AntiFool with Norman Chella

My name is Norman Chella, and I'm on a mission to create the antidote to foolishness, so we can understand the world and ourselves better.My role is simple: I play the fool, I ask the questions, you get the answers. We'll have conversations crafted for the curious, the vulnerable, the human. I interview authors, scientists, entrepreneurs, creators, movers all across the board. Those with a powerful message, and there are those who have gone through a number of struggles, trials and tribulations. My interests range far and wide - we can go from tech in one episode to philanthropy in another, topics spanning across nations to concepts and predictions about the future. All of the macro and micro topics you can think of.Join my conversations with amazing people, and become all the more wiser.

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AntiFool with Norman Chella

Brutally Honest Public Speaking with Francisco Mahfuz

June 12, 2020 • Norman Chella • Season 1 • Episode 13

Francisco Mahfuz is the storyteller, the bare keynote speaker, and one brutally honest communicator.

This episode is all about public speaking. Does it scare you? Talking in front of a large audience, making sure you're getting your message out? It may not be comfortable for everyone, but one who thrives on the stage is none other than my guest for today, Francisco Mahfuz.

Francisco Mahfuz has always loved speaking even before he had anything useful to say. He's been telling his stories in front of audiences for close to a decade, and even became a national champion of public speaking today. Francisco is a keynote speaker on storytelling and offers presentation coaching to individuals and international organizations.

His book, Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking, teaches you where ideas come from, and how to find more of them. Seven steps to build your speech, and the WTF approach to start it.

We talked about

Francisco's origin story, how being brutally honest on stage made his career
The facets of public speaking: how humor is used in speeches, the worries and common patterns of amateur public speakers
How to capture audience attention using pathos, ethos and logos
The power and differences of TED and TEDx

Enjoy!

Timestamps

4:20 Pushed in front of the class and getting married too early: Francisco's origin story
8:26 Francisco's advantage: his humor, and contrasting that humor
11:01 "Humor in my mind is just too powerful not to use." The power of humor in a speech
12:46 How do you train your humor? With embarrassing situations
14:07 Your context defines your humor, and how to take advantage of it
16:23 The best way to deliver a punchline? Shut up
17:46 Comparing the location is another humor tip
21:11 This is what people want help with if they need presentation coaching
23:34 "I find that if you're not funny at all, I cannot make you funny."
25:32 How do you help someone who has stage fright?
28:14 Tips to make the stage feel less strange
30:09 The truth behind notes for Ted and Tedx speakers
33:33 The meaning of being bare and brutally honest
35:33 Business presentations and bullshit bingo
37:45 The Dunning-Kruger effect and how it ruins credible people
40:08 What language to use to sound confident
43:38 Advice from Stephen King applied to speaking
47:02 Francisco's future plans as a coach and acquiring original ideas
50:46 The difference between TED and TEDx
52:47 Francisco Mahfuz's memento
54:24 Francisco Mahfuz's Walkaway Wisdom

Links