Nerves

I’ve got to admit that I’m a little bit nervous this week.

This afternoon I was supposed to present a PowerPoint (ugh!) on blogs/bloggers/blogging. The word(s) has lost all meaning.

Fortunately I got a reprieve: I’ll be presenting on Wednesday.
Unfortunately there’s a catch: instead of an audience of roughly half a dozen, it’ll be 30-40 folks.

Now I’m not one to shy away from public speaking. I love the spotlight. Took that TBS-sponsored Improv Comedy class and everything.

Here’s the thing: In a big meeting like this I’m going to get a *ton* of questions and my comedic timing/judgment tend to work best in smaller, more intimate setting.

I’ve got the obligatory Soylent Green joke for the TCM folks in the crowd but I’m still sweaty-palmed over the whole thing.

It basically comes down to justifying my new title in a room full of peers and executives alike. And sure it’s a topic with which I’m intimately familiar but maybe that’s almost too good to be true. I worry I’ll rush (and there’s a ton to cover) and that I’ll let slip something too goofy, too tangential or too technical.

Whatever the reason it’s just nerves and they’ll pass. I’m practicing a bit more tomorrow and Wednesday and listening to the new R.E.M. album Accelerate which is a little middling.

Nerves perhaps?

I hope to have a video or podcast of the presentation some time after the bloodletting. I may even put up a test post on Wednesday and call for comments to show off all your smiling faces and Gravatars to the folks in the meeting.

Get ready for internet fame!

6 thoughts on “Nerves

  1. EJ says:

    Hey Seth. Don’t know if you’ve already come across Garr Reynolds’ blog, presentationzen.com, but it’s full of great insights about presentation design, especially Powerpoint. The author’s new book (same name as the blog) is a bestseller. His tips inspired a complete re-thinking of my presentation philosophy. In brief, the key tip is use great images and minimal text (if any) on your slides. Good luck on Wed.
    EJ

  2. Wow – really like the new look!
    And had no idea REM has released a new album – something to check out asap.
    I am in Taipei at the moment – weather has been so-so, a bit overcast but not too hot nor cold – heading back to Nippon on Friday.

  3. Thanks for the tip, EJ. I’m actually using some of Garr’s tips and the style of attorney/author/creative commons progenitor Lawrence Lessig.

  4. The Big Day…

    This morning at 11am I’m presenting an informative but tongue-in-cheek PowerPoint – Blogging and You – to a group of colleagues. It’s actually an off-shoot of a larger presentation/class I’m teaching next month on Web 2.0 at our inte…

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