Our episode guest is Allison Shapira, CEO of Global Public Speaking. Before starting her public speaking coaching career, she was an opera singer.  Five things you’ll learn from this episode: The performance of public speakingThe public speaking skills you need todayHow to craft talking points How to develop a speech for an executiveHow to take your speaking skills to the next levelQuotables “I actually start with opera and end with folk music to make a point about authenticity over perfection in our public speaking. So I've been able to bring music into my keynotes, which I love.” — @allisonshapira“Even if you're not being paid, every time you're onstage, you have an opportunity to influence others' behaviors, thoughts, actions. And that's such an awesome responsibility. We don't want to wing it.” — @allisonshapira“Read it out loud and make sure it sounds good to the ear as opposed to looking good to the eye.” — @allisonshapiraAbout Allison Shapira Allison Shapira is a former opera singer-turned-entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and expert in public speaking. She is the founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking LLC, a communication training firm and certified woman-owned small business that helps people speak clearly, concisely, and confidently – both virtually and in person. She teaches public speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent nearly 20 years developing leadership communication programs for Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations around the world. Allison is a certified virtual presenter and a certified speaking professional. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and is the author of “Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others,” which was a Washington Post bestseller. She was a finalist for 2017 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, San Diego Chapter. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area.  Guest’s contact info and resources: Allison Shapira on TwitterAllison Shapira on LinkedIn speakwithimpactbook.comAdditional Resources: Disclosure: One or more of the links we share here might be affiliate links that offer us a referral reward when you buy from them. Speak with Impact PaperbackSpeak with Impact AudiobookAdditional Axia Resources: How company executives can become powerful keynote speakers with Michael Port from Heroic Public SpeakingKeyNote, Booking Public Speaking EngagementsMediaMSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.