Blog of Professional Speaker Snowden McFall

Fire Up Your Presentations

How you finish a presentation matters as much as how you begin.

Whether you are delivering a 30-second introduction or a two-hour sales presentation, your closing moment shapes what people remember, how they feel, and whether your message lands.

Presentation Tip: Finish with Energy and Intention

I recently watched a speaker deliver a solid presentation. They used relevant stories, thoughtful examples, and engaging visuals. The content was strong.

But in the final moments, their voice trailed off. Their energy dropped. The close felt disconnected from the message that preceded it. The audience missed the final point not because it lacked value, but because it lacked presence.

Leaders are remembered for how they make people feel. When your energy fades at the end, the impact fades with it.

Finish with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Close with a story, question, or insight that reinforces the benefit to your audience. Speak with intention. Let your final words signal that what you shared matters.

This ability to communicate with steadiness and conviction under pressure is a core element of executive presence. Learn how leaders strengthen clarity, confidence, and impact in high-stakes moments at Communication and Executive Presence.

People may forget your slides, but they will remember how you showed up. Make your closing count.

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Stress Express Tip: Eat Pistachios!

Pistachios Calm the Body When Under Stress

Who knew? A study done by Penn State documents that eating pistachio nuts calms the body while under acute stress.

“A ten-year follow-up study of young men showed that those who had larger cardiovascular responses to stress in the lab, were more likely to contract hypertension later in life,” says Dr. Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health.

West studied the impact of pistachios on standardized stressors of young men who had high cholesterol, but normal blood pressure. When pistachios were consumed during times of acute stress, they lowered the blood pressure in these men.

Pistachios are high in unsaturated fats and antioxidants, so keep a bag on hand when you know you will be stressed.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting without permission and author reference.

Get Fired Up! About Social Media

Make the Most of Your Posts

If you are one of the of people who regularly use social media to share information, here are a few tips to fire up! your social media and relieve stress from posting. (Learned some of this from Dan Zarella at Hubspot- thanks Dan.)

1. Complete the bio section on each social media platform. Include a photo, background info- anything you are willing to make public. People trust more when they can learn about you and see your face.

2. Don’t overdo it and don’t crowd your content. Posting 5 times within an hour is a waste. It works much better to post once an hour during your heavily trafficked times. Find out what those are by using Tweriod.com.

3. Use keywords in your content to increase your search engine rankings.

4. Keep your article posts short and to the point without lots of flowery language and adjectives. The KISS method works best.

4. Always add value in your posts. Make it about your followers.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting without permission and author reference.

Be Proactive to Reduce Pressure and Regain Control

One of the fastest ways leaders accumulate stress is by constantly reacting to other people’s timelines. Missed deadlines, last-minute requests, and repeated vendor issues create unnecessary pressure that feels out of your control.

In most cases, the problem is not other people. The problem is the absence of a proactive system.

Why Proactivity Reduces Leadership Stress

Waiting for clients, employees, or vendors to change their behavior rarely works. A more effective approach is to anticipate needs, clarify expectations early, and create structure around timelines before pressure builds.

Proactive leaders do not eliminate uncertainty, but they dramatically reduce surprise.

Practical Ways to Be Proactive with Others

Ask forward-looking questions. Talk with clients and stakeholders about their plans for the next 6 to 12 months. Identify upcoming projects, decision points, and likely deadlines before they become urgent.
Schedule follow-ups in advance. Once timelines are discussed, place check-in dates on your calendar. Regular touchpoints prevent last-minute emergencies.
Set expectations with vendors early. Let vendors know when work is likely coming and ask them to reserve capacity. Clear communication reduces repeated breakdowns.

When you work proactively, you shift from reacting under pressure to leading with intention. Your pace becomes steadier, your decisions clearer, and your energy more sustainable.

This approach is a foundational element of a structured leadership resilience practice. You can see how proactive planning fits into a broader framework in the
Leadership Resilience System.

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Stress Express Tip: Remove Yourself from the Source

Escape the Negative Influencer

Other people are often the cause of our stress, whether they are upset about things that happen to them or outside world issues. Sometimes our co-workers or loved ones bring their stress with them to work and are in terrible moods.

When that happens, one of the best things you can do is remove yourself from the source of negativity. Give that person some breathing space, let them calm down and work through their worries and don’t take it upon yourself to fix them. Suggest that they cool down first if they want to talk.

If they come to you and ask for help, you can listen and calm them down. Be sure to give physical space between the two of you and perhaps imagine an invisible shield in front of you, as a way of protecting yourself. Don’t take on their anger or upset, or you will go out of balance, too. Then nobody can see clearly and be effective. Have empathy, try using Non-Violent Communication and let them vent, without absorbing it.

If you are constantly dealing with angry people, you will need to take breaks outside in nature, where you can let it all go. Try to be near flowing water and let yourself breathe. Imagine all the “stuff” you were subjected to just washing away. At night, be sure to shower off that same crud. It’s amazing how much the negative energy of others can sap and drain ours.

Take good care of yourself and you will be more effective, healthier and happier, at work and at home.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting without permission and author reference.

Fire Up Your People By Including Them

Appreciate Your Employees & Give Them Feedback

In a study conducted by USA Today a few years back, the top three things that employees want are: interesting work, appreciation and being “in” on things. The U.S. Dept. of Labor said 46% of all people who quit do so because they felt they are not appreciated for the work they do. And James Howard discovered that when asked what their boss or supervisor says when they finish a task or project, 92% said their supervisor said nothing! 88% of Americans say they are never thanked for their work. Resilient leaders will acknowledge the challenges, the effort, and the stress experienced, while achieving great suvvess as a team.

What all this data means is that employees are HUNGRY for positive feedback. And so are we as human beings. We have a tendency to be very hard on ourselves and judge ourselves severely.

Daniel Pink, the author of Drive, says humans are motivated by autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Sometimes, the greatest thing you can do in a given day is give your employees or co-workers a few minutes of sincere, specific praise. Try something as simple as “Thanks for the good work on that project” or “I really appreciated your comments in the meeting today-they were valuable.” All too many employers save up their kind words for bonus time, instead of sharing them throughout the year. Connect their work to the greater purpose they have, give them greater control over what they do, and help them become better at it.

Employees hate to be ignored, to be left out, and to feel unappreciated. Be sure you take excellent care of your people, or you may lose them.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting without permission and author reference

Fire Up! Your Business Standards

You Do Have the Power to Stop Negative Behavior

No matter what kind of professional you are, CEO, executive, business owner, doctor, lawyer, manager, you have the right and indeed, the responsibility, to set standards for your workplace. Many fields have set standards already, from healthcare to law. However you can go further. You can set standards of excellence in work, but also standards in behavior and performance.

I was recently told, when discussing negative behavior of a high level professional, that “That’s just how they are.” I simply don’t accept that.

No matter what level you’re at, you are subject to behavioral standards and employment law experts agree. It’s very easy to build an “attitude, behavior and professional conduct” clause right into your policy manual and your employment contracts. It needs to be specific and clear about what is acceptable and flexible enough to help you achieve your results. It is not acceptable for anyone at any level to come in regularly in a bad mood, yell at the rest of the staff, complain and whine and make everyone else’s day miserable. That is unprofessional conduct and should not be tolerated.

Set the standards, put it in writing with your employment attorney, inform everyone, and refuse to settle for anything less. Good employees will be grateful and bad employees will leave- which is best for everyone.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting with permission and author reference.

Igniting Your Promotion- What You Can Do

5:15 Can Make All the Difference

In an article in Fortune Small Business, FSB, Pat Croce shared a clever way to stay on top of his employees’ progress, concerns and successes. Every Friday, all employees and managers write a progress report that lands on the desk or in the email of their supervisor. Eventually, all of the critical info gets to the CEO in an abbreviated version. It takes 5 minutes for the supervisor to read and 15 for the employee to write.

What Croce does next is the important part. By the next Monday, he has responded to specific questions and concerns via email or in box. He has given out praise and made notes on future issues. He is demonstrating a core principal of resilient leadership through consistent, appropriate communication.

By learning what his staff is doing on all levels, he has a pulse on all aspects of his business He also has received great information for future performance reviews.

I remember once hearing about a woman who turned in weekly progress reports to her boss. She was continually promoted- not because she was so much better than others, but because her boss KNEW what she was doing.

What systems are in place for your people to communicate with you? Does your boss (or board of directors) know what progress you made this week? People can only congratulate you and support you when they know what you are achieving. Take the time to let them know and your career can accelerate.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting with permission and author refere

Fire Up Your Communications at Work

If You Don’t Know What’s Going On, Ask

One of the hardest parts of any job is feeling like you are missing critical data you need. Sometimes that data is product and service-related and other times, it is personnel-related. If you are in a situation where you don’t know the guidelines, you don’t understand the dynamics or ramifications of a decision, or you are not sure of the politics around a given issue, ask someone wise whom you trust ( preferably someone higher up.)

Explain that you sense there might me something more to a given issue, and that you would like the history of it, Ask if they could they please share their perspective. Then, make your decision from a more informed viewpoint.

There are politics in every job, in every workplace. Some are minor and insignificant, others are insidious and unfortunately, critical to your success.

Diplomacy and tact are key in every workplace, and thinking rather than reacting will serve you well. It can be time consuming to flesh out all the dimensions to a given situation, but it may well be worth it if you want to be successful, get promoted and create greater results. When in doubt, ask. This kind of communication discipline is a core element of executive presence, especially in complex workplaces.

It is far better than assuming, which can frequently get you in trouble! Knowledge is power.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting with permission and author reference.

Fire Up Your Marketing by Sponsoring Events

Marketing Tip: Event Sponsorships

Clients often ask me about unique ways to market themselves with good return. One approach is to sponsor an event or cause that you believe in, which has an audience of people who might use your business. Companies whose primary target market is women might pick the American Heart Association Go Red for Women events, Breast Cancer events or Women in Business Awards events.

If you have an ill family member, you may want to sponsor an event that will support research. The key is to be sincere, get actively involved at the event, and make sure you receive good value for your sponsorship, such as logos, ads in programs, recognition, etc. It can be a great way to market yourself, and more importantly, to give back.

It is also a great way to engage your employees. If there is a sick employee that everyone wants to help, perhaps you do a fundraiser event around the cause that represents their illness. Or get everyone together and help build a house through Habitat for Humanity. It’s also a tremendous stress reliever to do something for someone less fortunate. Everyone can connect something with meaning and purpose and it increases morale and positive feelings all around.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting with permission and author reference.