Category: improv

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Applied Improv Distracted Audience improv Podcast Professional Speaker Public Speaking Tips Virtual Meetings Virtual Presentations

Episode 17: The A-Ha! Method Public Speaking Podcast

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Infusing Connection, Interactivity, and Fun into your Virtual Meetings with Melissa Dinwiddie

This episode is a MUST LISTEN for anyone who leads or facilitates virtual meetings!

Melissa Dinwiddie – Founder, CEO, Lead Curriculum Designer & Facilitator at Creative Sandbox Solutions – joins Dayna and Gabe to discuss ways to make virtual meetings, trainings, and events more fun and engaging, which is so needed right now! 

We have been doing the virtual meeting thing for over 2 years now, and they aren’t going away any time soon! Melissa is a pro at creating excitement and engagement in every event, and she shows us how to sprinkle in connection, interactivity, and fun into your virtual meetings so that you don’t lose your attendees to their emails, social media, or many other distractions! 

We highly recommend watching this podcast on Spotify, because Melissa shows some cool slides on her video as she provides her awesome tips and tricks to better meetings. If watching on a different platform, please check out the YouTube videos in the show notes so you can see what she is displaying during the episode. 

Don’t lose your audience to distraction, and don’t be a talking head in virtual meetings. Allow your meeting attendees a chance to engage and participate, and you will see much better outcomes and productivity in your meetings and trainings! 

Picture of papers clipped together that say Show Notes on front.
  1. Check out Dayna and Melissa playing Powerpoint Karaoke here: https://youtu.be/F89_fYokQOM
  2. Video from podcast – 8 Unofficial Start Ideas For Your Virtual Meeting – https://youtu.be/kUxHWO3pqqc
  3. Video from podcast – Micro-Engagement Ideas for Better Virtual Meetings – https://youtu.be/MoUynFIswdY
  4. Melissa’s website: https://creativesandbox.solutions/
  5. Melissa’s Free Guide – 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Next Virtual Event, Training or Conference – https://creativesandbox.solutions/resources/
  6. Melissa’s Virtual Learning Lab every month – https://creativesandbox.solutions/learning-lab/
  7. Follow Melissa on LinkedIn – she posts some helpful tips and tricks for better meeting engagement! 
  8. Follow Melissa on Instagram for her creative pursuits.
  9. Check out Melissa’s personal website for all her creative and fun endeavors – https://melissadinwiddie.com/

Reminder: You can now sign up for Private Speaker Coaching on our Speakers Alliance Website. If you have an upcoming pitch, presentation, or speech that you are working on, you can practice it with both Dayna and Gabe and get feedback and suggestions for improvement. For more details, go to https://speakersalliance.org/speaker-coaching/

You can watch the full video of the episode on Spotify! Or if watching on a different platform, watch the YouTube videos in the Show Notes to see when Melissa shares her screen images.

Check out this episode and our other episodes of The A-Ha! Method Podcast here:

listen here on apple podcasts
Listen here on spotify
listen here on google podcasts
listen here on pocketcast

Follow us on social media for the most up to date announcements and so you never miss when a new episode is released. 😍

Melissa Dinwiddie Photo - Melissa is the queen of leading fun and engaging virtual meetings
Melissa Dinwiddie, Founder, CEO, Lead Curriculum Designer & Facilitator at Creative Sandbox Solutions

More About Our Guest Melissa Dinwiddie:

Melissa specializes in working with innovative, people-first organizations grappling with boring (or nonexistent) virtual trainings and events. She helps them engage and delight attendees, who acquire new skills and behaviors while building connections and having fun.

Melissa’s the author of The Creative Sandbox Way™: Your Path to a Full-Color Life, an interactive playbook that countless readers have sworn freed them from creative block virtually overnight.

Melissa has a reputation for creating impactful, memorable experiences that teach key skills while being fun at the same time. She loves collaborating, and is great at encouraging, cheerleading, and creating a positive vibe.

Melissa’s front-of-room experience ranges from traveling the country teaching calligraphy, to speaking on stages from Connecticut to California, to performing as a singer for audiences as big as 6,500, and presenting at professional conferences internationally. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s become sought after for her expertise in play-based techniques for leading engaging, interactive virtual meetings. When there isn’t a global pandemic going on, she performs improv with a number of different groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A graduate of UC Berkeley with a Bachelors in Social Science, and the University of Birmingham, England, with a Masters in Cultural Studies, Melissa lives with her husband in Silicon Valley and spends her free time making art, playing ukulele, or chasing around her rescue kitties, Vinnie and Jack Jack.

For more in-depth information and resources, please check out Melissa’s website – https://creativesandbox.solutions/

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Comedy and Public Speaking improv Podcast

Improvisation – Episode 14: The A-Ha! Method Public Speaking Podcast

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Dayna’s Favorite Topic – Improvisation

Last episode of Season 1, and we go out with a bang talking about Dayna’s favorite thing to do and discuss – Improvisation, or Improv for short. 

When you hear the word improvisation, you may think of improv used for comedic purposes, but improv is way more than just funny scenes and shows at your local neighborhood theater. The skills of improvisation are very much applicable to life and can tremendously help your public speaking as well. 

Improv can help you:

  • Improve your listening skills
  • Embrace mistakes and happy accidents
  • Develop a “Yes, and…” mindset
  • Boost your creativity and imagination
  • Gain confidence in answering questions during a Q&A period
  • And so much more!

Improv has been such a gamechanger in Dayna’s life over the past few years, especially during the pandemic, and it can help you too if you give it a try. It may push you way outside your comfort zone, but it’s so worth it!

Say “Yes, and…” and hit the play button for this episode! 

Show Notes: 

  • Watch Dayna and Gabe play Powerpoint Karaoke and give an improvised presentation here: https://youtu.be/wrBwqQBPFIk –> We do a pretty good job for our first attempt at this, or at least we like to think so! 😊
  • If you are interested in taking improv classes, there are so many places offering classes online and in person now. Message us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn for recommendations. Or you can google improv near you, and you may find a theater close to you offering some beginner classes. 
  • Looking for Table Topics questions to work on your impromptu speaking skills? Check out this awesome list of 365 Table Topics questions! –> Pick a number, look at the question, and then respond to the question within 1-2 minute timeframe. How comfortable do you feel answering the question off the cuff?   
  • For funny style improv, watch Middleditch and Schwartz on Netflix. It is super funny and silly, but remember that not all improv has to be funny. We improvise all the time in our daily lives, and everyone can improvise and develop better improvisation skills to help with listening and communication. 

Check out this episode and our other episodes of The A-Ha! Method Podcast here:

listen here on apple podcasts
Listen here on spotify
listen here on google podcasts
listen here on pocketcast

Follow us on social media for the most up to date announcements and so you never miss when a new episode is released.😍

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Boosting Your Confidence Comedy and Public Speaking Founders Pitches improv Improving Your Presentations Podcast Public Speaking Tips Start-up Pitches Storytelling

Episode 7: The A-Ha! Method Podcast

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Going Beyond Public Speaking with Jeremy Au

In this episode of The A-Ha! Method Podcast, we have special guest Jeremy Au join us to talk about public speaking. Jeremy goes beyond the traditional discussion about public speaking and expands on many creative elements and uses of public speaking through storytelling, improv, and even stand-up comedy.

Jeremy initially did not like public speaking as a kid and even shares an embarrassing story from middle school that haunted him for years. Then he grew to love it in college and finds himself using public speaking skills every day.

He has given many start-up pitches and presentations and watched many business pitches as an investor and venture capitalist (VC), and he provides some insightful tips for new founders getting started with their pitches. Jeremy shares his love for storytelling and using storytelling techniques to evoke emotions from your audience. He also discusses his improv journey and how it has helped him along the way. 

Ways to listen to The A-Ha! Method Podcast:

listen here on apple podcasts
Listen here on spotify
listen here on google podcasts
listen here on pocketcast

More About Our Guest Jeremy Au:

Jeremy Au (区汉辉) is a VC at Monk’s Hill Ventures who invests in fellow founders who will transform millions of lives. He also spearheads MHV’s key initiatives from venture scouts to thought leadership. Jeremy hosts the BRAVE podcast and interviews trailblazing founders, investors and rising stars in Southeast Asia tech. His mission is to inspire thousands to build the future, learn from our past and stay human in between. He is also an angel investor in multiple startups across USA and Southeast Asia. 

Jeremy cofounded CozyKin, an early education marketplace. He led the startup as CEO from 0 to Series A to acquisition by Higher Ground Education. Won Harvard Business School’s New Venture Competition and the MassChallenge grand prize. Incubated by Harvard Innovation Lab’s VIP Program and MIT Sandbox. Jeremy cofounded Conjunct Consulting, an impact consulting platform, and bootstrapped the social enterprise to profitability, over a hundred clients and thousands of trained impact leaders. He consulted across multiple Southeast Asia markets and China as a Bain management consultant. He also served as an infantry sergeant in Singapore.

Jeremy is a public speaker and panelist on entrepreneurship, leadership and community engagement. He has spoken for thousands across Harvard, Deutsche Bank, Singapore Global Tech Network, Boston SPARK Council, Institute of Policy Studies, Civil Service College and many others. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and Prestige 40 Under 40. MBA from Harvard Business School and double honor degrees in Economics & Business Administration from UC Berkeley. 

Jeremy enjoys science fiction, improv, hiking, tea and being a dad with his family. He enjoys hearing from authentic founders, receiving podcast guest recommendations and new speaking opportunities.

Follow Jeremy on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.