Dr Amelia Reigstad On 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
…Be Authentic and Vulnerable — We are constantly invited to be ourselves in a wide variety of situations. Having the ability to be our authentic selves as a speaker is incredibly important as it demonstrates to your audience that you are a real person. Being real has impact and we want our presentations to have lasting impact.
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 Dr. Amelia Reigstad, Ph.D.
Dr. Amelia Reigstad, Ph.D. is a passionate change agent, speaker, communication consultant and coach with over two decades of industry experience. She has spoken on a global scale at many professional events and conferences and has taught a variety of communications courses across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the U.K. With a passion for helping others, she consults and educates business professionals on the importance of understanding gender differences and communication styles and how this leads to more effective communication and productivity in the workplace. As the founder of The Women Empowerment Series, she inspires and encourages women to use their voice to initiate change. To learn more, visit www.ameliareigstad.com.
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 am originally from Abbotsford B.C. Canada, with a background and education in public relations and communications. Through working in corporate settings to running my own PR consultancy and educating up and coming professionals as a university professor, my passion lies with helping others find their communication purpose. Fast forward and I now call Minneapolis, Minnesota home where I am a sought-after speaker and expert in effective communication and work with organizations and individuals to increase communication in the workplace.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Growing up I was always involved with my community, school and I was ALWAYS talking. Perhaps that’s why a career in communications was so fitting. Having a passion for gender equality also allowed me to focus my career on women empowerment and inspire and encourage women to use their voice to initiate change. I’ve had the opportunity to speak at a variety of different conferences and events across the globe so feel very fortunate that I can use my own voice and hopefully inspire others.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the biggest life experiences that happened since I began my career was being diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 32. Life threw me a giant curveball and told me to SLOW DOWN. I was extremely fortunate it was caught early and I am grateful for the lessons learned and perspectives gained through that experience.
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 was interning at a top PR agency in Vancouver, B.C. way back in the day (early 2000s), I was tasked with compiling media kits for a large event. Everything was printed and compiled into folders with a notepad and pencil included in case the media wanted to take notes during the keynote address. I forgot to sharpen the pencils. Oops! I learned that even the most mundane tasks need 100% attention. A great life lesson!
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?
Two of my greatest mentors were educators. Wade Peary was my high school leadership teacher and Terri Smolar was a colleague when I was teaching at a university in Canada. No wonder I spent 15 years as a university professor! They instilled in me a passion and love for knowledge and taught me to go after my dreams. They also demonstrated through their care and compassion, how to truly be a leader. I am eternally grateful for such impactful mentors in my life.
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?
Failure is an interesting word isn’t it? Of course, we all can have a fear of failing but I offer the perspective that if we didn’t fail in certain aspects of our lives, we wouldn’t be human. Failure is a good thing. It keeps us grounded and allows reflection.
What drives you to get up every day and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
As mentioned earlier, I was diagnosed with melanoma 10 years ago and it has taken all these years for me to be comfortable in my own skin. Literally. My melanoma diagnosis involved surgery and a skin graft, leaving me with a very large, visible scar on my forehead. Up until a few years ago, I always made sure my hair was covering my scar, but when Covid-19 became a global pandemic, it made me realize that life is too short. Authenticity is key and being myself became my anchor. So, I cut my hair short, dyed it platinum blonde and added in a purple mohawk — fully rocking my visible scar! My favorite quote which links to the main empowering message I aim to share with the world is “Be fearlessly authentic. Bravely be you.”
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?
Gender equality and encouraging women to use their voice to initiate change, all through communication is something that I am very passionate about. I developed The Women Empowerment Series after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and am excited about growing the series to impact women around the globe. Working with organizations and individuals to improve workplace communication through different programming, workshops, speaking and coaching sessions allows me to educate others on the importance of effective communication so I look forward to continuing to build this part of my company. Add in writing a book or two and I’m fairly certain I will stay busy.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Besides the authenticity quote I shared above, “Live your passion” or “O’la ko koni koni” in Hawaiian is my favorite life lesson quote. Hawaii holds a special place in my heart, hence the Hawaiian translation. It’s tattooed in Hawaiian on the top of my left foot as a constant reminder to truly live and breathe my passion. It is an incredibly important aspect of my life and if I am not living my passion, I need to change it up. If I can continue to speak to and inspire women to use their voice to initiate change, I am certainly living my passion.
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.
Be Authentic and Vulnerable — We are constantly invited to be ourselves in a wide variety of situations. Having the ability to be our authentic selves as a speaker is incredibly important as it demonstrates to your audience that you are a real person. Being real has impact and we want our presentations to have lasting impact.
Tell a Story — Make whatever it is you are speaking about, relatable. Use examples, share personal stories and paint a visual picture so the audience has an opportunity to imagine themselves right there with you.
Use Visuals — Using visuals can add to your story and can help the audience understand what you are speaking about. This also helps the audience remember the presentation. Avoid heavy text on slides however and use images, graphics, icons, etc.
Be Organized and Prepared — Whether you are working with a meeting and events planner or a speakers’ bureau, make sure you are organized and have all your ducks in a row. Know your AV requirements, walk the room prior, hop on stage and get a feel for where you will be speaking. This has helped me tremendously and makes me feel more prepared.
Practice, Practice, Practice — It’s imperative to know your content and know it well. There is something to be said about the cliché quote, practice makes perfect. Now, it may not be perfect but practicing out loud allows us to get through the stumbles and figure out our transitions. It also helps us become more confident in what we are presenting.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Keep going after it. Those that enjoy speaking usually have a story to tell and love being on a stage, but it doesn’t mean we don’t get nervous. Being organized, practicing your presentation and taking deep breaths can help to overcome the fear of public speaking.
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?
I’m a firm believer in effective workplace communication, women empowerment and gender equality. The Women Empowerment Series combines all three of these elements together to inspire and encourage women to use their voice to initiate change. This is a movement I hope will continue to reach women around the globe.
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!
She has now passed, but I would have loved to have had lunch with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What a spitfire she was!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes! You can follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn or visit www.ameliareigstad.com
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
