My podcast this week is from the Effective Public Speaking book. I am happy to report my copyeditor has the book. I'm looking forward to his comments.
In other news, I have finally finished renaming the blog posts from their original (and repetitious) “60 Seconds” to useful titles that match the content. I have not yet done that on YouTube, but it's on my list.
Enjoy!
The Podcast:
The Transcript:
This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for July 25, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Do You Always Need a Microphone?
I have a guideline that might work for you. If the room has a microphone, I use it. And, if I'm speaking to more than ten or so people around a conference table, I use a microphone.
Without a microphone, speakers need to spend energy projecting their voices, not just staying present and making eye contact with the other people. In the past, I have delivered all-day workshops to twenty or more people in a larger conference room. That required a lot of speaker and facilitator energy. I also needed to drink a lot more water to keep my voice hydrated. I would rather spend my energy staying present and making eye contact with the people in the room.
If in doubt, mic up.
The Video:
Here's the link to the video.