Today Was A Complete Waste Of Makeup

An idea is a terrible thing to waste. As harsh as it may sound, the quality of the idea is not as important as the quality of the presentation of that idea.

Show, Don't Just Tell - The Power of Story Telling

A couple years ago I was at a workshop of James Whittaker where he was teaching stage presence and story telling at an internal Microsoft forum. James is a distinguished engineer, an accomplished public speaker and the author of popular article Why I left Google. I enjoyed every minute of his stories and believe that following his five laws of stage presence, I'll master that magical super power of story telling. 

The Art of Stage Presence—James WhittakerDocs.com

5 Laws of stage presence by James Whittaker

• Start Strong

• Focus on the concept

• Show, don't tell

• Speak for the Audience

• Stick the landing

So why it has anything to do with the waste of makeup? 

The 6th law

• Tell a story by pumping up audience's imagination

James shared a interesting moment when he ran into a strange grumpy lady who apparently had a long daunting day. She said nothing more than 

"Today was a complete waste of makeup."

She shared a story by not sharing one, but you, in the audience, are simply intrigued. Including James.

Six word story

Inspired by Hemingway’s famous six-word tale, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” the “six word story” has served as a prompt for decades, testing writers’ ability to create their own succinct masterpieces with all sorts of clever results, including the popular 2006 Six Word Memoirs project. Now, the well-worn idea has gotten new life on Tumblr and Reddit, where users are posting their own hyper-short creations online to show off their creativity and pithiness.

• Birth certificate. Death certificate. Same Day.

• We're lying in bed. She's lying.

• "Total media blackout" agreed the President.

• BREAKING: Simulated beings realize they're simulated.

• "Wrong number", says a familiar voice.

• Sorry soldier, shoes sold in pairs. 

•  Brought rose home. Key didn't fit. 

• "Male?""It's an old driver's license."  

•  Introduced myself to mother again today.

•  I'm done being your "sometimes". 

• "Joining the President is his husband..." 

•  I met my soulmate. She didn't. 

•  Mom taught me how to shave. 

•  Passengers, this isn't your captain speaking. 

•  What's your return policy on rings?

Now it's my turn to share two of my 6 word stories today - Story telling is a super power. May the power be with you. 

Now investor pitching, a different story.


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