258: Obama’s Speechwriter: Working in the West Wing, Speeches that Make History, and Becoming a Confident Speaker. Terry Szuplat
In today’s episode, one of Barack Obama’s longest-serving speechwriters reveals the public speaking lessons that will help you become a more confident and compelling communicator and leader. For 8 years, Terry Szuplat worked on hundreds of speeches for President Obama. He served as a special assistant to the president, and from 2013 to 2017 he was the deputy director of the White House Speechwriting Office. In Terry’s brand new book “Say It Well”, he shares the life-changing lessons he learned from Barack Obama and how he applied these techniques to become a better speaker himself. We talk about the one time President Obama froze up and lost his train of thought, Terry’s first meeting with the President, and what it was like working closely with one of the most inspiring communicators of our time. We also get tactical. Terry shares lots of actionable advice on speaking and presenting that you can apply immediately. Enjoy this episode with the man who wrote many speeches that made history: Terry Szuplat. “Say It Well” is out now! You can also join Terry on his US book tour: https://globalvoicescommunications.com/say-it-well/ If you want to “present it well”, Oliver has a live Presentation Secrets Workshop coming up, so make sure you are subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter: https://www.eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter