4 Ways Speakers Can Stay On Time

Eleni KelakosCommunication & Influence, Keynote Speaking Advice, Presentation Skills, Professional Development, Professional Speakers, Professional Tips, Public Speaking, Public Speaking Tips, Speaking Engagements, Strategic Tips

How to Avoid Being a Time Gobbler How to Avoid Being a Time Gobbler -> Have you ever been in the audience when a speaker runs long, pushing the entire program behind schedule? Or maybe you’ve been on stage yourself, caught up in the moment, only to realize you’ve gone well past your allotted time. That’s what I call being a Time Gobbler—and I know the feeling because I was one. Early in my speaking career, I gave a keynote that was supposed to last 50 minutes. But the evening started late, dinner service dragged on, and by the time …

Public Speaking Training in the Age of AI: Why It Still Matters

Eleni KelakosAI, Charismatic Presence, Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Presence, Public Speaking

Is public speaking training even necessary anymore? “You know what I’ve been hearing a lot lately?” Eleni, now that AI can help people write presentations, is public speaking training even necessary anymore? My short answer? Absolutely. AI Can Give You Words—But Not Presence AI is brilliant at spitting out words. But words alone don’t win hearts, spark action, or make someone leave thinking, “That talk changed me.” That kind of impact comes from presence—from you showing up genuine, grounded, and human. Your voice. Your quirks. Your energy. Your humanity. Or, as I like to say, your yumminess. Training Isn’t About …

How to Build a Compelling Investor Pitch That Gets Funded

Eleni KelakosCommunication Skills, Entrepreneurship, Investor Pitching, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Tips

After more than two decades helping entrepreneurs craft investor pitches, I’ve noticed one glaring trend: Most pitches don’t grab me. They don’t spark curiosity, stir emotion, or get me to care. And if I don’t care, I don’t listen—and I certainly don’t invest. Instead, many pitches are overloaded with jargon, scattered ideas, and flat delivery. The result? A lukewarm response at best, and missed funding opportunities at worst. A Great Idea Isn’t Enough It doesn’t matter how revolutionary your idea is, or how solid your research may be. If you can’t convey it clearly and compellingly, it’s just an idea—floating …

How to Release Tension Before Speaking or Performing

Eleni KelakosBreathwork Techniques, Confidence Building, Presentation Skills, Professional Tips, Public Speaking Tips

Release tension before speaking: When I was a young actress in New York City, I stepped into my first professional acting class and immediately questioned my life choices. Thirty actors lay scattered across the dusty studio floor, eyes closed, twitching and sighing loudly:“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Aaaaaaahhhhh!” I must’ve looked horrified, because my teacher, Michael Howard, offered a kind, knowing smile and explained: “From the moment you wake up and start to worry, tension begins to attach itself to you like armor. The busier and more stressed you get, the more armored up you become. And when your body is armored, you stop …

9 Ways to Sustain Charismatic Presence & Presentation Skills

Eleni KelakosCharismatic Presence, Communication Skills, Confident Speakers, Executive Presence, Leadership Listening Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Professional Speakers, Public Speaking

Charisma isn’t a one-time performance—it’s a lifelong practice. Charismatic presence for speakers. If you’re striving to become a compelling communicator, you already know that delivering a standout presentation takes work. But the real magic lies in sustaining your presence and evolving your skills long after the applause fades. Today marks the launch of my third book, Charismatic Presence: 5 Principles For Magnetic Presentations. To celebrate, I’m sharing an exclusive excerpt from Chapter 8, “Moving Toward Mastery,” where I offer nine powerful ways to help you maintain your presence and presentation excellence over time. Whether you’re leading meetings, delivering keynotes, or …

How to Handle Presentation Mishaps with Confidence

Eleni KelakosAudience Engagement, Keynote Speaking, Performance Anxiety, Performance Techniques, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Promotion Tips, Public Speaking

You’re mid-speech, in the zone—and then it happens. You trip, forget your next line, or knock your water over. Welcome to the world of presentation mishaps, where even seasoned pros take a tumble. Literally. I once fell off a raised stage in front of 300 dental professionals. While adjusting to new glasses and feeling fired up, I stepped too close to the edge and—boom! Down I went. Skirt flying, limbs flailing. Graceful? Not even close. The crowd gasped. I popped up, raised a hand, and said, “I’m good! Nothing’s broken—except maybe my ego!” We all laughed, the tension eased, and …

For Presentation Mastery, Sharpen The Saw

Eleni KelakosExciting Presentations, Executive Presence, Peak Performance, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Professional Speakers

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 …

5 Practices for Presence & Presentation Mastery

Eleni KelakosAudience Connection, Executive Presence, Peak Performance, Performance Techniques, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Professional Speakers, Public Speaking, Strategic Tips

When it comes to presentations, how skilled are you at giving them? How activated and consistent is your Charismatic Presence, the magnetic life-force that draws people into you? No matter where you are in your journey as a speaker or communicator, you’re never truly “done.” There’s always room for improvement, and peak performers know that mastery is a lifelong pursuit. They understand the importance of stepping into discomfort again and again to grow beyond their current skill set. Think Like An Actor And Move Towards Mastery Adopting an actor’s mindset can be invaluable for your journey toward mastering presence and …

Presentation Tip: Managing The Moment Before

Eleni KelakosAudience Connection, Executive Presence, Peak Performance, Performance Techniques, Presentation Skills, Professional Tips, Public Speaking, Strategic Tips

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch Sing Sing, a film that tells the inspiring story of inmates at the famed Sing Sing prison who participated in a transformative program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). This powerful film, enacted predominantly by actual RTA participants, centers around a character named Divine G, played by the incredible Colman Domingo. Divine G is an inmate wrongfully convicted of a crime, but he discovers a renewed sense of purpose through his involvement in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. The film’s portrayal of how the essential elements of acting—trusting oneself and others, …

10 Ways To Make Your Power Point Slides Better

Eleni KelakosExciting Presentations, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Strategic Tips, Virtual Presenations

Over twenty years ago, an excruciatingly dull PowerPoint presentation drove me to become a presentation coach and trainer. Today, poorly executed slide presentations still make me want to shout, “TURN OFF THE SLIDES AND JUST TALK TO US!” (And yes, I often do this when coaching clients.) Why Slides Matter It’s not that I dislike slide presentations; I dislike poorly conceived and poorly delivered ones. When used correctly, slides can powerfully reinforce your spoken points. However, all too often, slides and their accompanying technology distract from the speaker. Remember, you are the star of your presentation, and your slides should …

Stop Preparing And Just Do It

Eleni KelakosPerformance Techniques, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Strategic Tips

When I teach presentation skills to my coaching and training clients, I always emphasize the importance of knowing their material inside out. As jazz musician Bradford Marsalis wisely said, “If you’re not prepared, it’s too late.” This principle applies to all aspects of life, not just public speaking. However, there comes a point where you need to stop preparing and just DO it. This leap of faith can be terrifying for many people, causing them to remain stuck in a perpetual state of preparation. I call it “getting ready to get ready,” which can prevent you from showing up, stepping …

To Amp Up Your Presentations, Banish the Beige!

Eleni KelakosExciting Presentations, Presentation Skills, Professional Tips, Public Speaking, Strategic Tips

If you’ve ever participated in one of my presentation skills training classes, you’ve heard me say the following words: BAN WISHY-WASHY! I even reinforce this point with a sign slashed through with a big red line. When it comes to public speaking, nothing irritates me more than ho-hum, sorta-kinda-not-really-sure-what-I’ve-decided-to-do-or-say-here moments. Unfortunately, most of the presentations I see are full of wishy-washy, bland, or what I call “beige” moments. What Exactly Do I Mean By Beige? For those of you who don’t know what beige is, here’s a nifty definition from Merriam-Webster dictionary: “A variable color averaging light grayish-yellowish brown… a …