SpeakerNet News 8/15/2025

8/15/2025

Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly

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From the Editors

Would you like to join the SNN editorial team?

We’re looking for a few people to help source and craft relevant tips. Or add your own tips. Is that you? It would likely take less than an hour every week or two, and you could gather useful info from sources you’re probably already consuming. Plus, what a cool thing to add to your resume that you’re an official part of a nearly 30-year-old industry publication!

If interested, please email us ASAP and we’ll set up a time to go into detail. editor@SpeakerNetNews.com

Miscellaneous Tips

Prioritize Your Time and Let Go of Outdated Routines — Vickie Sullivan

This year I hve been focusing on ways to prioritize my time and asking, “Is this task/process/experience necessary? And why?” As a result, I’ve paused the podcasts I had been including with my blog posts. I may stop them forever. The jury is still out on that.

I have several reasons for doing this, but the bigger question I want to ask is this: How do you know when to let go of something you’ve done for a long time (in my case, eight years)? Two considerations I used:

To make time for something better. It wasn’t that I disliked doing the podcasts. But they doubled the time to get the blog posts out. This year, I realized I need to prioritize my time more intentionally. I didn’t mind the time required for the podcasts until I wanted to shift my focus to something else. What I learned from my 2024 is that a significant source of my struggles comes from adding without subtracting. This is an opportunity to change an old habit.
The purpose of the podcasts got lost. I never thought they received the same engagement as the written posts. To justify the time involved, I had to return to my intent and ask, “Are these blog posts enough? What do the audio clips bring to the party?” Honestly, I didn’t have a good answer. So, unless and until I know the void that the audio fills, the podcasts are sidelined.

It’s easy to get into a routine and do something just because you decided to do it a long time ago. But if you want to prioritize your time effectively, it’s essential to check in and ask, “Is the reason why I’m doing this still valid? Is the time/effort investment worth it?” Making our lives easier requires us to get off autopilot and let go of what used to be a good idea.

Is the Rebecca Morgan/eSpeakers’ Virtual Master Presenter course right for you? You think your virtual presentations are good enough — or could they be even better? Would you like to learn some nuances that will make your virtual presentations more compelling? Learn about Rebecca Morgan/eSpeakers’ Virtual Master Presenter course in the free previews Aug 25 or 27. Details.

Travel Tips

Flying into/out of Canada tips — Nancy Mueller

Remember that TSA holds no weight in Canada. You still need to remove your shoes and carry no more than a quart-size bag of liquids through security.
Air Canada: Confirm if agents have the option of comping the first 10 checked bags of the day for free (1 per customer). Your odds improve immeasurably if you check in for your flight online as soon as possible. (I can’t confirm this is true throughout the system.)

Pack fresh fruit — Rebecca Morgan

If you’re attending a conference for 5 days or more, and know you won’t have time to go to the grocery store once onsite, consider packing some fresh fruit from home. I did this for a recent 7-day stay (I had meetings before the event, and stayed a day after to enjoy the resort.)

I carefully packed fresh, tree-ripened fruit (peaches, nectarines, cherries, grapes, pluots) from my local farmers market. I placed these in boxes to protect them, and that I could leave behind. The boxes went in the bottom of my suitcase. (You may want to put the boxes in a plastic bag in case the jostling causes some of the fruit juice to leak.)

I packed snack-sized baggies so I could throw some fruit in my purse for a break snack. My roommate and I snacked on these throughout the week-long stay and were grateful to have them easily available from our mini-fridge.

Yes, it takes some planning, careful packing, and a checked bag. But I found it worth it to have healthy fresh fruit snacks throughout my stay.

Topic of the Month (TOTM) — Your Input Wanted

Our TOTM is: If you attended NSA’s Influence convention, what are some takeaways you’ll implement? If possible, credit who you learned this from.

Send your brief, pithy responses *that are different from those previously mentioned* to editor@SpeakerNetNews.com. Please put “Topic of the Month” or “TOTM” in the subject line.

— Darlene Carver

My takeaway was from Simon T. Bailey. I will be using his ending — while crediting him: “I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it!” It is how I truly feel after each training session.

— Rebecca Morgan

In Joel Weldon’s breakout, he taught us a simple four-step method for creating an effective speaker introduction:

Your subject. “You’re here because...” (What your audience wants from your presentation)
WIIFT: What’s in it for them
Why me?: Your credibility
Title and subtitle: A title that focuses on the benefit to your audience

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About SpeakerNet News and the Editors/Publishers

Publishers — Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, CMC, CVP, VMP, and Ken Braly
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