak in March at an investment seminar for Canadian investors. As you pointed out, if something makes you nervous, and it’s outside your comfort zone, then its worth doing. I think I’m going to do this!
Cheers
Avrom (aka Dividend Ninja)
Pat, your presentation was the perfect close to the weekend; it summed up what the conference is about, and left everyone with a dose of inspiration. How could one not be fired up after being there?
Thanks for the tips at the FaceBook roundtable, and I look forward to seeing you at FinCon12!
Hey Pat, great post here and amazing video! Love the way you channel your energy. Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished so far. You definitely deserve it! Thanks for sharing this post and keep it up! 😀
hey Pat this is quite an achievement i envy you,you know. As a financial writer and blogger i look forward to such a feat as yours. congrats
Well to be totally transparent like you say ,if you want the whole truth and honesty,
you were great , i wouldn’t known this was your first presentation .
Congratulations
I would like to point out that events, conferences and meetings like this one provide bloggers with an opportunity to exchange experience. That’s why it is extremely important to participate in such events.
Congratulations, Pat!
You did it very well!
If you let me give you a tip for the Expo: To improve your rhythm use links between the stages, avoiding those “slow-downs” and silences like in minute 14:27 and similar ones. You really did it great, but I know (we all know) your can be much more POWERFUL and direct. I can notice on your podcasts and even your blog posts. So use, show, more of your power.
But, please, take this as a congratulation. I don’t wan’t to be rude, I just want to help.
Once again, congrats!
Thanks for the constructive criticism, Uxio. Constructive criticisms are ALWAYS welcome, and in fact encouraged – so thank you. All the best!
We did it, Pat! Great recap of the first time speaker experience. I’ll do my first time conference planner post soon. 😉
You really stepped it up and delivered. Your talk was exactly what we needed to close things out. Thanks for being so flexible with me and thanks for blowing us away with a great talk. I’m honored to say that we got you first.
Philip, thanks for putting on such a wonderful conference. There was not one thing I could point out that could be improved upon, except maybe that it should have been longe…I had such a good time, I didn’t want to leave when I did.
It was an honor to speak and close out the conference, and like I said if I can do anything more for you, please let me know. Thank you for fashioning the perfect setting for my first time speaking in public. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Awesome video. Now you should start making video cast. Make one very cool and full of information video very month. It’s way better to see and listen than read. I will sure meet you one day. 🙂
Great presentation, Pat. You’ve really done your homework. Some epic sentences, I will come back to this presentation one day (at least I feel like it).
One thing you could work on is not looking on the floor so much, although it really isn’t a big or even small issue – it’s minor. Everything went really great. That was one of the best performances I’ve seen, seriously. You should be proud of yourself.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Pat. Wow, I didn’t realize this was your first speaking event. You did a great job. Like many others have said, your presentation was a great way to close out the conference and love love loved the ending. “You can always do more than you think you can do.” – so motivational. I’ll be reaching higher now. 🙂 It was great meeting you. Go Bears!!!
Cheers,
Jean
Superb presentation. You are a natural. How did you remember your whole presentation without losing your place?
Very well done, Pat! The last slot at a conference is very challenging because people are thinking about leaving to catch planes and hit the road home. You can see your audience were very engaged and had no such thoughts in their head. A very difficult thing to achieve at the best of times.
Much Respect,
Steve
So…does the fact that I was there live for your presentation, and still listened to it twice on your website make me a hug dork?!?!
You did an excellent job, and that message helped change the way I look at my blogs and what I have to offer.
Also, thank you for being so nice while I was talking your ear off (and stopping you from going to the restroom – lol). As my wife stated above, you were extremely humble and personable, and I am an even bigger fan after having met you in person.
Excellent presentation Pat! You’re a natural. Can’t wait to see the next presentation video and all of the outstanding information you provided.
You did a great job and no one would have known it was your first presentation if you weren’t transparent (which we all love).
Thanks for encouraging us all to stretch ourselves and I hope to see you at #fincon12.
Excellent presentation. Congratulations!
Pat, I finally had a chance to listen to your talk. As with all your content, it was awesome! I think you have a future in inspirational speaking 😉
Hi, you really have the right skills to manage your business. Keep up the good work!
Pat, Awesome presentation!! you did really Great job!!
even though this is my first comment 🙂 as a matter of fact, I’m following you long time ago, reading and enjoying your stuff!!
Hey Pat!
Congrats on your first speech. If you wanna continue speeching and improving it you should check out Toastmasters! Probably you heard about it since it’s popular in the US?
Pat, Congrats on conquering your first public presentation. With short notice, I have just been awarded a contract to present four workshops at a business conference. I will be presenting to groups of 200-300. Definitely outside my comfort zone but I am going to follow your path of preparation. I just ordered Stand and Deliver and I will be watching some TED talks. Any one in particular that you recommend?
Congrats Dawn! That’s awesome!
Check out everyone’s recommendations for presentations to watch at http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/reading-stand-and-deliver/
Good luck, and I know you’ll be fantastic!
I missed these- thank you!
Hey!
Great presentation. Hope to see more !!
One thing you can improve is to be more energetic and smiley as you are on your podcasts and other videos.
You can even be a little crazy as you do at the beginning of every podcast you make. So funny!!
I love the videos you make with your son for example because it is the real you.
What I would to is to watch more presentations of Gary Vee. It’s so inspiring.
Apart from that, it was great. Thanks Pat for everything!! I would have loved to see you but I don’t like in the States… :p
😀
Good post and congrats! I like that red shirt btw!
Hi Pat, congratulations on your first presentation – careful, it can get addictive and it sounds like you are a natural, if you got nervous but not paralysed with fear. And you were certainly “in the flow” by the sounds of it.
Using short prompts like pictures or words helps you deliver the same presentation without reading from the PP, which is great for connecting and being spontaneous, as you discovered. It also means that you can do it again and again without it feeling repetitive to you, which means that it will come out fresh every time with a range of anecdotes to choose from perhaps?
And if you made the audience laugh that means you were (or seemed!) relaxed enough, that the audience can relax too. When a speaker comes on, the audience wants them to be good and to have fun, so that they can have relax and have fun too.
One of my best speaking mentors Brett McFall (a wonderfully relaxed but yet intense value-giving speaker himself) said “remember, they want to like you!”. He also taught me a little bit of NLP anchoring so every time, just before I go on stage I can recapture my best, most powerful moment and feel that feeling immediately.
Love your manner on your podcast and now your vidcast, so can’t wait to see you live too!
Warm regards, Nicola
congrats Pat on the great first speech. From the sounds of it, you really did crush it and I find that you’re a naturally entertaining and informative speaker via your podcasts.
Hope to make it to Blog world to hear you speak, but will wait and see. You mentioned Dale Carnegie as one of the people you followed to help with the speech. I’d like to endorse two other great, old school guys on presentation techniques as well:
Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones and
Robert Anthony
Dwight Anthony
FinanciallyEliteBlog.com
Awesome event, I was great for me because I met (or at least saw) all the people I’ve been reading for years!
Your presentation was my favorite. It’s interesting reading what it was like from you getting ready! You seemed so polished on stage, I thought it just naturally came to you!
The fincon11 was totally work it, and then some. Thanks for giving such a great presentation! I’m not officially a big fan 🙂
Okay, I suck at typing comments!!!
That last sentence should have been “I’m now officially a big fan :)”
Thanks for your post pat,
Also thanks for reminding me about how great those TED video’s are, I also really enjoy watching all those excellent speakers, and since I do already have a little experience in the ‘Speaking Department’ I was also thinking about possibly offering Public Speaking somewhere in the future myself, I actually recently created a special webpage with ‘Upcomming Events’ on one of my other (– Writing Lifestyle –) Blogs, you inspired me to also recommend TED for writers that want to do Public Speaking.
Btw since you are also a Speaker, you might like to have a look at some of the great info about how – as a Speakers – you can Cruise Travel for Free, you can also find that on that ‘Upcomming Events’-page (or else on my – Travel Lifestyle – Blog)
An other btw, – Great Presentation! –
The first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Congrads on a job well done Pat.
Enjoyed the video and appreciate the content.
Great presentation Pat! You are awesome. You speak from your heart.
How do you find out about different conferences for bloggers. I’d love to attend and eventually speak at 1. Thanks
Epic speech, you do it so well. Many of the things really got to me but the 20+ minutes was THE epic and helped me moving forward with a project.
You have performed a very good speech. I think you’re very skilled..
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Oh. It’s great speech. You have the power to say good
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