My sweet spot is telling stories.
I have more than a dozen killer talks. For dads, moms, parents, husbands, wives, couples, young people, grandparents, spiritual explorers, cultural warriors, writing workshops, holiday brunches, and anyone eager to find their sweet spot in life.
I bring notes and powerpoint, but my talks are never a lecture or sermon. I don’t do bullet points. And I don’t use charts.
My favorite moment on a stage or speaking platform is when I walk out from behind the lectern and just tell a story. (Probably a story stolen from a chapter in one of my 42 books.)
Standing on the edge of the stage, sometimes I’ll even have a prop in hand: A glass jar for catching fireflies. A Cubs pencil. A starfish. Two jars of peanut butter. Or a JV wrestling trophy I won a million years ago.
Below are some of the phrases projected on the screen that prompt a story and ignite the room. It’s never long before the audience reacts with smiles of recognition, “aha” moments, elbows thrown, genuine laughter, a smattering of applause, and sometimes even tears.
Get conned at the county fair.
Get fired.
Notice squirrels, armadillos, and kangaroos.
Throw starfish.
Proofread your Christmas cards.
Be like Linus.
Pray straw into the manger.
Entertain angels.
Reconsider rules carved in stone.
Pull out yearbooks.
Make sure your grandkids join you in eternity.
Buy flowers. (Or chocolates.)
Fall on the grenade.
Stop husband bashing.
Do Saturday.
Push her buttons.
Don’t pull up the kitchen carpet two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Buy two jars of peanut butter.
Kiss for 8 seconds.
Put in your 10,000 hours.
See the seasons.
Never succumb to writer’s block.
Grammer and speling mattter.
It’s your book, but sometimes you have to let go.
A lesson from Hollywood.
Hold your baby.
Stop and catch the fireflies.
Don’t be the fashion police.
Quit golf.
Ignore the stickball dents on the garage door.
Wake them up for a lunar eclipse.
Kiss your wife in the kitchen.
Laugh about spilt milk.
Buy a unicycle.
All of these slides launch a memorable story which I’ve told dozens of times. Still if feels fresh for every group.
Where appropriate, I’ll include a verse of scripture as part of the takeaway. Plus, I include a one-page handout and Q&A for the table, if you like.
So. Can I speak to your group sometime this year? Just ask, and I’ll send you a list of 20 of my favorite talks ready to go for your retreat, men’s breakfast, brunch, tea, marriage conference, outreach, weekly meeting, annual banquet, fundraiser, Sunday School, or weekend service.
Last thought: Many of you have hired me to speak before. Poll your members and see if they want me to come back again, maybe covering a different topic. I’ve spoken multiple times at multiple locations.
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