“ Speed is very important too, don’t drag out your words if you don’t need to, that just puts people into a coma.” – MICHAEL BARRIS
[S2-EP012] – In this episode, we have a great discussion on public speaking. Michael shares his best tips on communication and how you can get better at audio hosting. He shares his life experiences and gives examples of how you can make your ideal client listen to you.
Highlights from this episode:
[6:28] What are some things people can do to show up better on audio if they don’t know where to start?
[11:50] 4 pillars that you could build an effective podcasting or speaking gig
[13:26] How would you plan to make yourself successful if you want to go have a live or audio recording on a particular topic
[15:29] What are some fears kept coming up when you started doing videos on Linkedin
[23:19] How to get better on tonality and delivery
Connect with MICHAEL BARRIS:
A little bit about Michael:
Michael is a transformational speaking coach for high-ticket business owners. He helps professionals overcome anxiety and nervousness and find the confidence to land their next promotion. He’s the author of best selling speaker training book, he has over 14,000 followers on LinkedIn.
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Transcription:
Michael Barris
Speed is very important too. Don’t drag out your words if you don’t need to that just puts people into a coma.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Welcome to the Spicy Chai Podcast. I’m Mahrukh Imtiaz, I host this podcast and still work a successful and fulfilling nine-to-five. My guests are content creators just a bit ahead of you, you will hear about their struggles and when learn from their mistakes so that you can avoid making them. So, grab a cup of Spicy Chai and let’s get started.
Today’s guest is a transformational speaking coach for high-ticket business owners, he helps professionals overcome anxiety and nervousness and find the confidence to land their next promotion. He’s the author of best selling speaker training book, he has over 10,000 plus followers on LinkedIn. And he’s built that audience organically by posting seven days a week for the past year or even more. Wow, welcome to the show, Michael.
Michael Barris
Hey, Mahrukh. How are you doing? It’s a pleasure to be here with you. I’m a great admirer of your podcast.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Ah, thank you. Thank you for saying that. And yeah, you’ve been messaging me at times when you listen to the episodes and you give me such great feedback. And I think that’s one of the reasons why you’re here because I was like, hey, you know what, Michael has some great speaking tips. But before we get into that, I would love for everyone here to listen to your story. So what’s your story, Michael?
Michael Barris
Though it’s pretty, it’s a little bit complex, like I have a lot of different threads,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Which is perfect love to hear.
Michael Barris
I believe I believe the common thread here is that I’ve been a performer in one way or another, and a communicator. So I guess we’re all started as I’ve been a journalist for a long time, I began the days of newspapers, moved into websites, then news organizations of different kinds, online and in print. And I became to specialize in business news after a while, which was kind of interesting, because I hadn’t really ever thought of myself as specifically being a business guy. But I find business very interesting to write about. It’s kind of like sports, because there’s winners, there’s losers. There’s comeback setbacks, heroes, goats, and just like the NFL football game of the week, you can dine out talking about a big event for quite a while.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
That’s so true. I never thought of the parallels. But that’s actually very true. It’s very similar to sports. And just like that people have their heroes like, oh, that entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, like Lebron James. So true. Yes,
Michael Barris
yes. And it actually made it kind of fun, because it gave the writing of kind of vigor I found, because it was, I almost could feel the action in it, you know, like, whether they were fighting off a tip, whether it was fighting off a takeover attempt, or there was a battle of directors where someone was trying to wedge their way onto the board. Right. And then it got more complex, because I was around during the the melt the financial meltdown, of 2007 2008 2009. That period. And, and I used to
Mahrukh Imtiaz
that was a big one, one of the biggest ones, yeah,
Michael Barris
it was huge. And part of my job, because of where I worked, was putting on earnings stories, and every day would be this down. 80% this down 90% This down 70% It was really quite a kind of a depressing time, if you will, but you know, it was all news. And I am a news person. So all this was is a way of saying that. What I took in as a journalist really helped to shape the way that I write and speak and the way I even coach because I believe in not wasting words. There are a lot of great words out there. And there are a lot of words that perhaps aren’t so great, but I believe in keeping messages clear onpoint and purposeful. So if we’re going to have communicate, I mean, I’m not you know, when you’re with me, I talked about crap as much as a lot of
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Other brain and that’s part of relationship building. Right. So yeah,
Michael Barris
That’s that’s part of your report. Right? You’re fine. You’re finding a common ground. But I love clear writing and I’ve met people on LinkedIn I your reader, I don’t know if you You haven’t told listeners yet, but they can find me on LinkedIn. Michael Barris LinkedIn slash Michael Barris. But I forget exactly what it is. But the thing is that I have had a weakness for people who who put up posts, where I absolutely kind of fall in love with the writing. This has happened to me several times. And I I will start a conversation. I just sent him a direct message say, Hey, listen, I just want you to know I think what you do is amazing. That has led to a combination conversation, those people became my clients because we found out that we had a common bond, right over our love of writing and communicating. And as a public speaker. It’s interesting, but public speaking, you don’t have to be a great writer. In order to be an effective public speaker. You can you can be functionally illiterate, and have a very powerful way of connecting with an audience. But I do believe in wordplay I Do love someone who knows how to coach ideas in ways that make make the the ideas kind of bubbled with creativity and a kind of excitement in magic. And even that illiterate person I should I should mention, they would probably have a way of using words that is exceptional, even as an illiterate person. And that’s why it makes good listening. But the point I’m making is that that’s my journalism background is at the heart of that performance thing. I’ve also been a musician for a long time.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Like, we were talking about your guitar right before this episode. Yes, yeah,
Michael Barris
Yes, I do vintage jazz and blues music from the 1920s 1930s 1940s. And it’s funny how that happened with me. I started with the Beatles growing up and I kind of went backwards. I absorbed a sort of bebop at the time, I think when I was in like the eighth grade, and I was on my way to like 19th century music by the time I was in high school. And I have bought contemporary recordings in my time, but not so often. I mean, I’ve kind of in my lane. And but at the same time, I’ve been a musician for a long time I can, I can appreciate good, good guitar playing a loved guitar, well played many other musicians and instruments. I love hearing play too. But all this is part of it, the writing the music, then in some ways, I’ve always had a kind of a tug of war of what was winning more one time, another was the music one time, and then it was the writing one time. And in a way that’s not like about coaching, speaking, because it’s kind of blending everything I do. Right? off me because I am good. I hope to get music into my I’m doing some more speaking in the year ahead. And I hope to get some more playing my guitar in there. As a matter of fact, for the for the audiences.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Yeah, that would actually be a really fun piece. And I think that that’s what kind of makes everyone stand out a little bit right when we bring our personalities into whatever we do. So you mentioned a lot of things there. But I really liked that you said I’ve always been a performer at heart. And I remember when even when, like you said earlier that you damped people let them know what they did. Well, you did similar things with me like you heard my podcast episode. And you were messaging me and saying, Hey, I really liked you how you do A, B, and C. So I want to dig into that a little bit right now. Sure. Tell me more about what people especially in today’s day and age, you have two people doing audio podcasts, people are doing videos, people are doing lives, you’ve done a few lives. You know, being on audio and speaking well is really important. And it’s becoming a more important skill as we go. So what are some things people can do to show up better on audio if they don’t know where to start?
Michael Barris
Well, in fact, I would say the way to start would be to plan a little bit at least have an idea of what you want to talk about at least some grades. Because let’s face it, but I don’t know how long folks will stay glued to your podcasts? Do they just listen for a few seconds and drop out? Do they listen for 30 minutes, or just re vary. But I think you always have to proceed with the assumption that in a moment, they could drop out, not just not just because they get impatient. But sometimes people want better things to do or more important things to do. They may have to run to the bathroom, they may have to go pick up their kid at school. They may have a million reasons why they can’t stick around. But basically, you have to come from the idea that people’s time is precious that they are doing you a favor. And this is how I feel about performing as well. Like when I do a gig as a guitar player. Somebody’s going into trouble. I hope I’ve showering, changing their clothes, driving 10 miles to hear me coming into the club sitting down and listening and giving me their attention. That’s a huge compliment right there before I played a note, it’s the same thing with any kind of milieu like this. Look, we’re grateful we need the audience’s we need the audiences more than they need us. That’s my viewpoint. Absolutely, yeah. And so I gotta come to the table with something that’s going to make it worth listening to. That’s why at least have a page with a few points on there. Unless you have it all in your head. I don’t trust my ability to keep everything in my head, I have done it. But there’s nothing wrong if you keep a page of points in front of you while you’re talking great, and then just speak spontaneously of your points and allow digressions to happen. But there should be a sense that by the time you’ve completed this talk, they are taking away value. That’s your way of saying thank you for coming today for listening to me, first of all, and it also helps your own cause because if you give them value, they will come back again to say, Hey, I got good value last time. Let me go and get more of that. Right 100%. That’s thing one, but what folks could do. The other thing is just I feel like storytelling. Your mission when you’re speaking here, and really in any public speaking setting, should be to arouse curiosity, my mission, if you will, should be to make you so interested in hearing what the next thing I’m going to say is that you can’t leave again, that is the objective even though in reality, they may have to go pick up the kid,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Right? It’s the point where they like literally pause and be like I have to come back to this sort of deal.
Michael Barris
Absolutely. That’s a that’s a great reward if that’s how I always thought when I was writing when I’ve been writing, that my idea of my favorite kind of story to write would be an in depth piece. Where say, am I going to use the example of a man working man here comes home, he picks it up, starts reading it, he’s really absorbed, but then he has to put it down, because maybe his wife would have to do the shopping. Right? Oh, he’s got to let her in help her taking the groceries, the unpack she makes like, he gets distracted, she makes dinner, the dinner. And later, before he goes to bed, he picks up the article again, he starts reading it again. And then maybe falls asleep reading it. And then the next day he wakes up, he again, this is going back to the time when people were still going to work more and even carrying briefcases. He shoves this thing into his briefcase or his backpack, if you will, gets on the train or whatever, and it takes out, he’s reading it again, puts it away goes to work. And maybe at lunch, he takes it again anyway, it has a life of its own. That continues for as long as it’s around in his ran in his possession. That’s my idea, the idle story. So it’s the same thing with what we do here that hopefully you’re giving them so much value, that it has shelf life, I mean, not all topics do have shelf life. But if you can give them something that’s so you know, like, wow, I’m biting into this real juicy, you know, Bagel, or a real great piece of pastry or something that’s really nourishing, I guess, maybe, arguably, they could would be so nourishing. But the point is that it’s something that they want to sink their teeth into, and really savor and really enjoy and enjoy it again and again and again and again. And that’s, I think, another thing you’re trying to establish when you’re ready, when you’re speaking and writing. And finally, the other thing I would say is that while we know that podcasts are calm, we’re conversational. They really are just like two people, perhaps having a chat over dinner
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Stick around. Yeah,
Michael Barris
I know Howard Stern, one who I admire greatly for his interviewing Howard Stern is a wonderful interviewer. Other parts of his show, you may not always like, but he I remember he once said that he wanted to make his show just like a people sitting at a bar having a conversation. So since that’s kind of what podcasting can be, like, very conversational. But I want to just that a bit to say that it really should be have a feeling of a dialogue, where you’re in a dialogue with the audience. And that, to me is my favorite kind of podcasting or radio, when it could even just be one person on the air holding the fort alone by themselves, where they’re almost kind of ruminating aloud to the audience as they’re speaking. So that those are three things right there. I would say you know, the plan, make them curious, create a sense of dialogue. And of course, there’s authenticity there. If you’re doing it all. And I think those are four pillars, that you could build an effective podcast speaking, gig on.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Would you love that? I would love to like go no, I love those for like planning, arousing curiosity, you know, making it a dialogue and then use it authenticity. Now let’s go back into the planning piece, you did say like have something planned two or three areas where you can give them value. So someone, let’s say, they hear this podcast, and they’re like, You know what, this is all great. But like, let’s say I take out a paper and I want to start a podcast on a certain thing. Or let’s say I want to give a live, let’s make it even smaller. I want to go have a live or an audio recording on this particular topic. How would I plan to make myself successful?
Michael Barris
You have to put yourself in the shoes of your listener. And that is my modus operandi, my way of operating, okay? In everything related to communication, if you want to be an effective communicator, you have to know what they want to learn from you. What’s the most value you could give them? What problems do they have? And I think I know you have a sense that your audience may have some beginning creators, so we know that a beginning creator, well, how do I start? How do I do this, and a lot of that is trial and error. A lot of it is having to feel and to see, okay, that didn’t work. But if you’ve got the right attitude, you’ve tried to fix it, okay, it didn’t work, we will do something else. And that also in confidence may be an issue too. I don’t know that beginning. podcasters have a personal person wants to do a podcast badly enough, and they’re going to plunge into doing this? Well, I got to give him props for that. Because that means that they’re getting over certain confidence issues right off the bat. Absolutely. They’re pushing themselves through their comfort zone. That’s very huge, right from the get go. Right. But the other part of it is that you have to go out there, figure out I’m up for whatever happens, it may blow up in your face that can happen. But a performer is somebody who is prepared to fall on their face, and to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again. Because that’s how you learn. That’s how you grow. And I guess you have to be part of the growth, your stick to the audience the what you’re putting out to the audiences this podcaster is this person who’s gone who’s going through a process or almost kind of of witnessing the process in real time as it’s happening, right? Make sense?
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Yes, it does. Yes, it does. And you spoke a lot about like overcoming stuff and you know, getting over your confidence issues. So I’m really curious to hear like when you started public speaking, that might have been a long time back. But when you actually started again, on LinkedIn where you started making videos, and I know now you’re doing lives, what are some fears that kept coming up for you? Well,
Michael Barris
Again, by the time I started doing the lies, I’d had a lot of experiences as a guitar player, right? who’d been willing to say, the worst time I bond this is, this is actually a more interesting question. When talking about my fears. I was still, I guess, now even those days, I was playing at a folk festival in upstate New York, I think I can’t remember which city it was, it was somewhere around Corning, New York, in that area, where they make Corningware, which is a thing that’s used in kitchens a lot. So it was a beautiful setting was like a secluded, kind of natural amphitheater in a woods. And when I arrived, place was really hushed because it’s one of the guitars was doing very quiet meditative stuff. And it was my turn to play. Now, at that, in those days, I did a more of an upbeat kind of show, because I had slow songs I did, but my view was you kind of would start up, be get their attention, and then settle into and go like that. And that’s what I did. I just kind of did my show. And then they started leaving, because I saw them walking out leaving the hill was I was playing because they there was apparently a barn dance that was also going to be running at the same time I was playing and people figured out, let’s check out that barn dance. It’s interesting.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
And it’s like such a tough thing while you’re while you’re performing on stage, and
Michael Barris
I’m watching. I’m watching the hill emptied out as I’m playing. So I think then what happened is I probably got a little rattled. Again, I hadn’t been performing music so long at that point, then, and I broke a string. So now I have my audience leaving, I have a guitar with a broken string. And but as it turned out, for some reason, I happened to have brought a second guitar with me, and I had it with me. So if I help with this, I’m just gonna play what I want help with this. So I put the guitar on. And I started playing, and then they started coming back. Because why? Well, I somehow got into the vibe that was in the room more, because I just said, Well, I’m just gonna play what I want. And this sort of coming back, and in the end, I kind of salvage the show. So that was a ver that really taught me that in the future that look, you have to really listen to what the mood of the room is, when you start. Now, what was the question? Maroof that got us to this point. I’ve kind of forgot. What did you ask me initially?
Mahrukh Imtiaz
I was just asking you about the fears that you had when you’re started?
Michael Barris
Yeah. Well, the fear. This is the point the fear was implied. And I probably didn’t realize it was the fear, I wasn’t going to get them. Right from the get go, I wasn’t going to engage them. And that’s
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Why people will leave and people won’t respond and people won’t react. Yes,
Michael Barris
Exactly. And the lesson here is that in a way that real authenticity kind of maybe requires you not to plan, sometimes sometimes you have to just feel it. And trust yourself, I mean, and that’s why I’m saying you have to read the mood of the room. But it’s not like a conscious thing. It’s almost more just like an experienced thing, which kind of pours out of you. And I think that comes with experience. Yeah, they’re not it’s like the meaning of experience and instinct. Absolutely. And it’s only when you’ve been in front of numerous audiences, and you’re used to people leaving, or going or coming late or whatever, that you get more at home, in that kind of uncertain environment. Because live performance, the most consistently about live performance is that it’s unpredictable. And that’s the other thing, it took me time to really appreciate that, when you walk into any setting, you have to appreciate that no two live performances are ever identical. Because you’re never exactly the same from day to day, the audience is never the same if I mean physically and maybe even if they did come to see you, they wouldn’t be in the same mood. Either the room isn’t quite the same, there may be something different going on outside their companion then there’s also extraneous things can be construction going on. There could be dogs barking garbage trucks going by, I get that a lot in my neighborhood where I live in, particularly in the summer, the sound of lawnmowers going by all these things are creating a setting that requires you to really be at home with just reacting and just being and just letting it go. And it’s hard to achieve without experience. So that was the fear that I wouldn’t engage them. And I think gradually the way I learned to do it was simply by I learned to trust my repertoire, knowing I was more versatile that I had given myself credit for and I could switch when I needed to. Just absolutely
Mahrukh Imtiaz
And even though and that story which Like honestly, I think you did such a good job telling us that story. I even in that story, even though you did trust your instinct to eventually read the room and realize educate these people need what I think people need something different. There was some part of planning that saved you. You had a second guitar, right? So the even though like, yes, you could say experience, but they even like the planning piece that you mentioned earlier, it’s so key even when you’re a beginner, because when things go wrong, and if you’ve planned a little bit for things to go wrong, you’re much better prepared than someone who had the thought of it.
Michael Barris
Yeah, absolutely. I agree totally. That’s part of putting your head in the audience’s shoes too.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Yes,
Michael Barris
Having the knowledge that, well, they could get bored. They could be noisy. Sometimes, you can be playing a small little room as a musician, and just four people come in who are noisy, and suddenly it changes the whole vibe in the room. And now maybe you have to just maybe do something a little more up to try to get their attention, you know what I mean? Or there’s a whole bunch of things that can happen in a performance space. And you’re absolutely right, you learn to trust that. And the planning, again, is the experience that you sort of see you sort of envision what it could be like and how it could be. And I think that’s the same thing, if you’re doing your podcast, well, how’s the audience can react if I do this? When I’ve done my lives? My life presentations? I have slides, I know what’s going to set a bell off and what isn’t? Are they’re gonna like this audit going on like that. Right? It’s something you did develop the sense of what would work well, in which situation?
Mahrukh Imtiaz
And I really liked that you mentioned that because anyone can have that kind of scenario planning. But I call it this in the corporate lingo for any situation, like whether you start a podcast or whether you’re going to live or whether you are speaking on stage, it’s, Hey, would I do if four really not loud, and noisy people come in? Or same thing? If I hear the lawn more middle of the podcast episode? What would I do? What’s my plan? What’s my plan, if the audience is leaving? What’s my plan that the guest isn’t as engaging, you know, like, these are things that you could actually start planning for, and it will be a lot of work in the beginning, but it’ll save you so much time and effort and energy later on. So I really liked that. You mentioned that. So now that we’ve talked a bit about audio, I know you talk a lot about tonality and delivery. Do you mind going into that a little bit.
Michael Barris
I learned a lot about audio during the pandemic because the game really broadcasters more than ever speaking into microphones and on screens. I believe that I use a lavalier microphone, it’s the simplest kind of thing. It’s what they use on television. In a relative it’s a good value with something like I think 60 bucks, 70 bucks.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Oh, nice. Yeah, I’ll put the link in the show notes. So yeah, and
Michael Barris
I got it. There’s one particular company, I’m just trying to see if I have their package here. I got their, their lavalier microphone from that. And I used, I don’t use that much else. I mean, and then I have my light, my ring light, my lavalier mic, and the rest is just trying to be in a room which is reasonably soundproof. And I do the best I can I keep it pretty simple.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
I love it. I love it. And so aside from that, aside from keeping things simple, like even like would you spoke about being a performer and then we spoke about audio? I did mention like tonality and delivery. I know you speak a lot about that in LinkedIn messaging, like your LinkedIn content, do you mind just quickly going into what that is and how people can get better at it?
Michael Barris
The the idea of tonality is that if I speak in a monotone, you don’t really know what my emotions are. But if I speak in a monotone, you don’t really know what my emotions are. It’s kind of like an acting thing. I don’t deny it. But it’s really just sort of punching the words that matter most. So
Mahrukh Imtiaz
that’s the problem a lot of people have when they get into an audio like a podcast or live or anything, they’re so monotonous. Or even just like speaking in front of them in a meeting, it’s just so monotonous. Like, that’s something I’ve heard a lot.
Michael Barris
Yes. And and it’s hard on the year for the listener. Yes. It’s so boring. So you don’t want to be putting your rooms asleep if you’re if you’re speaking in a meeting. And so a number of things to do when you talk about tonality, yes, try to put a little music into your voice if you can, as a musician, maybe it comes easier for some reason.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
But how can people practice it though? Like let’s say someone who’s very monotonous in meetings and or on lives and content and their videos? How can someone practice and get better with that?
Michael Barris
The answer is you have on your phone or on your laptop recording tools. And I urge you to create something practical. So you’re going to speak at a meeting, create a comment that you might be making in a meeting or some little report, maybe even something you would actually use and record it and then listen to yourself and try to assess it in a way that’s fair to yourself as a speaker but also takes heed of the audience’s needs. Again, remember what I said about not wasting time and about keeping it interesting, you know has your eye contact how Are your do some facial expressions that changed your smile once in a while granted if it’s serious material, maybe less of an inclination to smile. But if you can smile once in a while, it lets them see they’re dealing they’re hearing from a human being speed is very important to Don’t drag out your words if you don’t need to that just puts people into a coma. Right, brother don’t drink. That’s right. Yeah, you’re absolutely right. And you need to look, I say, try to learn to become your own best critic. Don’t rely on your family and Goodson and you know why I say that?
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Yes. Because they’ll tell you the truth.
Michael Barris
They love you so much. They’re gonna lie, possibly. And that’s, and they’ll even if
Mahrukh Imtiaz
They don’t lie, they probably believe that you’re really good, because they don’t know any better.
Michael Barris
Right? So that’s a good point. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, I’ve benefited from being in a member run speaking club for a long time, except that then after a while, it became clear that I wasn’t getting feedback that was any better than what I already knew. I needed that you know, you don’t grow. By getting feedback from people who know less than you do or know more than you do. You need to get guided by somebody who’s an expert, who’s at least a couple of levels ahead of you.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
Yeah, so.
Michael Barris
So that’s an important part is the feedback. So you can provide your own feedback, but there might be a limit, they don’t know what you don’t know, sometimes,
Mahrukh Imtiaz
you can see so many blind spots. Totally. Yeah. So
Michael Barris
like, you may think you’re being like, I’m thinking of a particular speaker, who we all know, I’m not gonna say their name, but they’re very energetic. Yes, they do great presentations. If I could correct them, I’d be telling look, you get a little too jerky, because it makes me think the audience is going to think you know, that you’re kind of nervous or something like that, I would rather see them be energetic with a little less agitation in their style. That kind of thing. That’s a bit of a nuance of fine thing, right? That it does take a bit of more expert eye to point out, but it does have as more of a subtle effect on the audience, they can feel it, even though they may not realize that they’re feeling. I love
Mahrukh Imtiaz
that. Absolutely love that. Ya know, from the start of this podcast, you telling us your story about being a journalist and musician. For me, the biggest takeaway was be a performer in every aspect. And then we kind of went into speaking skills. And we talked about the importance of planning and how really, it helped you even in areas when you were an experienced performer. And you know, it helped you read the room better, because you weren’t prepared on what to do next. So I think there’s been a lot of gold that we’ve talked about. And before I go into our final question, Michael, where can people today find you online?
Michael Barris
Well, I live on LinkedIn. And it’s Michael Barris, M I C, H, A, E L, not everybody’s suppose that right? Yeah. And the last name is Barris B A R R Ii S as in Sam. And I give a lot of free content to help people improve their speaking skills. If you go to that site, you’ll find many things, I give tips, I give demonstrations. Once I like to try to help people with his doing videos. It’s interesting, because in the online medium, you might think that there’d be more more examples of people doing videos on something like LinkedIn. But in fact, if you were to look at, you know, there’s something like 850 million people on LinkedIn, my guess is that maybe 10% of them may have a video of themselves speaking about their business. And you know why? It’s because people get paralyzed at the prospect that, gosh, I’m speaking, my imperfections are going to be frozen for all time for everybody to see how ridiculous I look. And, and isn’t that the reason why public speaking always shows up in opinion polls as being like the most feared thing feared even more than death, because people don’t want to look ridiculous. So I try to help you get past those roadblocks. So you can become less worried about the perfectionism. Learn to live, like I said, Learn to live more with the rough draft, sometimes that comes out and at least finish a video. So then you can feel Yeah, I made it, I can go on now. And then you can do another and another and another. And gradually, you even improve by practice. So absolutely. That’s what I have out there for people on LinkedIn and also other things to help you and anybody else who wants to use their voice, to get out a message that’s going to provide value that’s going to drive people to follow a call to action. That’s going to position them as a thought leader, help them make more money, whatever it is, you’ve got the tools there and a lot of that is free. I love
Mahrukh Imtiaz
that. Yeah. And Michael posts, as I said, seven days a week, so you have a lot of content to go to if you go to his LinkedIn page. And now to our final question, Michael, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self and when I say younger, I mean like someone who’s starting off again on the social media journey,
Michael Barris
be one word, relax. Oh, wow. Really? Because I am. I’m somewhat obsessive in terms of gotta get it done. Gotta get it done. I’m not real good at compartmentalizing that, in other words, some people can have four things going on in their head at once or six things at once. And they’re okay with that. But I tend to have to try to get a thing done. Otherwise, it’s gonna bother me that I have that other stuff hanging around in my head. Right? Some people just call that multitasking. I mean, some people are better at it than others. But I don’t
Mahrukh Imtiaz
think anyone is good at multitasking to be very well, no, I think that’s just a myth. I feel like most people are just, they see it, but they’re slower doing it right. But then they make more mistakes. But yeah, continue.
Michael Barris
Well, that’s one thing because I’ll go without eating. Sleeping, sometimes, and I get involved in a project. And I should be, sometimes I just have to be a little bit easier and remind myself that, okay, this is going to get done, you have to worry about it. I mean, as a result, I’ve gotten quite a lot done, I’ve done a lot of work that I’m very, very proud of. And I have hobbies, I understand I you know, music, which is sometimes its range between being a hobby and being more of an occupation. I’m also a hiker, I hike up mountains, that’s a that’s a very good way to cleanse yourself a bottle of feelings. And especially I was hiking on the Continental Divide. This past summer in Colorado, where I was at the very point, we were on the spine, where one side was where the water in the US drain to the Pacific. And the other side was where the water in the US drain to the Atlantic. And there you were right on it. And it was pretty high point itself, around 13,000 feet above elevation, but it was just a marvelous thing. And plus, the views were extraordinary. So that’s the way I get with that. And my advice to my younger self would be don’t worry, it’s all gonna happen. I love it. It’s gonna happen. Just gonna make it. We’re gonna get there. I know you got good talents. You got good chops? You got a good attitude. You got a good head. You’re a good guy. You’re gonna get there.
Mahrukh Imtiaz
I love that. I love that. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you for being so wonderful. Thank you for sharing all your stories, especially guitar one. I think I’m gonna remember that for a very long time. It’s funny because I think I could imagine it while you were telling me the story. I’m like Ha, Michael playing people leaving, like literally visualize the whole thing. But this podcast is so full of goal.
So if you were inspired by anything Michael said today, please share the link.
And until next time, you got this beautiful!
Well beautiful it is my hope that this podcast inspired you to create your own podcast. Remember, you don’t have to quit your nine-to-five to do it. And if you found value in this podcast, you’re gonna love my free training video on how you can get started today. DM me the word Spicy Chai on LinkedIn and I’ll send it over to you until then, lots of love from your favorite.
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