Tricia Brouk On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Rehearse under mild pressure. Then increase the pressure. Then increase it some more. Mild pressure might be your family. Increased pressure might be your co-workers. And more pressure might be other speakers. Do not rehearse for your cat, or in front of a mirror. You must put your body in a position of stress, because your body will physiologically betray you on stage. Knowing this and creating a level of stress for you to rehearse it, teaches you how to co-exist with fear.
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 Tricia Brouk.
Tricia Brouk helps high-performing professionals transform into industry thought leaders through the power of authentic storytelling. Her methodology centers around transforming her client’s authentic stories into an industry-leading voice and commanding media presence to gain wider recognition to become the go-to experts in their fields. With her experience as a seasoned and award-winning director, producer, and mentor to countless speakers, Tricia has put more than 60 speakers onto TEDx stages in less than four years. She has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, The New York Public Library, Barnes and Noble, Ellevate, The Jumbo African Support Hub and The National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. She was the executive producer of Speakers Who Dare and TEDxLincolnSquare and is the producer and host of The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast and YouTube Channel. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC and is being featured in a new documentary called Big Stages. Tricia’s book, The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy, was a #1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020.
Tricia was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance in 2021 and the Empowered Women Award in 2021 by the IOATP and Awarded Most Influential Leader in Media and Production by Corporate Vision in 2022 along with being featured on the cover of Brainz Magazine. Her documentaries have received critical acclaim — winning numerous awards including Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival and Los Angeles Movie Awards.
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 a small town 20 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri called Arnold. We lived in a house that my Dad and Grandfather built. We lived next to my grandparents where there was a well for water, an outhouse, and a large tree that we sat underneath. We grew corn and strawberries and had cows. And my grandfather taught me to shoot, so we could eat our lunch. We did have squirrels for dinner (which is what we called lunch) supper is what we called dinner. My Grandmother had an 8th grade education and never learned to drive a car. When I was seven, I went to see my sister’s dance recital. She was tap dancing on stage dressed as a pink poodle. And I knew right then, I was going to become a dancer. I immediately enrolled in dance classes and then became obsessed with dance.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’ve been working in film, television, and theater for the last three decades. And a few years ago, a friend who was a fan of my work over the years asked me to direct her TEDx. I said yes because I thought it would be fun, just like directing a one woman show. After we wrapped, she planted the seed, “You should do this.” I had no online presence. I was not on Facebook and did not know being a speaker was even a thing. With zero online credibility in the space, I started The Big Talk podcast with the advice of my friend John Lee Dumas. Then all these amazing speakers reached out to me, and I had no place to put them. As a producer, I know how to produce shows, so it was an organic next step for me to become the Executive Producer of TEDxLincolnSquare in New York City. What I love about working with speakers is that they want to serve at the highest level. Having global impact and being able to have a hand in this kind of ripple effect by amplifying and elevating voices is a huge responsibility and it’s why I founded The Big Talk Academy.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’m not sure anything has ever happened to me — for me, yes. When Retired LT. CL. Alex Vindman reached out to me to support him in taking a TED stage, after he testified at the impeachment hearing of Trump, that was very interesting. He is a wonderful, kind, charming person, husband, father, and dog owner. That conversation was one of my most favorite I’ve ever had with a speaker.
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?
Early on before I had a team including social media and copywriter, I posted on social media about “pubic speaking”. What I learned was that I have really good friends, because they all called me immediately to alert me to it. And we laughed for a good 15 minutes as I corrected the typo.
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?
Sharon McGuire, my dance teacher from Missouri, had a huge impact on my life. She taught me how to have confidence, grit, discipline, self-love, and embrace humor. And my husband, Joe Ricci, has been my support system and champion every step of the way, always reminding me that I can do anything I desire and constantly says, “There is nobody else like you.” Jamie Broderick and Michael Roderick were two of my first mentors who taught me that the online space was a thing and that people paid good money for “hot seats”! Who knew! Hiring a phenomenal business coach and high-performance coach moved the needle in my business tremendously. I flew to Los Angeles for a one day coaching intensive with Emily and James Williams. In this one day, they opened my eyes up to greater possibility, and from there, my vision, my business, and my goals exploded. I finished all the homework they gave me on the five-hour flight back to New York from L.A. and said, “Okay, what’s next?”
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?
It all comes back to having humility and trusting that what you have to say matters. And you can count on failing. Embrace when you fall down on stage literally or figuratively this will help you to eliminate the fear and recover more quickly.
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?
Whether I’m speaking to the check-out person at the grocery store, or Joe, my husband or to a room full of 500, it’s my desire to connect on a deep level and make the person I’m communicating with feel seen, heard, and valued. If I can have a positive impact on whomever my audience is and know that they are going to pass this feeling forward to the person they encounter, then my job is done. You are always an influential voice and what you have to say matters.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
The Big Talk Academy is certifying speakers from all over the world. We have speakers from the U.K., New Zealand, Philippines, Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the USA and Vietnam. And my audiobook The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean From Lasting Legacy is going to be available soon on Amazon.
Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I’m planning to write a second book about Buddhism and Leadership.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I always say, “No means not yet” and “Keep the story moving.” Hearing “no” my entire career as a dancer taught me that grit and fearlessness is a daily activity. I’m never afraid of failure, because if I can’t get through a door, I’ll build my own. And if you are going to spend one second of this precious life wallowing in the past or what went wrong, how are you going to get it all done? This doesn’t mean not allowing for the mourning period of any kind of loss, personal or professional; it does mean get on with it. I always keep the story moving.
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.
- Coexist with fear.
Rehearse under mild pressure. Then increase the pressure. Then increase it some more. Mild pressure might be your family. Increased pressure might be your co-workers. And more pressure might be other speakers. Do not rehearse for your cat, or in front of a mirror. You must put your body in a position of stress, because your body will physiologically betray you on stage. Knowing this and creating a level of stress for you to rehearse it, teaches you how to co-exist with fear.
2. Having Context.
Asking yourself the questions: Why does this idea matter? Why does it matter to me? Why does it matter to the world, creates global impact. And this is important because you want your idea to inform everyone is some way. Kristin Smedley came to me to create a talk about rare eye disease. She has three kids, two born blind. We had to ask these questions because, if she talks about rare eye disease and her kids, I’m not going to be impacted. I don’t have kids and I don’t have blind kids. We asked these questions for context. Why does this matter? She wanted to created awareness. Why does it matter to Kristin? She has two blind kids. Why does it matter to the world? Because Kristin learned how to see the world through her son’s eyes. And when I learn to see the world through the eyes of someone else, I can have more empathy and compassion.
3. Understanding credibility, vulnerability, and relatability.
Being credible means having the lived experience. It does not require you to have a book or a PHD. Vulnerability means speaking from the scar not the wound. You must be healed from any trauma before sharing it from the stage. You are there to take care of us and if you are on stage re-living trauma, we feel obligated to take care of you. And, if you cry and become emotional on stage, you rob us from having our emotional experience. And being relatable means making eye contact, energetically connecting to your audience and being sure to speak authentically through your personal stories so that we can see ourselves in you.
4. Motivate instead of Manipulate.
I teach the acting technique of Objective and Action to my speakers. What do you want from your audience? And how are you going to get it? Motivating an audience to take action is a technique not a manipulation. If you want your audience to buy your book, how are you going to get them to take that action? As human beings we are unconsciously practicing this technique daily. For example: Maybe you want your kids to go to bed. How are you going to get them to do this? You could take them, bribe them, tickle them. It’s the same thing from a stage. You want your audience to pay attention? Then it’s your job to relentlessly go after your objective until you get what you want. And that means you may have to change your action. If nobody is paying attention to you and you are inspiring or teaching. Try something else. Perhaps entertain or even better…wait. If you wait in silence until they notice you are no longer talking, you’ll get their attention.
5. Choreography matters.
So many speakers wander around the stage aimlessly. Or they swing their arms or sit in their hips. Knowing how to block your talk for impact is essential. Using your script, block the movement stage right and stage left during beat changes. A beat change is a new thought. Know when you are moving and why. And know when you are still and why. If you move downstage towards us because you are saying something super intimate and want us to feel close to you, it will land. If you back up because you want to disconnect, you will. If you rush across the stage for effect, we will want to come with you because of the urgency. You are on stage and each part of that stage is an important part of your playground.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Do something. Whenever my actors are struggling to play a scene, I give them something to do. Fold laundry. Wash dishes. Pack a suitcase. The moment they do something they stop thinking about themselves and the character and begin to play the scene. It’s the same thing for a speaker. If you are struggling with your nerves, rehearse while you’re doing something. And you’ll start to build the confidence muscle that you can deliver this amazing talk, without thinking about it and just being present.
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?
A project I’m currently initiating is called the “I am Project”. I want to inspire 100,000 women all over the world to own their voices and who they are with the statement “I am…”. When we fully step into the role of who we are in the world, anything is possible. If you are reading this, take a photo of yourself with your “I am” statement using #Iamproject and tag me on Instagram. Mine…I am a limitless creator.
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’d love to have lunch with Olga Smirnova, the Russian Ballerina who quit the Bolshoi because of the invasion of Ukraine. She’s a formidable woman.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.instagram.com/tricia_brouk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciabrouk/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-talk-with-tricia-brouk/id1151802385
https://www.theinfluentialvoicebook.com/
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
