What do you do if setbacks in your speaking career challenge your goal focus?

I believe setbacks are a natural part of Growth journey.. How else would you learn to jump? How else would you search for a new path? How else would you test your commitment? Have faced setbacks several times in my career but I can't recollect a single time when the setback didn't help me grow. Let me list down the steps which made me stay on track and motivated in my speaking career: 1. Create a pipeline of opportunities so that one setback hardly matters 2. Opportunities can be created by networking and upskilling. 3. Introspect and also seek feedback to understand what can be improved. 4. Reassess your goals to make them realistic and achievable. Redesign your plan, if needed. 5. Self belief and self love also help to stay motivated.

If setbacks in your speaking career challenge your goal focus, it's important to embrace change as an opportunity for growth. Viewing setbacks as learning experiences can enhance resilience and adaptability. For example, if you lose a major speaking engagement, use the time to refine your skills, seek feedback, or explore new topics. Embracing this change can open doors to unexpected opportunities, like developing online content or engaging with different audiences. This mindset shift not only helps you grow professionally but also keeps your motivation and goal focus intact despite challenges.

I fell in love with public speaking accidentally, and it became my calling and for 13 years I led the life of a road warrior, from one event to the next! Then I found myself divorced, and needing to see my kids on their schedule every weekend! I was then asked by a good friend to teach his team to speak like it did, to teach them everything I knew, this was the birth of Presentation Power! I was no longer travelling, as a consultant at UBC Sauder School of Business. In 2003, I was asked to be the speech coach for the Canadian Winter Olympic bid to hold the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2010. Now this was another big change and demanded leadership and high-level coaching, the Canadian Prime Minister, Premier of BC. All involved speaking.

En mi experiencia lo importante es tener claro el PROPÓSITO. Luego los objetivos se deben alinear al propósito. A veces pareciera que las cosas no salen como uno quiere ... hay que regresar al propósito y poner objetivos coherentes. En cierta ocasión daba una conferencia fuera de mi pais el auditorio estaba casi vacío....al finalizar la conferencia una señora se levantó y dijo " Gracias a Dios no vino casi nadie... si hubiera habido mucha gente no me hubiera sentido enconfianza para exponer mi caso.... esta conferencia HA SIDO UN REGALO, UNA BENDICIÓN " Luego recordé que MI PROPÓSITO como orador es llevar un mensaje de esperanza y optimismo. Ya sea para un asistente o mil . Esa ponencia era para ella.

A motivational speaker is most often going to be talking about some aspect of change for his clients. When you go through a change yourself, embrace and learn from the experience. Change adds to your knowledge of how to navigate it and how to communicate it well to others. Stop asking "why" and begin asking, how can I maximize this with different audiences, deliverables and perhaps even adjusting topic areas. Don't forget too that you may learn expertise in new areas that you can then communicate to others through public speaking. Change is a good thing!

I have become a big fan in seeking feedback on talks that I know could be better but not exactly sure what needs to change. When we seek feedback we gain knowledge we may not have known or even thought of before. It’s the best the way to refine your presentation. As a speaker you want to know your message is properly getting across without distractions. When I know a speech didn’t go as planned or an audience didn’t respond as good as expected, I always ask the organizers afterwards to please give me any and all feedback negative and positive so I can grow as a speaker. Feedback is nothing to fear, it’s the best teacher you can have as a speaker.

When setbacks challenge your goals in a speaking career, staying resilient and adaptable is crucial. Embrace change and view obstacles as opportunities for growth. Seek feedback from trusted mentors or peers to gain new perspectives and improve. As Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Use setbacks as stepping stones, learn from them, and keep moving forward with renewed focus and determination.

Con respecto a la retroalimentacion yo prefiero preguntar : Qué te gustó más de la ponencia ?. De tal manera que puedo identificar fortalezas qué las convertiré luego en experiencias gratificante para ka audiencia. Cuando nos enfocamos en tratar de mejorar las imperfecciones, olvidamos la importancia de desarrollar nuestras fortalezas. Lo que si debe estar claro desde el inicio es la PROMESA DE VALOR y cumplirla .

In a world full of distractions, it's essential to carve out moments to reconnect with yourself and your core values. If you've been feeling overwhelmed or out of sync, developing a grounding ritual can make a world of difference. One of my personal favorites is the simple yet powerful act of bringing a notebook with me on a hike or walk in nature. There's something profoundly calming about allowing yourself to wander mindfully, without a set agenda, until you come across a spot—a bench, a tree, or even a quiet clearing—that invites you to pause and reflect. 📝 Pro tip: Use the same journal for these self-check-ins. Over time, you'll begin to notice patterns and gain a clearer understanding of the bigger picture.

Sin duda, a todos nos encanta que nos vaya increíble. Pero debo admitir que he aprendido mucho más de las veces que me ha ido mal. Lo sé, duele. 😣 Sin embargo, esas experiencias nos hacen crecer. No hay nada más valioso que una autoevaluación y autocrítica sincera sobre lo que hicimos mal, mejorarlo y levantarnos para volver a intentarlo. 🌱 El fracaso no es el final, es solo una lección en el camino hacia el éxito. 💪

Cuando vas a incorporar nuevas tecnologías a tu presentación asegúrate de dominar su uso o apóyate en un equipo profesional que lo haga por ti. Caso contrario el efecto es contraproducente. Se busca Alto Impacto positivo, no negativo. Lo que si debes renovar son las historias que cuentas. Debes tener un abanico de historias dependiendo del tipo de público y la ocasión.

I believe that the motivational graph of an individual cannot remain constant. The highs and lows may be because of innumerable factors and as a motivational speaker we need to key in at least a few tricks where in one rule applies all. Picking up suitable examples from self help books like 'Atomic Habits' can help an individual to understand that no progress is small.

Some might say the pandemic of 2020 was the ultimate setback. I know for me it was. Many gigs canceled. I don't do virtual presenting; it's just not in my DNA! But what it did become was the opportunity to really sit back and think about what I wanted to do on the other side. And I knew it wasn't what I was currently doing. So I guess my message is setbacks sometimes are a good thing and might be the catalyst you need for your next great thing.

Things do get halted and that is part of the journey. Setbacks are part and parcel of success. When you feel a lag, stop fretting or overthinking. Accept it as a delay not a denial. Take it as a message that there is something else that needs a completion before you could proceed on this journey. Most often it is related to some inner work that needs to be done. Some limiting beliefs that need to be reframed or some inner child healing that needs attention. Delays just means there is a little more fine tuning to do before you can bear the weight of success. Look within, the cause is always on the inside. Work on it, grow and evolve then the victory will just be too sweet.