7 Ways To Be A Better Public Speaker

Ask anyone about their first public speaking engagement and they will to tell you how nervous they were. Here's the thing. You know those super confident speakers who regularly speak in front of big audiences? They still get a little nervous. They know how to use those nerves to their advantage.

The more you public speak, the easier it gets. But that doesn't mean there still aren't moments of hesitation and nerves before you go in front of an audience Here are some tips to help you become a better public speaker. 

1. Nerves are normal. Don't let your heart racing or sweaty hands fool you into think you will fail.

2. Pump yourself up. Tell yourself you are going to do great. Over and over again. You'll start to believe it. 

3. Prepare an outline, not a script. By not having a script, it makes it easier to speak more naturally.

4. Think about your audience. Your talk should be about them, not you.

5. Have personality. The last thing your audience wants is a boring, monotone talk. Liven up your talk with hand gestures, voice changes, etc. 

6. Stand up straight. You'll look and feel more confident.

7. Practice, practice, practice

Classic Books Every Entrepreneur Must Read

Ask any billionaire or successful entrepreneur and they will stress the importance of reading. All those articles you see on Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and Inc? You know the ones -"Daily Habits of Successful People" and they feature Mark Cuban, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson.

Here are some of my favorite books that have stood the test of time. Okay, Gary Vaynernuck and Simon Sinek's are more recent (2013 + 2009), but Napoleon Hill and Stephan R. Covey have been crushng it since 1937 and 1989. I have read all of these multiple times, and every time I pick up on something new. 

Here's how to get the most out of them: don't rush through them. Read them with a notebook and pen - take notes. Review your notes and put the lessons into action. Do that and you will see a huge transformation. 

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuck

Buy Now

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

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Start With Why by Simon Sinek

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Buy Now

The Importance Of Your Identity

One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make is thinking they need to follow in the footsteps of those successful "stars" in their industry. It is easy to fall into that trap. You see those who are in your industry and think, "Okay, I just need to do exactly what they are doing."

Here's the thing. It is inevitable you are going to check them out and see what they are doing. In fact, if you are not, YOU SHOULD. The key is not to become obsessed. Do not copy. Do not second guess what you are doing. Don't go switching up your strategy just because a "successful" competitor does it another way. 

People have done what you are doing. The thing is, it has never been done by you. You will be your own spin on it. Your voice and identity can not be replicated. Use that to your advantage. Your audience can tell if you are being authentic or not. Authenticity is such a powerful selling tool. It builds trust, thus making it easier to make sales. 

The Secret To Starting A Business

My website isn't done. I don't have 10K followers on Instagram. My logo isn't right. 

News Flash: There is no perfect time to start a business. You can come up with endless excuses as to why you shouldn't launch your business but you know what? Just start. No one is ever 100% ready. Be brave enough to take the risk. 

What does matter?

That you believe it will work. Confidence is critical for launching a business. If you don't believe it will work because it isn't 100% ready (spoiler: alert: it never will be), what makes you think your audience will believe it will work?

Talk with any entrepreneur. Most of them wish they would have started sooner. The timing in life will never be right. It is easy to look at successful entrepreneurs in your industry and say "Look at how perfect their work is." Perfectionism is a myth. Want to know how that entrepreneur you idealize got there? By starting. By getting messy. By making mistakes. 

If you are struggling with this, start listening to podcasts or reading books about business leaders. Most of their stories start off very differently from where they are today. Let their stories inspire you to take imperfect action. 

Banned Hashtags

By now you already know the importance of hashtags on Instagram. They help reach a larger audience, especially to your target client. Instagram allows you to post 30 hashtags at once, but not all hashtags are allowed. Instagram has specific hashtags that cannot be used. Here's what to know:

• Some hashtags are banned forever

• Some hashtags are banned temporarily

• If you use banned hashtags, your account can be blocked

Always check to see if a hashtags is banned before you use it. To do so, search under tags for your hashtag. If it doesn't appear, it is banned. As you can see below, #beautyblogger does not appear. 

If you already have a list of hashtags you use regularly, check to make sure all are allowed. At times using a blocked hashtag can disable even the allowed hashtags.

Here is a list of current (2018) banned hashtags: