Having a clear, achievable goal in mind is crucial. When I began speaking at conferences, I set my goal on eventually speaking at An Event Apart, a web design conference for UX and front-end experts. It was run by Jeffrey Zeldman and Eric Meyer. Their speakers were people whose blogs I read every day to hone my own craft, and I wanted to be... See more

I know that public speaking scares me, and that I love it. My tried and true ritual: Before I begin, I take a moment to look around and smile at the audience. I identify someone who looks particularly engaged, and keep going back to them throughout my speech.

How to make a Keynote presentation that will win hearts, minds and money