Mic Drop

Making It Personal (ft. Bridget Hilton, Chad Foster, and Nikolas Badminton)

Episode Summary

Today is a very special episode of Mic Drop, and one that is especially fun. To explore how to bring our own personal journey to the stage in a thoughtful and compelling way, we’re joined by not one but three incredible speakers and incredible humans. In today's conversation, we explore how to authentically share personal stories without coming across as boastful or showy. How to be a transformational catalyst for audiences by making people feel safe and accepted, how to deal with confrontational audiences or those that are resistant to your message. And we even play a fun little game to dispel myths about professional keynote speaking while revealing some surprising truths.

Episode Notes

Making It Personal (ft. Bridget Hilton, Chad Foster, and Nikolas Badminton)

Three top speakers on embracing change in life and onstage

OPENING QUOTE:

“I trained to be a Samurai in Japan. I worked on a lobster boat in Massachusetts. I went to farm school. I was a model for a whiskey company, which was really fun. I once did a speech where I was in between Ben Affleck and Aerosmith, so there was a lot of imposter syndrome on that one. And I've learned all these weird skills. Learned how to trapeze or how to make my own coffee beans or fly a plane or go dog sledding.”

-Bridget Hilton

GUEST BIOS:

Chad Foster is an award-winning business leader, international keynote speaker and author of Blind Ambition. Connecting inspiration to implementation, Chad shares the insights gained from going blind at 21 and bouncing back to build a massive enterprise value, creating a more resilient leadership culture, and inviting diversity to drive business innovation.

Links:

Bridget Hilton, my next guest, is a leading expert in the art science and path to becoming rich in life experiences. Inspired by a viral video of a deaf woman hearing for the first time, she then founded the first social good electronics company called Listen, sold millions of products, partnered with the likes of Google and Delta Airlines and Amazon, and has given over 50,000 people the gift of hearing.

Links:

Nikolas Badminton is a world renowned futurist speaker, and he mentors leaders to create more connected, curious and creative teams that embrace futures designed to drive more profit and explosive growth.

Nik has spent 30 plus years working with leadership at over 300 leading organizations at the frontline of Foresight, strategy and disruption. He's the chief futurist at futurist.com and the author of Facing Our Futures: How Foresight Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth.

Links:

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[11:06] - Turning Stories About You into Stories About Your Audience

Being personal without stealing the spotlight

Many speakers struggle with finding the balance of sharing personal stories to engage with their audience without making it “all about them.” After all, a great keynote is about the audience — not the speaker.

That’s a balance all of this week’s guests have achieved in their own unique ways. For some, like Bridget, it’s about breaking up her incredible adventures with funny, self-deprecating stories of bad experiences and vulnerability.

For Chad, it’s all about disarming tension between speaker and audience. As someone who went blind at the age of 21, he understands the power of humor in breaking down barriers with people who may not know how to be “natural” around someone whose experienced something he has.

[15:14] - Teaching Transformation

How to encourage an audience to embrace change

All three of our featured speakers have undergone transformations throughout their lifetimes. From changes in physical capabilities to changes in mindsets, how do they bring their personal stories into a powerful conversation about embracing change?

It’s all about getting the audience to ask: “How can I make this work for me rather than against me? What can I control?” If you can tap into that, you’ll have your audience captivated — and lead them to change.

[22:05] - What if the Audience Disagrees?

Connecting with your audience even when they’re disconnected

Our guests this week have all experienced audiences who aren’t fully receptive to their message. Their advice? Lean into it. If we really believe that keynote speaking is about initiating change, then a hostile audience is the perfect audience. They’re the ones who have the power to be transformed. So be jarring, be bold, and don’t adjust your message just to be as agreeable or “warm and fuzzy” as possible.

[27:27] - Speakers Think (Blank), but the Truth is (Blank)

Myths and truths in the speaking business

What do speakers believe that simply isn’t true?

The greatest myth, on which all our guests agree, is that perfect delivery is the pinnacle of the craft. Many speakers believe that what an audience wants is the perfect flow, that you have your content down to a T, that you’re polished from the moment you step onstage to the moment you leave.

But really it’s about connection and even vulnerability. Your audience wants you to be human, to share your humanity with them. When you can do that, you can bring them into their world and help them see the transformational power within themselves. That’s what speaking is about, not standing up in an impeccable suit and “nailing it.”

RESOURCES:

[2:11] Blind Ambition
[2:43] LSTN Sound Co.
[3:54] Futurist.com
[3:56] Facing Our Futures: How Foresight Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth

Follow Chad:

Follow Bridget:

Follow Nikolas:

Follow Josh:

ABOUT MIC DROP:

Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter it’s starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.

Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOST:

Josh Linkner is a Creative Troublemaker. He believes passionately that all human beings have incredible creative capacity, and he’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar.

Josh has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million and is the author of four books including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention. He has invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners.

Today, Josh serves as Chairman and Co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, training, and consulting firm. He has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

Josh is also a passionate Detroiter, the father of four, is a professional-level jazz guitarist, and has a slightly odd obsession with greasy pizza.

Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com

Episode Transcription

Bridget Hilton:

I trained to be a Samurai in Japan. I worked on a lobster boat in Massachusetts. I went to farm school. I was a model for a whiskey company, which was really fun. I once did a speech where I was in between Ben Affleck and Aerosmith, so there was a lot of imposter syndrome on that one. And I've learned all these weird skills. Learned how to trapeze or how to make my own coffee beans or fly a plane or go dog sledding.

Josh Linkner:

Hey, Mic Drop enthusiasts, Josh Linkner here. Delighted to be bringing you season two of Mic Drop. I love our conversations with speakers and industry leaders alike, so we can unpack the industry and we can all perform better. Let's get after it and get better together.

Maria Cairo:

Mic Drop is brought to you by Impact 11, the most diverse and inclusive community built for training and developing professional speakers to get on bigger stages at higher fees with greater impact faster. They're not just elevating an industry that we all know and love. They work with thousands of speakers to launch and scale their speaking businesses. Accelerating time to success, earning tens of millions in speaking fees, landing bureau representation, securing book deals, and rising to the top of the field. To learn more about the Impact 11 community, schedule a free strategy session today by visiting impacteleven.com/connect. That's impacteleven.com/connect.

Josh Linkner:

Today's episode of Mic Drop is especially fun. To explore how to bring our own personal journey to the stage in a thoughtful and compelling way, I'm joined by three incredible speakers and incredible humans. Chad Foster is an award-winning business leader, international keynote speaker and author of Blind Ambition. Chad explains the anatomy of resilience, providing tried and tested tools that empower people to emerge from setbacks stronger, sleeker, and resolute to succeed. Connecting inspiration to implementation, Chad shares the insights gained from going blind at 21 and bouncing back to build a massive enterprise value, creating a more resilient leadership culture, and inviting diversity to drive business innovation. Bridget Hilton, my next guest, is a leading expert in the art science and path to becoming rich in life experiences. Inspired by a viral video of a deaf woman hearing for the first time, she then founded the first social good electronics company called Listen, sold millions of products, partnered with the likes of Google and Delta Airlines and Amazon, and has given over 50,000 people the gift of hearing.

Now as a keynote speaker, a co-author of the experiential billionaire book, and self-proclaimed experiential Guinea pig, and she's also a facilitator of one of the largest surveys on life experiences ever done. Bridget is passionate about helping others improve their mental health and inspiring them to live intentional, regret free lives by going after audacious goals. Nikolas Badminton is a world renowned futurist speaker, and he mentors leaders to create more connected, curious and creative teams that embrace futures designed to drive more profit and explosive growth.

Nick has spent 30 plus years working with leadership at over 300 leading organizations at the frontline of Foresight, strategy and disruption. He's the chief futurist at futurist.com and the author of Facing Our Futures: How Foresight Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth. In today's conversation, we explore how to authentically share personal stories without coming across as boastful or showy. How to be a transformational catalyst for audiences by making people feel safe and accepted, how to deal with confrontational audiences or those that are resistant to your message. And we even play a fun little game to dispel myths about professional keynote speaking while revealing some surprising truths. Today's episode is quite an experience from three thought leaders with a wealth of experiences to share. Chad, Nick and Bridget, welcome to Mic Drop.

Chad Foster:

Pleasure being here.

Nikolas Badminton:

It's great to be here.

Bridget Hilton:

Happy to be here. Thank you, Josh.

Josh Linkner:

Thank you. What a fun conversation we're going to have. And today we're really focusing on bringing our personal experiences into the business of speaking, into what you do on stage into what you do off-stage and how it's influenced your calling to be a speaker and how you've built your practice. And I think to orient everybody, a good starting point would be to hear a little bit about your individual backgrounds and what's kind of those unique experiences. And Bridget, let's start with you. Maybe give us a quick snapshot of what brought you to this interesting and unique point in time.

Bridget Hilton:

Sure. So this is a perfect conversation for me because I speak about the art, science and path to becoming rich in life experiences. And I grew up in Michigan and I had this whole journey of going through the music industry, which was an amazing experience. And that led me to starting a company called Listen, where we make headphones and speakers and we give the proceeds to giving hearing to people for the first time. So I've had the incredible experience of traveling around the world and giving over 50,000 kids hearing for the first time. And ever since then, I've been speaking and writing about how life experiences are the real wealth of our life. And so I'm really excited to be here today and talk about my personal experiences.

Josh Linkner:

Amazing. And I know that you and I have talked about this and I've seen you perform on stage, but what are some of the rapid fire, crazy experiences that you've done that most of us can only dream about?

Bridget Hilton:

There's a long list, but some of my favorites are I've traveled to all 50 US states. I've done 40 countries. I've worked with some of the biggest musicians in the world. I trained to be a samurai in Japan. I worked on a lobster boat in Massachusetts. I went to farm school. I was a model for a whiskey company, which was really fun. I had a beer with Richard Branson. I starred in a commercial by Google. I once did a speech where I was in between Ben Affleck and Aerosmith. So there was a lot of imposter syndrome on that one. And I've learned all these weird skills, learned how to trapeze or how to make my own coffee beans or fly a plane or go dog sledding. I've just done so many random things. It's been a really fun life story.

Josh Linkner:

I just love that. It's so fun. And clearly I see why Ben Affleck and Aerosmith would've imposter syndrome instead next to someone who's done so many cool things. Chad, tell us about your background. I mean, obviously the cool thing about this group, and I'm so excited, each of you had such unique and completely different experiences, and here we are together as part of the speaking community. But Chad, tell us a little bit about your backstory.

Chad Foster:

Yeah, so I had a little bit of a unique journey as well. Growing up, I lived a relatively normal lifestyle for a little while until I actually went blind in college due to this inherited retinal disease that was sort of the invisible family disease. So everyone obviously were carriers, but it was only symptomatic with me. And so I went blind at 21 years old in college and never really thought that much of it. I mean, it was a difficult period when that happened, but I persevered through that, figured out how to bounce back better than before, went on and lived a happier and more successful life without eyesight than before. And I used to really take some of that for granted until I had a moment a few years ago where I was asked to speak at a graduation talk. And for the first time, I used my experience to help people. And it was really inspiring for me to see how sharing what I've learned about resilience and navigating adversity could help other people. So it gave new meaning to it, and that's what ended up landing me in the speaking business.

Josh Linkner:

It's beautiful, and I know we've talked about this before, but I think in some way that you can't see physically with your eyes, you are such an insightful person and you're helping us all see the world. And to a degree you're giving us all a deeper sense of sight through your challenges, and I'm so grateful for that. Nick, buddy, we've known each other for a long time. I'm a huge fan of your work. We often speak on similar topics, but you also have a pretty cool and unique set of backstory. Give us the rundown.

Nikolas Badminton:

Yeah, I grew up in a 4,000 person village in the southwest of England. It was surrounded by farms. My dad ran the slaughterhouse. It was kind of one of those Thatcherite Britain sort of struggles in a way. But my dad bought me a book at the age of eight called The Osborne Book of the Future. And it was about the world in the year 2000 and beyond, and it got things wildly wrong. We were going to be living on the moon, on Mars, under the ocean, flying cars everywhere, robots in the home, wearable computing. Well, we kind of have that with the Apple Watch and whatever these days, but it kind of got that wrong. And by the age of about 15, I'd sort of been into sci-fi and programming computers, but there was this real spark that sort of captured me. I listened to a lot of punk rock, like Dead Kennedy's and the new wave stuff like Fugazi, and I picked up the guitar. And whilst I'm not as honed at the skill as maybe you are, Josh, I sort of really got into performance and jumping on stage.

I was really lucky. Where I grew up, there was actually a really rich heritage. PJ Harvey was at the same college as me doing art. So we used to go and see these amazing world-class acts in local pubs. And I sort of followed that all the way through, went on to be a DJ and kept honing my computer skills and the future's view of the world. So back about 10 years ago, I ran a conference. So I took all of that experience and I brought 150 people from all over the world to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to get together to talk about the future of humanity and technology.

And everything changed at that time. And someone called me a futurist, which I felt was strange at the time, but I embraced wholly and really delved into the art of futurology and futurism. And that sort of led me to the point where I think I've spoken to over 400 different clients all over the world now. I mean this year alone, from LA to Cancun to [inaudible 00:10:51], Croatia. And it is really heartening and it's really heartwarming, but there's still a beating heart of a punk rocker in the center of me and also someone that's terrible at playing the guitar, but really loves science fiction and computer-based living as well.

Josh Linkner:

So cool. And what an interesting cast of characters we have today. Bridget, you on stage talk a lot about your own experiences, but in no way and in no moment does it seem like the talk is about you. You share your experiences in this really heartfelt and warm giving way. But even though the material is about your story and your experiences, it's really about the audience. How do you strike that balance? I think sometimes speakers who talk about their own story come across as cocky and arrogant and boastful and all those things. You're the opposite of that. You talk about your own story, but somehow it comes across really in service of the audience. How have you struck that balance and how have you thought about that?

Bridget Hilton:

I actually think about that quite a bit because I'm very cognizant of not being that person. I would never want to go on stage and just talk about how great my life is. And I think that, so the way that I structure talking about myself is I make a mixture of experiences. So it's not all like, oh, I went to the Seven Wonders of the World, or I did this it. It's mixing in funny things that I've done and weird stuff. And I think that people can relate to that.

And I also have a section of the keynote where I talk about how bad experiences can actually be good experiences, and I talk about my mental health journey. So I think being vulnerable and being open about the good, bad, and the ugly makes it doesn't seem as cocky or all about me. And it really is about the audience and how I can help them and be of service to them. And I really truly don't even want to talk about myself. It's just more about they can relate to these stories and they can see themselves doing similar things or whatever they want their dreams to be in their own life.

Josh Linkner:

It really comes across that way because you also do it with such an authentic sense, a sense of generosity. And also of deep vulnerability. You don't get up there and say, "Look at all the badass things I did." You're like, "Hey, here's where I screw this up, and I maxed my credit card, and I had these problems." I think by sharing your struggles as much as your successes, people can really relate to that, and it is inspiring. Chad, in your case, I think sometimes people don't know how to respond when somebody has a challenge like yours, a disability to a degree. How do you put people at ease and comfort with that and help them rather than feeling awkward or at disease with your experiences, helping them kind of be more comfortable and see their own world in a different perspective?

Chad Foster:

Yeah, I think the fact that I lived over 20 years of my life with sight and then after about 21 years old without sight, helps me understand the lack of comfort that people can have with the situation, the awkwardness that can be present. And so because of that, I pay a lot of attention to disarming the tension and making people comfortable. And I do that my day-to-day basis with humor. And I do the same thing on stage when I'm presenting. One of the first things I want to do is through humor, a lot of self-deprecating humor, demonstrate that, yeah, I've got what many would consider to be as serious condition, but I don't take it so seriously that I can't have fun. I'm still living life very fully. I demonstrate that by poking fun at the situation, having fun with myself, and the fact that I am blind.

And one of the first things I tell people is a really good time to go blind. And it's a little tongue in cheek, but it illustrates the point that I'm trying to make right upfront. And that is life is about our perspective. We can choose to tell ourselves stories about our circumstances that either limit us or we can choose to tell ourselves stories about our circumstances that carry us forward. And so between the combination of warmth and competence, that's how I really want to catch the audience's attention. And the warmth comes through humor a lot of times, and the vulnerability upfront and really creating that connection, putting people at ease and creating that sense of relatability with the audience that, "Okay, this guy's got something unique going on, but he's a lot like me too. He's looking at the situation, he can laugh at it and he can have fun with it," and that makes it easier for me to bring them along for the ride.

Josh Linkner:

It's a really good way to look at it. And I was thinking too, that because you were born with sight and as you mentioned 20 years later, things changed. You went through a transformation that wasn't one that you asked for obviously, and one that was not something you had wished upon yourself, but you came out through strong on the other side. And as keynote speakers, we're really in the business of helping people make a transformation of one kind or another.

The reason most of us don't lean into change is because we're afraid. Am I going to be okay? Am I going to be safe? And I think seeing your transformation that again, wasn't one that you asked for, but you survived and thrived afterward, gives us all a little bit of comfort. I think we can see ourselves, our own transformation through yours. Do you think that's right? What would you add to that?

Chad Foster:

Yeah, I think that is right. I think a lot of times we're faced with circumstances and it's hard for any of us when we're in the midst of that transformation or disruption to take a step back and visualize how we can make it work for us instead of against us. If you had asked me at 21 years old, "Hey, Chad, how can you make blind look good?" I probably wouldn't have been able to even fathom that. But the reality of it is whether or not you're going through a life change, like going blind, you're going through disruption at work, you're trying to face something in your industry, you're trying to reinvent yourself, circumstances change, and you have to figure out how you can make unchangeable circumstances work for you instead of against you.

And so that's the point that I try to drive home with the audience is making that transition of trying to understand, what can I control? What can I not control? How can I make the things that I can't control work in my favor? I call it taking advantage of my disadvantages and visualizing greatness and sometimes unpalatable circumstances. And then the things that you can control, things that are inside your sphere of influence. What can you do to impact those, affect those in pursuit of a renewed vision of greatness for yourself? And yeah, I mean, certainly I didn't pick the change that happened to me. We ask kids all the time, what do you want to be when you grow up? Guess what? None of them, Josh, said they want to grow up and be a blind person. You know what I mean? So, I had to figure out how to stop fighting the waves of change and figure out how to start riding those waves of change.

Josh Linkner:

Speaking of visualizing and waves of change, Nick, you are obviously a futurist. It's a really cool mindset. I mean, most of us are so grounded in what is as opposed to what can be. What was instead of what's possible. And really that's what a futurist, to my sense, and I want your comment on it, does. You're envisioning through a lot of smarts, not just guessing, but envisioning where are trends happening and what might the future look like. How has the mindset of a futurist influenced your approach to public speaking?

Nikolas Badminton:

Yeah. I also want to build off what both Bridget and Chad have already said because they said some things that I hold dear to my heart and I remind executives about every single day and that vulnerability, because as the world changes faster than ever before, you're going to feel exposed. It's going to be a dangerous place to be because you want to believe the evangelists that are saying that the world can be better if you just subscribe to this service, use this product or whatever. That's the technological side of things, or change society in a way, policy regulation. And also the idea of riding the waves of change as well.

It's really interesting. It's about shifting the mindset, very simply put, from what is to what if and what if is an invitation to be curious. And it's actually something that I really learned in a couple of ways. I did a keynote in Alberta, Canada. It is very sort of staunch, right of center driven place, oil sands, farming, really great people there. I love the culture there. Decent hockey team and the such. But I gave a presentation to 800 people at this conference, and it was about climate change, which is really difficult news for a lot of farmers to listen to. Never chat to farmers about weather as well. How automation's going to change their industry, how they're going to have to diversify because people are coming with all sorts of cellular meat and whatever. The things that completely challenged their entire industry.

And one individual stood up and he said, "Everything that you just said was BS." He didn't use the term BS. 800 people. And I was like, "Okay, well, you are wrong." And we got into this short two or three minute debate. I actually engaged him afterwards and we really got into it. To tell people that it's okay to be vulnerable, to ride the waves, to understand that today is not going to reflect what it's going to be like in 20 years time. That asking what if is really important. Asking what if, you can't shut it down. What if the world does change? Invite that. And it is actually taken from a book by Rob Hopkins called From What Is To What If. And it's about imagination, creativity, community action. It's about industry action as well.

So, the mindsets that I really try to get people to think about is understand your vulnerability. It's okay to be scared. We're all scared. We're all in the game together. Ride the waves with all of us. I'm sort of the guy with the signposts and the signals and the trends that say, "Okay, this is where we're going." And it may or may not play out the way that I speculate, but we have to do something today to think strategically about this world that doesn't exist. And we have to place ourselves in those futures so we can feel the change and that feeling helps us really grow our business today.

Maria Cairo:

Becoming a keynote speaker is an amazing profession. The top performers earn millions while driving massive impact for audiences around the world. But the quest to speaking glory can be a slow rot with many obstacles that can knock even the best speakers out of the game. If you're serious about growing your speaking business, the seasoned pros at Impact 11 can help. From crafting your ideal positioning to optimizing your marketing effectiveness, to perfecting your expertise and stage skills.

As the only speaker training and development community run by current high level speakers at the top of the field, they'll boost your probability of success and help you get there faster. That's why nearly every major speaker bureau endorses and actively participates in Impact 11. The Impact 11 community provides you unparalleled access to the people, relationships, coaching and accountability that compresses your time to success. To learn more about the Impact 11 community, schedule a free strategy session today by visiting impacteleven.com/connect. That's impact E-L-E-V-E-N.com/connect.

Josh Linkner:

It's a fascinating point too, around this notion of what happens if someone disagrees with your point of view. I mean, not that each of you are talking about polarizing politics or something, but someone could disagree. Someone says, "Bridget, wealth is my bank account, not my experiences. And Chad, you're a victim and you should walk around as a victim the rest of your life, not somebody who can take agency and shape your own future. I'm victimized and I'm going to stay in my victimness."

Or Nick, "I disagree with your future prognosis," and mine too. People, I have my own point of view. And really any good thought leader is provocative. Any good thought leader is challenging people to think differently, which isn't always well received. Chad, maybe I'll pop over to you. Have you felt any resistance with your message? And if so, how have you handled it?

Chad Foster:

I've had resistance to some parts of my message. One of the things that I talk about in my talk is the need to own your situation in life and not succumb to that victim mentality and to making excuses for your situation. And a lot of times, that's really hard to hear for people. They don't want to hear that excuses aren't going to serve them. Sometimes it's easier to stay in the status quo and it's emotionally more comforting to sit in your comfort zone and to sit around and sort of come up with what I think of as you could call it excuses or you could call it legitimate reasons to fail. But even if you find a legitimate reason to fail in your life, you don't get what you want out of your life and you've got some legitimate reason, how's that going to serve you at the end of your life?

When you look back on your life, if you don't get what you want out of your life, how are you going to feel even if you've got a legitimate reason? And so my thought is, do I tell people what they want to hear or do I tell people what they need to hear? I feel like I have a responsibility to give people the truth, the straight talk, my version of the truth at least, and the things that have served me and have allowed me to navigate my situation of going blind at a young age and emerging from that experience genuinely happier and more successful. I think with better clarity on my life purpose than before. A lot of times that message is jarring for people. And frankly, I think it needs to be jarring to some extent for some audiences. Some people need that jolt to remind them that life is not always about doing things that are warm and fuzzy and comfortable. In fact, I think one of my pillars in my keynote that I talk a lot about is the need to get comfortable with discomfort.

I illustrate that through storytelling. Some of the uncomfortable things that I've done both emotionally, physically, from a sports standpoint, like a blind guy skiing down a double black diamond or practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. None of that's really comfortable. But the truth of it is, too, a lot of the discomfort that we need to face is some of that emotional discomfort towards ourselves and towards our lives and making sure that we have the right focus and the right ownership of our lives. And so to answer your question, I tend to think of it in terms of, what do I tell people? I tell people what I think they need to hear, not what they want to hear. And sometimes that does create a little tension, but I think as long as the tension is healthy, a little bit of healthy tension I think is a good thing.

Josh Linkner:

All three of us have talked individually about this notion of that's really what thought leaders do. Again, they reveal surprising truths. They're sharing a new perspective, not confirming an existing bias. So, switching gears a little bit away from our body of work to our work as speakers, as thought leaders, as truth tellers, I would love for us to play a little game where it goes like this. Most keynote speakers think blank, but the truth is blank. Most keynote speakers think blank, but the truth is blank. For example, I'll get us started here. Most keynote speakers think that... Actually, let's say instead of most, let's say many, I don't have to make it most, many keynote speakers. Many keynote speakers think that the talk is about them, that they have to be the protagonist of the entire thing. But the truth is that a great keynote is not about the speaker, it's about the audience. So I just thought we'd have a little fun with that and play a little game and maybe do a lap or two. Bridget, anything that comes to mind that you'd like to kick us off? Many speakers think blank, but the truth is blank.

Bridget Hilton:

I think, and this has not been tested for years for me, but what I would assume is I think that many keynote speakers think a book is the right physical thing to give, but there's a lot of other things that you can do that might be more engaging than a book, sadly. So for us, it's like we have a card deck and we have experience guides and we have a couple different things that we can offer, but we also have a book. So I think to have multiple things is important.

Josh Linkner:

I couldn't agree more. I think maybe 15 years ago, the book was the anti to play, but now it's having IP and thought leadership is the anti to play, and whether it manifests as a 385 page hardcover book or a podcast or a deck of cards, it can manifest in different formats. Couldn't agree more. Nik, over to you. Many keynote speakers think blank, but the truth is blank.

Nikolas Badminton:

Yeah, I mean, we think that perfect delivery is this pinnacle of our craft, really understanding what we are talking about, being able to deliver that a hundred times, and it feels almost the same. I've seen all sorts of show reels where they can cut from 15 different keynotes and it's like they're building sentences from the keynotes using this 15 clips, and my brain runs a thousand miles an hour and it is divergent.

And I'm trying to embrace the vulnerability of imperfection in my delivery and sort of slightly awkward engagement as well. Whether I'm on stage with 400 people for 3000 people or whatever, to be able to have... One thing I do is I say good morning to the audience to see if they're actually paying attention to me. And typically the first time I say it, and about a third of them sort of mumble, good morning.

And then I sort of make a joke of, "Oh, it's a rough night in Vegas last night, or the cocktail reception was, I thought maybe you didn't sleep so well." And then I say, "Good morning." And then everyone sort of picks up on the second round through. And so I kind of bring that and I've been feeling really exposed in terms of I'm an IR and I look up and I tell strange jokes on occasion.

I also try and bring the audience in and do call and response, but I'm starting to realize that that's something quite special in the scheme of things. And it's kind of interesting that your personality has to shine through and that perfect delivery isn't necessarily always your best friend or guide.

Josh Linkner:

It's such a great point, man. I'm so glad you shared that. And I'll even just build on that, that in the past, I think about keynote speakers 20 years ago versus the keynote speaker today, keynote speakers 20 years ago, you saw this overly polished, some dude in a plaid suit with a big bright tie, and it was like this exaggerated performance. They're out there performing and that totally falls flat right now.

You're better off tripping on a word and being authentic and speaking conversationally, and it's sort of that warmth and vulnerability and authenticity that wins today in the speaking world. Now what, you're right, many keynote speakers think it's like this exaggerated performance of perfection. It's just simply not. Great point.

Nikolas Badminton:

Just one more thing. My first gig after the pandemic, and I was up here in Canada and we had a pretty rough lockdown. I walked on stage and it was for a conference for WMS Innovation Conference in Scottsdale. I stood on stage and I said, "Can I just stop for a minute?" And I teared up because I hadn't been on a real stage for two and a half years and I'd had a baby in the pandemic and a whole number of other things as well.

And I was like, "Can you just bear with me? I'm a bit emotional." And they're okay about it. They kind of gave me a little round of applause and I sort of felt terrible about it afterwards. But I think that that was a huge lesson in just that vulnerability at that point. I just wanted to share that.

Josh Linkner:

By the way, the nice thing about being with other speakers, it's a collaborative business, it doesn't have to be competitive really at all. I mean, there's plenty for us. And I was working with my buddy, Ryan Estes, and I was working on some new keynote material, and instead of some opening about some interesting story that I learned about in Brazil or something like that, he's like, "Man, what if you open up with something deeply personal?" And his coaching to me was open with a line like this.

"I was 15 minutes away from the worst meeting I would ever have in my life. I let the people around me down, I felt like an imposter. I was failing, I was gutted, and I knew what I was about to say was just going to let them know the truth about me, that I was a fraud." That's a good opening line.

And because what is it doing? Is it hits you in the heart, it's really revealing. And then when you start talking about your successes later on, people are rooting for you because you shared that deep sense of vulnerability as opposed to like, "Hey, look at me. I'm perfect. I do everything right." That just does not work in the industry today. I'm so glad you brought that up, buddy. Chad, over to you. Many speakers think blank, but the truth is blank.

Chad Foster:

Yeah. I'd like to build on what Nik and you were saying, frankly, because that's what I was thinking as well. And frankly, that's what I thought initially when I started speaking. It was about getting the content and the delivery flawless. And so there was a lot of effort that goes into creating that content and delivery, making sure that it was really polished. But what I've learned over the course of my career is it's not about whether or not you get all the words right, it's about how you make people feel in the moment.

And that really does emanate from the sense of authenticity that it is more of a real down to earth storytelling as opposed to the highly polished, I've got all the words flawless. And sometimes I'll look at video, myself, I look at a video and I'm looking at it and it's like, "Wow, I'm stumbling over my words occasionally. It's not exactly the kind of delivery that I'd want to have." And so we're reviewing it and it's like, "Well, what does the audience say afterwards? What's the reaction? Oh, there's a big standing ovation."

So it's lot less about being flawless, than it is about being real and creating that connection and how do you make them feel versus how perfectly do you say the words that you intend to say?

Josh Linkner:

Yeah, couldn't agree more. All of this kind of gets to this point of approaching with something to give instead of something to prove. And it's really being centered around what's going to help the audience and having empathy to say, "What's going through their head? And how can I make this feel good to them?"

And challenge them appropriately, but also in a way that's going to be productive. So I couldn't agree more.

Bridget, so switching gears a little bit, you obviously talk a lot about experiences and you've had some amazing ones. Your upcoming book is amazing. I had the great honor to read it in advance about the Experiential Billionaire, but my question to you is a keynote, if it was just content, someone could read a book or could read a white paper or whatever, but a keynote is an experience. And how has your study of experiences informed the experience that you create for audiences?

Bridget Hilton:

I think it's just a mixture. We actually have a lot of research in our keynote and we did a big study of 20,000 people about what their most valuable experiences in life are. And I think that that informs a lot of what we talk to the audience about. And going back to your point earlier about skeptical people saying, "Oh, well, money is what matters." And whatever. We have the actual proof and we can take that proof and lead people through this experience.

And I think that that's pretty unique around what we do. And the fact that the experience doesn't end in the keynote, maybe it never ends. We give people a workbook basically to take their goals and achieve the goals and in their own personal lives. So I think the experience just doesn't end. Whereas a lot of keynotes might just be for 45 minutes and then people might forget about it later. And our goal is really to have people remember this and have a real impact in their life.

Josh Linkner:

So good. Nik, I know you've had years of experience and wonderful success in the industry. What are some things that you think about in creating an experience, not just sharing content, that's part of it, but creating an experience? You mentioned using humor and other things. What are some other things that you do to create a unique and compelling experience for your audiences?

Nikolas Badminton:

I mean, there's a lot of people that say they're futurists and they read articles, and then they sort of put together opinions and they present them. I like to go out and live it a little bit. So I like to get in the laboratories and meet the people building the robotics and meet the people, I've got an Exponential Minds podcast, so I like to chat to people that are actually out there doing the work.

And I experiment. I've got a microchip in my left hand. I did that at a conference that I ran on stage to show that it's not such a bad situation that causes a huge amount of active discussion, let's say. Or talking about transhumanism and leveling up and biohacking, and having worked with Shaman and having played on stage with bands and DJ'ed in front of large crowds. And even the talks that I do and even the experiences from the consulting that I do, and talking about the challenging times I've had in rooms with the C-level executives and the CEO saying, "We're going to invest $20 million this week, in this region of Spain, in this agricultural project, but you are saying that things are going to get tough in the next 10 years. What do we do?"

So bringing that realness back to it, I think is super important. Having those experiences to share. I think having lived those experiences and having your stories in there, it's great to share other people's stories and to highlight them as being wildly inspirational, but adding your veneer of opinion on that is essential. But then going off and actually living a bit of your own story and experience by going and doing the future or the futures that we sort of talk about is hugely important.

Now, I think that's what sort of differentiates me from a lot of people. I've got a Rolodex full of people that are literally five years ahead of everyone else thinking about tech and building things in the back rooms with vast levels of NDAs behind them. So I've got a bit of a competitive advantage. So yeah, showing people that we can actually go out there and strive to live those futures and feel what they're like is actually a really important part of the practice that I'm building.

Josh Linkner:

That's awesome. And you're creating an experience that is thought-provoking and gets people curious and excited about the future, but not afraid of it. And that's a really beautiful gift that you give.

Chad, you and I were chatting recently, and I'll boast a little bit because you're probably too humble to, but you're a main stage keynote speaker for upcoming for ASAE, one of the biggest honors in our industry, a huge opportunity. I did this years ago, and I can attribute a couple million dollars of speaking revenue to it. And I'm so excited for you. Well deserved by the way.

And we were chatting a little bit about the prep that you're doing for this. And it's funny, when people see a performer, they're like, "Ah, they just walked up and it just extemporaneous and it just came out of their heart." And people like Jerry Seinfeld and others prepare for months in advance of a big performance.

Can you maybe walk us through some of the things that you've done and the thinking that you've done to prepare for such an important and pivotal moment?

Chad Foster:

Yeah. So I face a unique basket of challenges myself, given the fact that I can't see, so wanting to make the experience as organic feeling as possible. Obviously, there's the preparation that a lot of people would have with the content, with the challenges that the client's facing, in this case, the association leaders, these leaders who are running the various industry associations in the United States. So what are they facing? What's the content that's going to really resonate with them and help them solve those challenges? And what are the ways that... The things that I've learned with resilience, how does that apply?

But then there's sort of the things that go beyond the traditional challenges that a lot of speakers would face. And so I've done research myself into where will this be held? I've contacted the venue trying to understand what's the layout of the stage. I want to understand the size of the stage. I talked to you, Josh, about replicating the stage here in my home because I want to feel really comfortable on that stage, given the fact that I can't see. The last thing you want to do as a speaker is walk off the stage, but realistically, if I'm walking around on a stage, that's a possibility. It's not like I have my guide dog leading me around on the stage, but I want it to feel as organic as possible for the audience. And so yeah, I did research into the stage and really trying to understand what will I be working with so that when I step on that stage for the first time, it doesn't feel like the first time I've actually stepped on it before in my own home.

And then some of the other things I'm doing, I've created some slides that I'm using and getting really used to presenting those slides and creating imagery that reinforce a lot of the stories that I'm telling, providing metaphors for the audience so that they can see visually what I'm communicating verbally and getting used to getting the repetitions in with that before I get on this stage for the first time here in August, with ASAE.

So really just trying to maximize all of the opportunity that exists. And then of course, reaching out to you, Josh, and I really appreciate you graciously accepting the ask or the invitation to sit down with me and help me understand what is it that I'm not thinking of that I should be thinking of as I step into this, because I really want to make sure I make the most of the opportunity. I've got a few months to prepare. But really leaving no stone unturned and making sure that I've done everything in my power to maximize the impact that I can have on the audience and as a byproduct, the impact of my career.

Josh Linkner:

It's so good. And I'll just call out, we spent a lot of time here at Impact 11 thinking about the difference between an amateur weekend warrior type person and someone who's a pro, someone who's committed to being professional level. That's not a criticism, by the way. It's not for everybody, but if you're going to be serious about this as a craft, as a calling, as a profession, that's what a pro does.

A pro builds a model of the stage in his house to make sure that he rocks it out. Those are the things, the behind the scenes things that you don't see. When you see the cast of Hamilton perform flawlessly, that wasn't by accident. That was because they had all this intentionality and sacrifice and work that allowed them to shine in that moment. That's what the mark of a pro is, and I really appreciate, Chad, not only you doing that and showing us what that looks like, but Bridget and Nik, same thing. You're both committed deeply to this craft.

I think that's probably a good place to bring our conversation home. As you, each of you, begun you're speaking journey and accelerated, and now we're all at a place, we're growing and we're all continuing to grow, me too. We're all in it together. What's a piece of advice that you would give to somebody who's a notch or two behind you and saying, "Hey, here's what I learned and here's something that I think will help you as you commit to becoming a pro." What's that little nugget that you think might be helpful to someone else that's coming up behind us? Nik, I'll start with you.

Nikolas Badminton:

Yeah, build your own platform. I attribute so much of what I've been able to do and achieve in the last 10 years to me having an idea of running a conference and bringing people together to talk about the thing that no one was talking about, to lean on some expertise from friends, to getting people on board, to finding the beer sponsor that wants to give me a CAG for free, to getting out my credit card. I got out my credit card, put 6 or $8,000 down hoping that I'd be able to pay it off. That's just one element of platform.

So build a platform, but your platform can be as much about community as anything else. I think it's important to understand that we don't stand alone. That building a community almost first is incredibly powerful as a way to even get into the speaking business. I hear lots of people that are saying, "Oh, I want to get on more stages. I want to get more bookings. I want to do whatever." It's like, you can create your own destiny, so create your own events. It's not that difficult if you can find friends to do that with and draw on that community. You build this little support system at the same time. It's kind of beautiful. The people that were there on my first conference that I worked with ended up being lead futurists for Amazon in the US and redesigning whole new ways of extended realities. It is incredible to me that we can all ride this crazy ride together.

Josh Linkner:

That's a great point. Obviously, renting a hall and getting a CAG and all that is one way to manifest that, but the message I'm really hearing you say is don't do it alone. Get advisors, bring a community. Let's do this together. Let's learn from our friends, advisors, fans, followers. That notion of incentive that you are a singular person out there, do it as a group. I couldn't agree more.

Chad, what's one nugget of wisdom that you'd like to share with the up and comers in our field?

Chad Foster:

Yeah, the one thing that I think really sticks with me is getting into this business and getting a healthy, thriving business is hard. And so if people are coming at it from the idea of, "Oh, I want to be a speaker because I want to be on the main stage and I want to make a lot of money," it's probably not going to leave enough resolve inside of them to do the hard work that it takes to get to where they want to be.

I think, for me, what continues to give me the will and the determination and the persistence to continue is why am I doing what I'm doing? And it's not for me. I've been very fortunate. I've had a successful career in the corporate world. I'm doing this because I genuinely think I can help a lot of people. And as long as the purpose are why, are we doing what we do? As long as that is anchored towards the people we're meant to serve, the good we're trying to do, that moving beyond yourself, getting outside of your own interest and into the interest of helping other people, for me, that was the thing that continues to inspire me every day to do the hard work that it takes to be in this business. Because it's not easy and it takes consistent, durable effort and that continued commitment to professionalism over time. And in my opinion, the only way that you can sustain that is by moving outside of yourself and focusing on other people and the impact that you want to have on others around you.

Josh Linkner:

So true, focus on impact, focus on noble intent instead of a selfish intent. And the irony of it all is that you actually get more rewards personally than if you only focus on your own rewards. It's this weird universal irony. The more you give, the more you get kind of thing. Couldn't agree more, man. Bridget, I'll have you bring us on home. What's that little nugget of truth bomb that you'd like to share with people in our industry?

Bridget Hilton:

I think that this sounds extremely simple, but it's actually one of the hardest things that I've done in speaking, and I think probably for all of you as well, is to be able to explain what you speak about and what you help people with in a very short, concise way that gets across where people actually understand what you do. That's been very challenging for me personally. I know a lot of people struggle with this. You can ask somebody, "What do you speak about?" And they just go on forever and you're like, "I still don't understand what you speak about." So I think that's like, if you're trying to be a speaker, really nail down that short elevator pitch. It's so important and so helpful.

Josh Linkner:

Brevity and clarity, the tools of the trade. It's one that often separates the good from the best. Great piece of wisdom. Well, Bridget, Nik and Chad, thank you for, not only joining me today and sharing your insights with our audience, but thanks for your continued leadership in the industry. Thanks for your contribution. Thanks for making a difference in the world and continuing to drive impact in all the great work that you do. Wishing you all the best, and thanks for sharing a big piece of who you are with our audience today.

Chad Foster:

Thanks, Josh.

Nikolas Badminton:

Thanks so much, Josh.

Bridget Hilton:

Thank you, Josh. You guys are all an inspiration.

Josh Linkner:

Now, that was a really cool convo with three soulful speakers. A few things that really landed for me. Number one, I loved Nik's prompt to shift our mindset from what is to what if. What a powerful turn of phrase that can open up fresh possibilities for us all.

Number two, I'm obsessed with Bridget's concept of being an experiential billionaire, measuring our success through experiences rather than our bank accounts. And I love how she's the living embodiment of that principle. Talk about authentic. Pretty sure she's the only person I know that can swing a samurai sword and also knows how to make beer.

And number three, Chad's ability to put people at ease while learning about his own difficult story is an incredible gift and a lesson for us all. We first have to make people feel safe and comfortable before they can embrace our teachings.

I'm grateful for today's conversation. Personally, I'm going to try to be more grounded, more present, more grateful, and more adventurous. Wishing Bridget, Chad, and Nik continued success and wishing all of our listeners today, many incredible experiences ahead, both on stage and off.

Thanks so much for joining me on another episode of Mic Drop. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. If you love the show, please share it with your friends and don't forget to give us a five star review. For show transcripts and show notes, visit micdroppodcast.com. I'm your host, Josh Linkner. Thanks so much for listening, and here's to your next mic drop moment.