Your Monthly News & Updates |
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In News Flash, we provide the highlights of the month with links to the stories you most want to read. You'll find the full edition of News Flash online here. Please forward this newsletter to others whose careers benefit by improved skills in speaking and presenting. Some examples are members of Toastmasters, ATD, MPI, ICF, and AZODN among others.
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A Message from Our President |
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Dear NSA Arizona Community,
I hope this message finds you well. We are nearing the end of the chapter fiscal year and my term as your president. I would never have believed that I would spend 11 months in this role without having an in-person, face to face meeting. All things must come to an end and I am pleased to share with you that we will be in-person, face to face for the June meeting. Watch your emails for further information.
In May, we have an exceptional program with Mary C. Kelly, PhD, CSP®, CDR USN. The program description is below.
It is time to vote for your chapter Board of Directors, you will be receiving an email with the slate of new officers. Please vote when you receive this email, we don’t want you to forget.
It is time to grow the family. Watch for a notice of a virtual Open House event to recruit new members. Invite someone you know that should be a part of our community.
Take time to enjoy the flora and fauna of our beautiful state.
Hope to see you May 8th.
NSA-Arizona President
2020-2021
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NSA-Arizona Monthly Meeting
Saturday, May 8, 2021
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THIS MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL |
Networking: 8:30 a.m.
Presentation: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER—15 Ways to Grow Your Speaking Business in Every Economy: Don't Make These 10 Common Speaker Mistakes! Grow Your Business NOW! with Mary C. Kelly, PhD, CSP®, Commander USN (ret)
There are many gifted speakers on the platform. But many speakers are making at least three critical mistakes that is costing them in both revenue and personal income.
Are you running your business like a business?
Are you looking long-term at your profits and expenditures, and effectively planning your business and personal finances properly?
Do you have a succession plan for your business? Or does your business die with you?
Are you developing the products and multiple streams of income (no, that does not mean working as a greeter at Walmart AND working the window at Taco Bell) that provides you with a sustainable lifestyle?
In this fun, relevant, and irreverent session, Mary discusses:
- The top 10 ways speakers sabotage their own business success
- Business techniques that make you and your team more efficient
- Productivity tools to stay focused on what you do best
- Ways to turn your content into profits
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Products that help you generate profits as well as bookings
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Mary C. Kelly, PhD, CSP®, CDR USN (ret) became a professional speaker after retiring from the Navy after 25 years on active duty. A university professor for over 30 years, she taught leadership, business, and economics at the both the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy.
Mary is dedicated to helping people grow their businesses to be profitable.
She served on the board of the Colorado NSA Chapter, and published the NSA CO Directory to help meeting planners find and book local speakers. She was the Chair of the Editorial Committee of Speaker Magazine from 2014-2015 and has not mastered the ability of saying “NO” to her NSA friends. She was also the Head Coach (another volunteer job!) of the Air Force Academy’s Equestrian Team for 7 years.
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Join your peers as we develop tangible action items cultivated from the material presented during the monthly meeting.
Accountability, brainstorming, and creative thinking lead to the tactical implementation of business-generation ideas!
Join us immediately after the regular chapter monthly meeting in a Zoom breakout room.
You must register for the monthly program to attend the Professional Opportunity. Open to NSA-Arizona Candidates and Professional Members.
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The NSA-Arizona Candidate Spring Program continues with its "Finding Your Niche" theme. Our May guest speaker will be Roger Rickard, who knows that successful advocacy can change the world. It is his life’s passion as the Founder & President of Voices in Advocacy® and author of 7 Actions of Highly Effective Advocates. He has more than 30 years of experience as a professional speaker, trainer, consultant, and author.
After Roger shares his story about how he arrived at his niche, candidates will have an opportunity to ask questions. Don't miss it!
Join us immediately after the regular chapter meeting in a Zoom breakout room.
You must register for the monthly program to attend the Candidate Program. Open to NSA-Arizona Candidates and Professional Members.
As always, we’d love your feedback on your experience so far and what additional topics you might want to include in future sessions.
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As a recognized expert in advocacy engagement and grassroots activation, Roger works with a wide cross-section of organizations from diverse industries. His vibrant personality and good sense of humor make for engaging and interactive programming. |
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Say Hello to Projects Lab:
- A casual, virtual co-working support space to focus on a project
- Meets 2 hours, twice weekly
- Includes 3 mini-breaks of 5 minutes each to share or get fast feedback
The lab is based on evidence that bursts of focused work of 25-45 minutes align best with brain function. Also, mini-breaks promote productivity and reduce stress.
Recent Projects Lab examples:
- Commencement speech teleprompter preparation (Roger Rickard)
- Working on book (Michelle May, Marla Harr, Lynette Charity)
- Consultant training prep and handouts for winter NSA (Bob Pike)
- Caption conversion for videos and classes (Lynne Wellish)
- Preparing client projects and reports (Natalie Sayer, Denise, Michele Redmond)
There's been fun, like Lynette working on a comedy gig, but also crushing tedious tasks like invoicing. The mini-breaks offer a moment to refresh but often to share inspirational comments and helpful feedback.
Join us on Zoom:
- Mondays from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Meeting ID: 810 0479 9119 | Passcode: PROJLAB
- Thursdays from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Meeting ID: 896 0984 8982 | Passcode: PROJLAB
Typical Projects Lab Flow:
12:00-12:05: What’s your project/task/goal
12:05-12:40: Focused work
12:40-12:45: Break/Feedback
12:45-1:20: Focused work
1:20-1:25: Break/Feedback
1:25-1:55: Focused work
1:55-2:00: Feedback
If you'd like to work on a project, with the support of your peers, email Suzanne or Marla Harr for the LINK 24 hours prior to the session.
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Cultivate Your Speaking Skills
Come join us at NSA-Arizona Speakers Lab to get energized and to bolster your grit. We are known for providing valuable feedback from skilled evaluators. We also provide a unique networking environment. You are instantly among friends and colleagues. Speaking for myself, I have established multiple valuable friendships through my participation in Speakers Lab.
We provide feedback in a structured environment. We ask presenters what their purpose is and what kind of feedback they want or need. We provide guidelines both for evaluators and for speakers. This helps to provide supportive, constructive, and useful advice.
Is there an area of your speaking or your speaking business that would benefit from some feedback? Come join us at Speakers’ Lab and experience the valuable feedback and encouragement to help you improve in any area of the speaking business.
We meet via Zoom the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with networking from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. An announcement regarding the Zoom session for the Lab will be emailed prior to the Speakers Lab. When you respond to that email to register for that session, you will be provided with a link.
You may attend these sessions as a Guest. However, if you wish to present at the Lab, you must be a chapter member in good standing. We ask that you attend as a participant twice, before you sign up for time to present.
In a normal meeting, we have three 30-minute slots. Speakers can use the time to receive feedback and tips for a specific purpose, like trying out new material or trying a new form of speaking. They can also get feedback about marketing materials, web sites, or a book idea.
“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”—attributed to Albert Einstein
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.”―Steven Wright
Upcoming Guest Enrichers | May 19, 2021 – TBA
“Speakers Lab is one of the greatest features provided by NSA-Arizona. It is designed to be a safe place to not only practice and hone speaking skills, the feedback given by NSA members is extremely valuable and well worth the price of membership. I highly recommend Speakers Lab to anyone serious about advancing their speaking career.” — Rita Hudgens
NSA-Arizona Speaker Lab Leadership Team: Michael Haley, Debra Exner, Natalie Sayer, Antonio Valles.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Linda-Ann Stewart |
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Where do you live now? Where are you originally from? Do you share your home with pets or family? My husband, Jeff, and I live in Cottonwood now. Before that, I lived in Sedona for twenty-five years. I moved to the Verde Valley almost forty years ago from Houston, Texas, which is where I grew up.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share? I'm an award winning photographer and weaver. As a weaver, I own over half a dozen different looms of various kinds. They range from the size of a salad plate to my floor loom, which is in storage.
When I first moved to Sedona, I spent a couple of years as a member of the planning committee for the Sedona St. Patrick's Day Parade. In those days, it was the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade west of the Mississippi. Until COVID-19 hit and cancelled events, my husband and I volunteered for the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society's annual Highland Festival in Flagstaff.
What is your speaking specialty? I speak on mindset, focus and vision. Rather than just educating and inspiring, I seek to leave my audience with practical tips and tactics that they can use to improve their lives.
What kind of work did you do before you started speaking? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to speaking? I've been a hypnotherapist and coach in private practice for over thirty years. Although I still have some hypnotherapy clients, I've semi-retired from my hypnotherapy practice and have expanded into business coaching. I enjoy facilitating and watching clients achieving their goals and improving their lives.
When did you start speaking? When did you join NSA-Arizona? I started speaking over forty years ago in community groups around the Gulf Coast of Texas. When I opened my hypnotherapy practice, I led workshops and classes on various topics. I knew there was an Arizona Chapter of the NSA, but couldn't find a listing for it until 2004, at which time I attended a meeting and immediately joined.
How have you volunteered for our chapter? A couple of years after I joined NSA-Arizona, I volunteered for the membership committee and served as a proof reader for the newsletter. After I became a professional member, I co-chaired the membership committee for a couple of years, and then chaired it for several years. Then six years ago, I took over as the newsletter editor. I've also served on the Board of Directors.
For you, what is the best advantage of NSA-Arizona membership?
I love the education I receive from NSA-Arizona. In the seventeen years I've been a member, despite the drive from Northern Arizona, I've only missed a handful of meetings. But the greatest thing that's come from my membership is the friendships. I have several close friends that I met through NSA-Arizona and whom I value beyond words.
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Editor’s Note: This feature reminds you to take advantage of our fabulous lending library of NSA Convention recordings.
Life is Tremendous by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones
While the digital media is still transitioning to the new website, I thought I'd go back to the physical media. One of our generous donations was a small book called Life is Tremendous by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones. It's a short, quick read, just 103 pages, published in 1968. I've heard about Charlie, but truth is I never actually heard him speak (but since then, I found him on YouTube).
This book is on leadership. You might know that I work as a contract trainer for a couple of companies in license exam prep. As I read the book, I began to realize: I am not only a trainer or a teacher expecting people to come to me with questions and I'll answer them. I am also a leader, and students expect me to anticipate their needs, to give them a program to follow, and to be prepared with resources.
The first chapter is Leadership is Learning to Live. Charlie says, "You must be a real student of 'learning to live' if you are to lead dynamically, because leadership is nothing more than really LIVING... Anyone who is not leading others in life is not really living. And with every passing moment your own leadership responsibilities are increasing. The person who recognizes this will never be bored, but the person who forgets or ignores this will be dead long before his funeral."
According to Charlie, the first steps towards learning to live (and to lead) are:
- First, you must be learning to say something positive to everybody all of the time.
- Second, be learning to see something positive in everything that happens.
- Third, you must be learning to See It Big and Keep It Simple. Charlie calls this idea SIB-KIS and reminds himself of this constantly. Because, as he says, "It's the opposite of my nature. My nature is to see something small and then complicate it so I can't do anything about it... although I can get help from many sources, I'm on my own in this area... If you'll be learning to see it a little bigger and keep it a little simpler, you're in for some tremendous experiences."
The second chapter is The Seven Laws of Leadership
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The first law is learning to get excited about your work. "The most challenging thing you'll ever face in your life is learning every day to be excited about what you're doing".
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The second law is use or lose. "Some guy says, 'How come I'm twice as smart as he is and he's making twice as much as I am?' I'll tell you why. He is learning to use what he has and get more out of it."
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The third law is production to perfection. "If you're not learning to make something happen today you won't know much about perfection tomorrow... If you major in perfection, you'll produce little more than dreams. But production will teach you a little about perfection in daily living."
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The fourth law is give to get. "Leadership is learning to give whether you get anything or not! If you ever give something to get something, you're not giving in the true sense of word, you're trading!"
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The fifth law is exposure to experience. Each person is given a key ring, and as he gains exposure to circumstances, he is given a key to add to the ring. "Soon the key ring begins to be filled with experiences, and then we begin to know how to pick the right key to unlock the situations we face."
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The sixth law is flexible planning. "Flexible planning means whatever can go wrong, will go wrong... plan on your plan going wrong so that you're ready with an alternate plan because that's my plan!... Capitalize on the heartbreaks and misery or you'll miss the best in life. Make the things that go wrong a part of your plan, and you will be far ahead of where you were waiting for something to happen your way."
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The seventh law is motivated to motivating. "If I am learning to be motivated, I'll eventually become a successful motivator of others, and be happy doing it. The motivator who can motivate everybody but himself may win the world but he'll never enjoy it".
The final chapter is, and I'm sure you've heard this before, Leaders are Readers. Charlie says, "One of the greatest thoughts I've ever heard is, 'You will be the same in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.'" The last pages include Charlie's suggested bibliography.
Richard is NSA-Arizona’s librarian who accepts donations of books, tapes, magazines, CDs, and videos of interest to speakers. Contact Richard for instructions to download recent NSA Convention sessions.
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For more details and to register, visit the NSA website.
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Word Tripper from the Platform |
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Do you ever confuse this word pair? Now you know the difference so you won't get tripped up!
Reconnoiter, rendezvous – “Reconnoiter” means to go to a place or area to obtain information about (e.g., about an enemy); to do a reconnaissance of a place; to inspect, observe, or survey. A “rendezvous” is a meeting arranged for a particular time and place (sometimes with the connotation of being a secret meeting).
“The patrol was ordered to reconnoiter the area where they would rendezvous with support personnel.”
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Due to COVID, Living Room Forum has been cancelled until further notice. |
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Email your News Flash announcements to editor Linda-Ann Stewart at or call 928-600-0452 by 15th of each month. Thanks to proofreaders Michelle Cubas and Richard Victor.
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