Today was another life-changing event and it was all because of The Power Within. What a moving day of speakers and wisdom. I came to Toronto this morning just so I could attend this jaw-dropping line-up.
The morning was kicked off by Seth Godin and, as if it were possible, it just kept getting better and better. Although I really enjoyed Freakonomics Author, Steven D. Levitt, and the always entertaining Herb Cohen (Author of You Can Negotiate Anything and Negotiate This), I have to admit Bill Clinton blew me away (no pun intended).
Imagine a room packed with close to 10,000 people. It’s hard to enough to “work the room” if you’re a rock band, so imagine being one person speaking. It’s an intense challenge. And although people like Homer Hickman, Judy Carter and Craig & Marc Kielburger held their own, Clinton really knows how to work it.
It’s all about his presentation skills. He truly makes you feel like he is talking to you, whether you’re in the first row or the back of the auditorium. He speaks softly and directly. It made me think about only one thing: taking a Toastmasters course.
I always thought that Clinton was a cunning linguist (again, no pun there) but seeing him match his art of words with his presentation proficiency really took me to a whole other level. The marketing side of it: personal branding lives and dies by how well you can communicate. I have made it my life’s work to learn how to be a better speaker and, after seeing Clinton today, I now have a benchmark.
I have been to a handful of The Power Events. This is an astounding company, doing amazing things and changing lives. Do yourself a favor, go to the website here: The Power Within and go to one of their events (if you really care, you’ll bring a friend and change their life too).