Blog - presence and presentation mastery by Eleni Kelakos

Peak Performance

Managing Public Speaking Anxiety: Even Pros Get Nervous

When I Thought I Had 45 Minutes to Speak… But Actually Had 15 I just got back from an incredible weekend in San Diego, where I joined fellow authors and entrepreneurs at IndieBooks International’s Agency Rainmaker Forum. I laughed, I learned, I connected—and yes, I had my own little moment of self-inflicted chaos. Here’s how to manage public speaking anxiety. I Was Ready. Or So I Thought. As a proud faculty member, I was given a speaking slot to preview my upcoming book, Charismatic Presence: Five Principles for Magnetic Presentations (coming April 24th!). I’d been prepping for weeks. I even

April 5, 2025 No Comments

Audience Connection

9 Ways To Make Your Storytelling Better

I recently had the honor of serving as a judge at the National Speakers Association of Michigan’s Last Story Standing competition. Eleven competitors took the stage, each putting their unique spin on the timeless art of storytelling. Their tales made us laugh, cry, think, and, above all, feel. As I watched and listened, I thought—probably for the millionth time—”Dang! There is nothing more powerful than a great story well told!” A Legacy of Storytelling If I love storytelling, it’s because it runs in my blood. My paternal grandmother, Yiayia Kelakos, was the designated griot—or storykeeper—in her small Greek village. She

March 11, 2025 No Comments

Leadership

Listen and Really Hear

I rushed into a restaurant, flustered and overwhelmed, caught in the whirlwind of a hectic day, week, and month. As I approached the host stand, I quickly mentioned that I was meeting a friend for lunch. The host glanced at his seating chart and replied, “We haven’t seated any parties of one. It looks like you’re the first to arrive; why don’t I have your waitress show you to a table?” Without processing his words, I instinctively responded, “I’ll go look for my friend,” and bolted into the dining room, scanning for her familiar face. But after a quick look

February 7, 2025 No Comments

Leadership

Harness The Pre-Performance Power of Music

Have you ever heard a song that instantly transported you back to a specific time, place, and feeling? That happened to me the other day while listening to a classic rock station in my car. Suddenly, Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” blasted through the speakers: “Hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove…” In an instant, I was no longer behind the wheel—I was a twelve-year-old kid again, gleefully slamming wooden spoons like drumsticks onto chair cushions in my childhood home. The years between then and now simply vanished. Music has that kind

February 4, 2025 No Comments

Coaching

Like Peas & Carrots, Speaking & Leading Go Together

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “Do high-level leaders really need to be great speakers?” As a presence, presentation, and performance coach with over two decades of experience working with senior executives, my answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Like peas and carrots, speaking and leading go hand in hand. If you want to lead your team at the highest level, you must bring an equally high level of poise, presence, and performance to your communications. That said, the better question might be: “Are high-level leaders always great speakers?” My answer? “No.” The Reality of Leadership and Communication

January 17, 2025 No Comments

Peak Performance

Connect First, Speak Second

Tariq was next on the list to give a presentation during my day-long training. He was nervous but excited. As soon as his feet hit the podium, he began speaking, spitting out a barrage of words. Within thirty seconds, he was gasping for breath. Meanwhile, we, the audience, were struggling to keep up and connect with him. I stopped him mid-sentence. “Tariq,” I said, “I want you to stand in silence for a moment so you can get your adrenaline under control. Quietly observe the emotions you’re experiencing. Ground yourself by feeling the floor under your feet. Inhale … exhale.

January 10, 2025 No Comments

Company Growth

To Be A Better Leader, Be A Better Speaker

Ashok, a mid-level manager and new presence and presentation coaching client, shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “The problem,” he said, “is that in order to be promoted at my company, I need to be able to speak confidently in front of larger and larger groups. But even though I keep being offered opportunities to do it, I turn them down because I’m just so uncomfortable speaking in public. Last week, my boss suggested I give a presentation at a conference that’s coming up, to gain some visibility and credibility. But I found a way to squirm out of it, like

December 21, 2024 No Comments

Exciting Presentations

For Presentation Mastery, Sharpen The Saw

When I was cast in a production of Claire Booth Luce’s play The Women at the San Diego Repertory Theater, I learned a lesson that has stuck with me ever since. Our cast of about 20 incredible women was guided by the visionary director Anne Bogart. Over the month-long rehearsal period, we fine-tuned every movement and choice to bring the script to life in alignment with Anne’s creative vision. By opening night, our performances were consistent and solid. But as often happens in life and on stage, things started to shift once the guiding force—Anne—left to direct another play in

December 13, 2024 No Comments

Audience Connection

Create Your Last Lecture

Ron had a remarkable story. After buying and selling several successful businesses, he transitioned into consulting, eager to share the lessons he’d learned. However, his desire to create a signature keynote presentation left him stuck. “I can’t seem to pin down a specific topic,” Ron admitted during our first meeting. To help him break free, I asked a simple but profound question:“If you could only speak publicly one more time in your life, who would you want to speak to, and what’s the message you’d want to relay?” Without hesitation, Ron replied, “I’d want to speak to visionary business owners

December 6, 2024 No Comments