Foundational Fridays -- Moments That Matter

This past Monday and Tuesday, I was a student at HEROIC Public Speaking. This two-day course is fast-paced, information packed, and a powerful reminder of the importance of presence in all public speaking opportunities.

Whether delivering a keynote in front of thousands, a facilitated forum in front of dozens, or a more intimate break-out session with a select few, how we "perform" is every bit as important as the material being presented.

I have wanted to break into the keynoting space since retiring from the Air Force more than 18 months ago now. I have delivered them many times during my prior career, and have been on many, many podcasts, panels and other opportunities across the past several years in particular.

The shortfall for me is, excepting for the half-dozen podcasts I've done since retiring from the Air Force, all of my keynotes and panels are in uniform. Some of those keynotes are publicly available, and a couple of them are not-military specific. The content is applicable to any and all organizations, in any enterprise. Companies seeking to hire a keynoter want something more current and I won't be wearing my uniform in front of those audiences.

There is also the need to build better skills. I have shared often that taking the uniform off is like taking off armor. Wearing it in front of an audience lends instant credibility. People see all the "bling" and ascribe to me ... this person speaking about leadership, culture, individual & organizational resilience, has gravitas based on decades of applied experience and expertise.

When standing there in a blazer, or perhaps something even more casual like khakis and polo shirt, that "instant" recognition is obviously absent even when I'm introduced by my military rank. Now, more than before, how I deliver and what I deliver have to be even sharper, surer, something resonant (and memorable!).

I'm traveling that journey and have a couple of much clearer focuses for new keynotes I will write over the next couple to several months. The subjects will be the same focus areas; the product and performance will be an evolution beyond my current delivery standard. And they will be directly tied to another project I've been working on across the past six months. Much more on that project in the days ahead.

Ok, what does all of that have to do with the picture shared here? Well, I'm an introvert. I know how to operate as an extrovert; or what I coined as a "mixtrovert". My natural instinct when walking into rooms where I have never been, and likely where I will not know another person, is to sit in the back. The old joke of people tending to gravitate towards the back of the room in school and church applies!

When I walked into the HEROIC classroom on Monday, where there were ~60 total students, plus the 6-8 faculty/staff members, I quickly saw faces of people I knew! The people in this picture, from right to left, are Kristen Christy , an Air Force spouse and well-known Master Resilience expert in our community. We first met eight years ago at the US Air Force Academy and have been connected ever since.

The odd-looking fellow, is, of course, me. Next is the one and only JoAnne (Jo) Bass . Many readers may not know who she is but should! She is the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and the first woman to hold that lofty position. She served as the senior-most ranking enlisted member in the US Air Force and is the equivalent of a three-star general.

The young woman next to Jo is US Air Force Lieutenant Madison Marsh Morris . Madison is a proud 2023 graduate from the US Air Force Academy, is currently earning her master's in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is the first Active-Duty member to win Ms. America (2024)!

This picture is a "moment that matters" because being in situation where my comfort level was not high, seeing and sharing this experience with friendly and familiar faces made a huge difference. There is confidence and courage that are found when we are amongst people we know, respect, and appreciate.