Ep 28 Career advice: The 6 most important lessons I’ve learned in my career

Show notes

Stephen Gates unpacks the journey and craft behind becoming a confident, compelling, and authentic public speaker. Drawing from his transformation—from terrified college student to Adobe MAX Master—he offers hard-earned advice that breaks public speaking into a clear, repeatable process. Whether you’re giving a keynote or pitching ideas at work, this episode offers a step-by-step approach to finding your voice, developing your style, building your deck, and connecting with your audience.

Key Sections and Takeaways

1.  The Difference Between Presenting and Public Speaking

• Presenting is typically done at work and is focused on selling ideas or outcomes.

• Public Speaking is about teaching and often includes performance elements—more akin to acting or stand-up comedy than pitching.

• Recognize that in public speaking, the audience has no built-in investment. You must earn their attention.

2.  Finding and Developing Your Style

• Embrace that public speaking is a performance—develop your stage presence and personal voice.

• TED Talks serve as great models. TED classifies speakers into three personas:

  • Educator – explains and teaches.

  • Entertainer – shares craft or creation process.

  • Change Agent – seeks to inspire and transform.

   

• Beginners should start by choosing one persona and expand to blend all three as they gain experience.

3. Mastering Delivery: Voice and Body Language

• Sameness kills attention. Vary your cadence, tone, energy, and pacing.

• Your voice is your instrument—be intentional about how you use it.

• Over 90% of communication is non-verbal: posture, facial expressions, and hand gestures send critical signals.

• Start your talk calm and grounded—let your body language show confidence even before you speak.

4.  Bringing Passion and Honesty

• Avoid robotic delivery. Don’t just convey information—tell stories, be vulnerable, and be honest.

• Comedians taught Stephen that vulnerability and honesty forge stronger audience connections.

• Don’t play the “expert” with ego—be a relatable teacher, not a rock star.

5.  Repetition and Preparation: Practice is Non-Negotiable

• Practice and record yourself at least seven times—the magic number for mastery.

• Watching playback helps identify unconscious tics (e.g., verbal fillers, pacing, fidgeting).

• Memorize concepts, not scripts. This gives you freedom to adapt on stage while staying on message.

• Prepare your opening lines cold—this builds confidence and launches you cleanly into the talk.

6.  Slides and Visuals: Keep Them Simple

• Use simple slides to keep the audience focused on you—not reading text.

• Slides should act as visual prompts or attention drivers, not scripts.

• Clean, polished slides and subtle transitions add professionalism and create a more immersive experience.

7.  Naming and Marketing Your Talk

• Your talk title is a product. Make it compelling, clever, and stand out in a crowded schedule.

• Don’t rush to submit titles and descriptions—put effort into this phase to attract your audience.

• Use titles like “Lightbulbs Are Bullshit” to break the mold of conventional talk names.

8.  Understanding Your Audience

• Research your audience’s demographics, seniority, interests, and pain points.

• Ask conference organizers for historical attendee data to fine-tune your content and tone.

• Be aware of contextual factors (e.g., time of day, conference location) that may impact engagement.

9.  Crafting Your Narrative

• Start with a clear outline of what you want to teach and what story you’re going to tell.

• Organize key points, stories, and lessons in a flow that makes sense for your audience.

• Use tools like Evernote and Keynote to refine and visualize the narrative.

10.  Make Your Presentation Actionable

• Focus on what your audience can use tomorrow.

• Include tweetable moments—short, punchy phrases that stick (e.g., “Creativity is a blue-collar profession”).

• A good talk doesn’t just share ideas—it equips people to take action.

11.  Building Credibility and Avoiding Arrogance

• Let your ideas and experience speak for themselves. Don’t beat the audience over the head with your resume.

• Understand the vulnerability of your audience—they’ve shown up to learn. Don’t alienate them with ego.

• Instead of trying to impress, connect, and teach.

12.  Managing Feedback and Criticism

• Not everyone will like your talk. Some will leave or write bad reviews.

• Accept that criticism stings—especially when you care deeply—but don’t let it derail your performance.

• Focus on the people who stayed, who engaged, and who found value.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a great public speaker is a craft that anyone can learn. It requires:

• A clear understanding of your role as both performer and teacher

• A deep investment in preparation and refinement

• The courage to be vulnerable and honest

• And a commitment to creating value for your audience

Stephen’s transformation from a terrified college student to one of Adobe MAX’s top-rated speakers proves that anyone can do it—if they put in the time, care about the craft, and dare to be themselves on stage.

Resources and Links

• Relevant episodes on presenting at work: Episodes 12, 13, and 14

• Join the community: Search “The Crazy One Podcast” on Facebook

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career lessons creative career creative success empowerment insights from experience learning from navigating career pitfalls overcoming challenges personal development professional growth Stephen Gates success strategies The Crazy One podcast