Angelena Bonet Of Crystal Heart Productions On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Confidence — I can’t stress this enough! When you give a presentation at work or in front of a large audience in an auditorium you need to walk out like you belong there and are greeting a room full of friends. If you are nervous, do not announce this to your audience and never apologize. Instead, take a deep breath and smile as you begin your talk. It is natural to have butterflies but I remind myself that this is because something awesome is happening and it is great to be alive!
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Angelena Bonet.
Angelena Bonet is an Australian multi-award winning, documentary filmmaker, singer-songwriter and humanitarian. She has her own production company Crystal Heart Productions and has created five documentary films, their original soundtracks and music videos, plus two web series Heart Of The Matter and The Angelena Bonet Show. She writes, directs, edits and produces her work in their entirety, including co-writing and singing the soundtracks and describes it “purely as a labor of love”! Angelena’s work includes a documentary feature film tetralogy consisting of Angelena: Change The World, Angelena: Heart Of The Matter, Angelena: Light At The End Of The Tunnel and Angelena: Warrior Woman. She has also created a documentary short film Change The World which recently screened in Hollywood, Sweden, Italy, France, South America and Japan. Angelena is proud to share her personal story of triumph over adversity and her special songs, which have won over 300 film festival awards worldwide so far, including numerous ‘Best Inspirational Film’, ‘Best Social Justice Film’, ‘Best Original Soundtrack’ and ‘Best Music Video’ awards. She has also been the recipient of the ‘Humanitarian Award’ at the Jane Austen International Film Festival in the U.K. and the ‘Human Spirit Award’ at the DOCS Without Borders Film Festival in The Bahamas. All her films feature the Original Music Soundtrack she co-wrote and sung from her heart and soul with her late fiancé, Erick Deeby. He had written and recorded instrumental pieces of music for her between 2005 and 2007, then suddenly and unexpectedly passed away three days after they got engaged in August 2007. She then wrote the lyrics and melody to his music after his devastating death and during her time of deepest grief. She wrote the album like chapters of a book and feature songs such as Change The World, Tragic Fairytale and On My Way and cites the writing process as cathartic and organic. She promised her late fiancé whilst in a coma that someday, somehow she would finish their special project and she has kept her word. Her highly successful documentary film Change The World is now available on YouTube. Her online talk show Heart Of The Matter has also won the Social Awareness Award (Award of Excellence) at the Vegas Movie Awards and it was her interviews that inspired the VMAs to create that specific category. She interviews inspiring women all around the world and from all walks of life and is dedicated to having women’s voices heard and is also available on her YouTube channel. Angelena has been a Jury member of The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) for the past four years. From Australian international model to multi-award winning singer-songwriter, documentary filmmaker and humanitarian she is devoted to shining a light on violence against women and her message is one of peace, love and unity. Angelena is a regular keynote speaker and her films feature many of her public speeches. A natural and confident communicator, Angelena speaks from the heart, whilst shedding light on human rights issues that generally get swept under the carpet.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Sydney, Australia and first appeared on national television at the age of four on a preschool show called Romper Room with my twin brother. It was filmed at Channel 7 Television Studios near where I lived and I can still remember having the best time. It no doubt had an impact on me. I began ballet lessons that same year and piano lessons at six. Dancing was my passion and I studied jazz and tap from the age of ten. I then continued my dance studies as well as singing and drama at The Australian College of Entertainment during high school. When I was eighteen I was discovered at a hair salon that year and asked to model for a shoot that appeared in Vogue Australia. I then modelled part-time while studying and got my first job as a secretary the following year. I was scouted by a top Sydney modelling agency at twenty and things just took off from there. The very next day I was booked on a television soap opera “Breakers” where they wrote me into the script and I was on that show, which aired in 50 countries, for the next two years. I was then on the cover with a ten page spread of the three biggest selling issues of Inside Sport magazine (Australian version of Sports Illustrated) and was named ‘The New Australian Supermodel’ on national news when I returned to Sydney after modeling in Milan.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
It has been an organic journey for me and becoming a professional opened doors to dancing in music videos, acting in TV and Film and hosting TV Shows. I got to put into practice all the skills I had honed growing up. I met Erick in my twenties and we spent so much time at his recording studio where I got to watch his bands record, mix the tracks and shoot music videos. I would go with him to buy recording gear too so I was absorbing it all and learning about the music industry. We then began collaborating on our album end of 2005 when I returned from modeling in Milan and he became my mentor. I really worked on my songwriting as well as my recording technique and developed over the next couple of years as an artist. He believed in me, knew my potential and really encouraged me to find my own voice. When he passed away it was very difficult to deal with. I was in such deep grief and shock because it was so sudden and only three days after we got engaged. I was also terrified of the intensity of the pain and how I was ever going to recover. I could never have imagined I would be writing the lyrics and melody to the instrumental pieces of music he had written for me with him gone. The music was my sole focus as I had promised him while he was in a coma that I would finish our special project and having that promise to keep was what essentially saved my life. So over the next few months I just wrote every word and note from my heart and soul and then realized each song was like a chapter in a book. As each song was written I noticed I was healing and my emotions were being given an outlet and I am extremely grateful to Erick for this magical gift. As much as I don’t like admitting it, I don’t think I would be here without having a way to channel my emotions. As I was healing I then felt strong enough to return to work and began modelling again. In early 2010 I then signed with a talent agent in New York and moved to Toronto, Canada. I fell in love with the city, the people and loved working in their TV and Film industry. I hosted the FIFA World Cup Show that year and was on an episode of the TV Series ‘Ghostly Encounters’. I came home in 2012 for a visit and six days later I was a victim of a horrific violent crime in Melbourne. Once again my life was turned upside down and I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the crime and had to also deal with the police investigation. This experience changed my life and today I can say for the better. It completely opened my eyes to the pain of this world and the cruelty that some human beings are capable of inflicting and also opened my heart with a feeling of immense compassion for all of us women who have suffered. To say I was disgusted with my perpetrators is an understatement and I’d never felt such rage. Once again I was suicidal and this time I really didn’t think I could go on. I also lost loved ones afterwards because of their denial as they too had been manipulated by the main perpetrator and that was when I decided enough was enough and I was going to go public with this injustice. I was told by one of my case workers at the time that sexual violence against women is a silent global epidemic and that 1 in 3 women and girls will experience some kind of abuse in their lifetime. I couldn’t bear to think of another woman going through similar suffering and I felt a very strong desire in my heart to help other people. This was before the #MeToo movement began and no-one was talking about sexual violence but I found my courage and made the commitment that I would not be silenced, nor would I own any shame for their behaviour. I then began my humanitarian work in 2013 by aligning myself with ethical non-profit organizations that support women and girls. I believe that when we come together, with united voices, we can change the world. I started my production company Crystal Heart Productions when I returned to Toronto in September 2014 and I put all my energy into this. I wanted to channel my skills in front and behind the cameras into a show for women that had purpose and meaning. And that is how my vision for my talk show Heart Of The Matter was born. It was created to allow women to not just be seen but heard and in turn inspire each other. When I won the ‘Social Awareness Award’, the category that Vegas Movie Awards created after watching my show, I was truly touched because this project means so much to me. To contribute positively to society is what is really important to me. My journey has been very challenging and painful but also really beautiful and magical. I have gone with the flow and always followed my heart and woven my life into my art and I am very proud of what I’ve been able to overcome.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I was in Los Angeles in 2008 and decided to go to a live taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno by myself. Jay came out before the show to warm up the audience and he asked if anyone wanted to come up on stage and say hello. I immediately put my hand up and he picked me to come up! I was so excited to meet him and we had an amazing rapport and I felt right in my element. He asked me what I did for a living and I told him I was a model and working on an album. He noted that I had an Australian accent and made reference to the late Steve Irwin, whom he had had on his show as a guest many times over the years. He then asked me to sing something so I sang one of my songs Downtown a cappella. I was then invited back to the show a few weeks later on my birthday and got to meet Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian U.K. star Ben Barnes. Feeling completely at ease with Jay on his set was another television appearance that had an impact on me.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started my modelling career and shooting with different photographers, I was doing a lot of beauty campaigns and fashion editorial. To fit those sample sizes you have been so thin and I tried to diet to reach that unhealthy weight and I realised that I wasn’t prepared to starve myself or jeopardise my health to fit some warped idea of beauty. I stayed my naturally slim shape and my modeling agent discovered that the swimsuit and lingerie clients loved my look and they are the markets I really excelled at. It was wonderful for me because I could do what I love but still eat hamburgers and pasta and live without constantly eating lettuce leaves and counting calories. I was not prepared to give up carbs because the body needs them. I do not advocate for size 0 and encourage women of all ages to embrace their natural body type and be the healthiest you can be while enjoying foods they love in moderation. There is no way I could have made four feature films, one documentary short film, seven music videos, two web series and everything else I have achieved without nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Food is medicine and fuel and restricting calories can negatively impact our healthy and beauty.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have been blessed to have had many great people in my life and teachers over the years but the one person that I am most grateful for helping me get to where I am today is Erick. He changed my life and enriched it in such positive ways. To have unconditional love is a rare thing on this planet and I don’t take that for granted. He knew my potential, he believed in me and I love the tunes he wrote for me. When he passed away I got to see how strong I really was and had to finish our project on my own. I was pushed so far out of my comfort zone and have since grown and learned so much about myself. Once again I got to put in practice all that I had learned from him in the studio and producing my album on my own at Trackdown, Fox Studios was definitely an experience I will never forget. I wanted to make him proud and complete our project and keep my promise. And I have!
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
My advice for others wanting to embark on this career path is be very clear that you’re in this business for the right reasons. If you are in love with the arts and very creative then you will be able to persevere and deal with the set backs and long hours. Getting clear on what genre you resonate with and honing your skills is also imperative. I produce all my work in their entirety and even though it is a ridiculous amount of work, I love the whole creative process and how it unfolds organically. Filmmaking is definitely not a nine to five job so being passionate about what you’re wanting to create is the number one ingredient so you have the drive to persist with your project. Don’t be afraid to take risks either because being in your comfort zone as an artist is never a good thing. Being uncomfortable is where the magic happens so believe in yourself. Trying to find some balance is a tricky thing but taking time out to recharge the batteries and take care of yourself will ensure you don’t burn out and have the energy to keep creating. If you are passionate then you will have the inner strength to take the knock backs and have the energy to persevere.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
What drives me is social justice and wanting to make a positive difference in the world. After experiencing such injustice I reached that point of enough is enough and I cannot be quiet. After seeing first hand the ugly side of humanity and how much healing many people are in need of I knew I had to speak out. This is now my purpose and I love when people come up to me after a talk and hug me or tell me that they too have experienced violence and thank me for my courage and helping us all have a voice. Being a model and celebrated for artistic endeavours is really incredible and I am so grateful for that but touching hearts and helping others is what gives me the biggest joy of all!
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I am super excited to have released my single Tragic Fairytale! It was the first song I wrote, on the way to my twin brother’s wedding six weeks after Erick passed away. I was thinking how his passing was such a tragedy and my life had been a fairytale and I thought ooh what a great title for a song. I could hear the tune in my mind and all of a sudden I tuned into my heart and had the first and last lines written. I then filled in the rest like a jigsaw puzzle and told the story of Erick and I had it written within fifteen minutes. It was a moment I will never forget and this song is so special to me. It has an element of hope and the positive message that true love can never die. Grief is a natural human experience and very difficult to cope with but when we understand that our tears and pain are an expression of love, we then go through the process and keep our memories safe in our heart. I have also just wrapped Angelena: Warrior Woman, the fourth documentary feature film in my tetralogy series that chronicles my life from the very beginning. I have released all my films on Vimeo On Demand and will also be available on Amazon Prime in early 2023. I am now in pre-production of my new documentary but unfortunately can’t reveal too much more at this point. Needless to say, it’s all about women empowerment and will feature new songs from my catalogue. Once again, this creative process is organic and brings me so much joy because when I begin I don’t know exactly what the finished product will be until I get going. I feel very blessed to channel my heart through my art and cannot wait to share my new film with you all. I also intend to make more time for public speaking engagements and connecting with my audience in person now that the worst of Covid is behind us and live events are happening again.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite life lesson quotes is — “Creativity is my oxygen”. Self expression is so important for our souls here on Earth. For me, it has been my lifeline and without it I don’t think I would be here. Having creative outlets such as my songwriting, meaningful web series’ and producing my documentaries has given me so much energy and helped me to thrive. I am so grateful for every experience in my life and being able to express my emotions and let my spirit have her voice has been extremely empowering and freeing. My art gives me the freedom to be myself and bring my vision to life and brings. Essentially it brings me so much joy and deep fulfilment.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker? Please share a story or example for each.
My five things you need to be a highly effective public speaker are:-
1. Confidence — I can’t stress this enough! When you give a presentation at work or in front of a large audience in an auditorium you need to walk out like you belong there and are greeting a room full of friends. If you are nervous, do not announce this to your audience and never apologize. Instead, take a deep breath and smile as you begin your talk. It is natural to have butterflies but I remind myself that this is because something awesome is happening and it is great to be alive!
2. Preparation — this step is key to giving an incredible talk and your audience potentially giving you a standing ovation. I personally do not write out my script and learn it word for word because I find that very distracting and I would be more nervous that I’m going to forget my lines. I leave line learning for my acting or hosting other network’s programs. When I give a talk, whether it’s a live audience or to camera I never know what I am going to say until I start talking. I love that feeling of being in the moment and the fact it gives me permission to speak from my heart and think on my feet. That being said, I do prepare my talk in that I know the topic and speak from lived experience. When you speak your truth and know you have wisdom to impart then you can speak to anyone, anywhere because it’s authentic. Public speaking is another form of communication and just like a book or song you must have a beginning, middle and an end.
3. Style — this point is vital to knowing who you are and how you convey your message. Being polished, confident and knowing your subject is imperative and then having your style is what is going to define you. I would advise bringing your personality to your audience makes for an enjoyable experience as an audience member. People want to see you and if you can convey what makes you an individual then you will feel more comfortable and more relatable to your audience. It’s about knowing what situation you’re in and speaking appropriately for that event.
4. Attire — how you dress for your public speaking engagement is vital. Always keep in mind the venue, time of day, audience members and what the actual event is. This will be your guide to ensuring you are dressed appropriately and professionally. Some events are more formal than others and you still want to make sure you are comfortable and can breathe. For women who aren’t used to wearing high heels, I would suggest wearing a pair of ballet flats instead so you don’t have to be worried about sore feet or tripping up stairs to get on stage. That also applies to tight clothing as that can restrict your breathing and make you more nervous. Keeping hair back off your face is also a wise idea as hair that falls in your face that you have to keep putting behind your ear is not only distracting for you, but for your audience also. If you lose them early with lots of fidgeting then the whole speech is ruined.
5. Know your audience — My last advice would be to know who you are speaking to. I know this sounds obvious but you would be surprised how many times I have seen keynote speakers get it wrong. If you’re a politician then cracking jokes during your inaugural speech probably wouldn’t go down well so knowing your environment and how much personality you can show is a key component of what makes a memorable speech. Once you have your topic settled on then you need to understand who will be there. I have given keynote speeches at non-profit events with children present so obviously that will influence how I phrase certain points and my delivery.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
They say that many people fear public speaking more than death. The advice I would give others about overcoming this fear is to keep in mind that the audience is on your side and wants you to do great. I greet my audience like a room full of friends and I find that really helps with nerves. Preparation and knowing your subject matter is key also. If you have a structure in mind and key points you want to cover that will also give you the confidence to shine. If you’re passionate about your talk that will definitely come across to your audience. People often say to picture the audience naked but I just find that one a little off putting and distracting from what you’re there to do. Your goal is to be informative and hopefully motivational so focus on your talk is the key to staying on track. Lastly, practice makes perfect and the more you do it the more comfortable you become. It’s like anything, once you do it the first time you learn what works and what doesn’t and you will refine your talk and the next time will be better.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Creating Change The World and inspiring people around the world and touching their hearts is a wonderful gift that I am very grateful for. I have deep compassion for myself and every other woman who has suffered sexual violence and I am honored to use my voice for good and speak for those who can’t. My spirit couldn’t be silenced and to now be heard in every country is something so special and is very hard to describe. When I look back at what I have endured and the miracle of surviving the murder attempt to now winning these special awards is something I could never have imagined would happen! I vowed to make a stand and leave this world a better place than I found it and I am committed. Women are now finding their voice and self-worth and it is fabulous to see. I feel future generations will look back at this point in time with fascination, shock, and dismay and also awe at the courage women have shown by standing up and speaking out about the injustices and violence they have suffered since time immemorial. The social fabric is changing and I’m hopeful the momentum will continue and begin to move more quickly. I see the future in a positive light. I believe change is possible and that we are at the dawn of a new day. As more and more women are in leadership positions, the world will naturally become a more inclusive one and love will become the focus again. Violence will no longer be a silent global epidemic, all girls will receive an education, and helping others will become our primary goal. We have set the wheels in motion to ensure future generations have a safer and more equal world. My message is one of peace, love and unity and being an example of how to turn tragic into magic is the legacy I am creating. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I would love to have lunch with Malala Yousafzai. She is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, born in Pakistan in 1997 and at a young age started speaking out about young girls’ rights to an education. She was shot by the Taliban in 2012 because of her efforts but survived, and she has since created the Malala Fund to help girls find educational opportunities. I love her courage and conviction in fighting for justice and giving girls all around the world a voice. I would love to congratulate her on her humanitarian efforts and discuss the possibility of collaborating on human rights events and public awareness campaigns.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Readers can connect with me on the following socials:-
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/angelenabonetofficial/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/angelenabonet/
Twitter — https://twitter.com/angelenabonet
Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelena-bonet-692a397a/
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAngelenaBonetShow
Website — https://www.angelenabonet.com
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you so much Fotis, I am so grateful!
