skill week 11 of 53. I’m now in Palermo, Italy.

We will learn public speaking together.

Here’s why:

most people don't realize that public speaking will MASSIVELY improve their lives.

If you CAN’T do it:

in the job interview you blank out, in the meeting your ideas die because you can’t articulate them., in the group you have something important to say but stay quiet.

every time you fail to communicate what's inside you, you lose quietly.

maybe it happened to you already. It happened to me and I regret that, as an introvert.

public speaking is the skill that multiplies every other skill.

you can be the smartest person in the room and still lose to someone who can hold attention for 5 minutes.

so on Thursday at 11am I'm stepping on stage at Italy Nomad Fest in Palermo in front of 100+ people.

30 minutes to either change their perspective on life OR make a massive mistake.

because here’s my strange math:

100 people x 30 minutes = 3,000 minutes. that's 50 hours of collective human life. if I deliver a forgettable, boring Powerpoint presentation, I will have stolen 50 hours from good people’s lives.

BUT

if I deliver something real. something that makes even 10 people in that room rethink what they're capable of. that's 10 lives moved in a new positive direction.

from 1 talk. from 1 person who decided to get better at 1 skill.

that's why public speaking is week 11.

my personal flaw:

I'll be honest with you. I've done public speaking before. I'm decent.

my talks tend to be technical, structured, kind of... boring.

so this week I'm doing something uncomfortable: no slides, just storytelling.

just a story about waking up one day and deciding to learn 53 skills in 52 weeks, and what that decision has done to my life so far and how it will help others.

(one of my actual dreams is to do a TED Talk, because I believe this message, that ordinary people can transform themselves in weeks not years. Thursday in Palermo is step 1. a room of 100 before a room of thousands.)

the experts

this week I'm working with Derek Smith, a public speaking coach who's helped people deliver TED Talks, win international speaking awards, and command rooms for a living.

AND I'll be interviewing one of our readers of this newsletter! who is a 2 times Toastmaster speech winner :)

I'll be sharing what he and she learned throughout the week. the frameworks. the mistakes. the breakthroughs.

the challenge for you:

you don't need a stage in Palermo. you need 2 minutes.

this week, find one moment where you'd normally stay quiet and speak instead to a group. In a meeting, a family conversation, an open space.

that's it. 2 minutes of discomfort. that's how this starts.

Thursday will be a big challenge. Send me your tips.

Proof:

If you missed the previous weeks and unusual lessons, check them out HERE:

Reply to this email with all your questions, comments, or tips, I will answer.

Or share with friends who want to join and grow.

- Alex