The Top 10 Fundamentals
There are a few foundational principles that guide and ground all of our work here at Stand Up For Change™. They are inspired by comedians and advocates alike and have helped inform some of our core curriculum. Over the coming months, check this space for deep dives into what each principle means and how to apply it throughout your own life. For now, we’re just excited to share this exclusive piece of our framework!
10 Fundamentals of Your Platform Stand Up For Change:
Find Clarity: Who are you, what core message or perspective do you need to share with an audience, and why are you the one with the microphone (real or metaphorical)?
Stay Humble: Use self-deprecation as a tool to humanize yourself, not hate yourself, and remember that everyone has embarrassing moments (and will only remember their own). You can even acknowledge your nerves as part of your opener – it makes you human, feels relatable, and the audience may subconsciously find your transparency endearing.
Be Curious: This one is equal parts advice from my therapist and one of my favorite lines from Ted Lasso. Get curious about the world and other people, not judgmental. This will help you open your eyes, mind, and heart to the world around you and improve your interactions with hecklers and other distractions that might pop up.
Be Honest: Even if you have an onstage persona or required brand messaging, you can still present your material in an authentic way. This is important, because crowds crave realness and can smell disingenuity a mile away. (This tip is especially helpful for if you forget your speech or make a mistake. Simply acknowledge/name the situation and move on.)
Cultivate Connection: You are facilitating the audience’s shared experience from the moment you get onstage to your final word. Find a way to get everyone on the same page about something early on – whether it’s weird weather in your town, the long line during your conference’s check-in, or simply what they can expect to hear from you. Creating a sense of community and connection among strangers in the crowd will inspire deeper engagement with your material.
Be Present: Whether you’re presenting to an arena of attendees, a department meeting, or a virtual event, staying present in your body is crucial (that’s why it’s such a big focus of our trainings). This includes things you can do ahead of time – like getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water – as well as when you’re onstage – like what to do with your hands, where to look, and how to minimize your anxiety sweats. Stay tuned for a ton of pro tips on this one!
Get Confident: The only thing a crowd can sense more quickly than inauthenticity is a lack of confidence. Whether you fake it till you make it, or you already possess some faith in yourself, confidence is your key to holding the audience’s attention and staying in control of an otherwise uncontrollable situation. (Bonus: self-confidence will help you recover from the inevitable less-than-stellar times onstage.)
Find Empathy: You may only punch up, never down. Full stop. Use your platform to uplift, entertain, and educate others. Call out the bullies of the world – don’t become one!
Stay Grateful: It is a privilege to have any sort of platform. Whether you’re onstage or sending a newsletter, the opportunity to connect with an audience is a gift that can’t be taken for granted. Be appreciative of their time, attention, and investment in what you want to say. Gratitude can include opening and closing with a simple “thank you” as well as showing up prepared as a courtesy to the crowd.
Share Your Passion: Do not hold back or downplay your passion! This is what separates the good communicators from the great, and the great communicators from the truly transformative. Your passion is why you have a platform. You care so deeply about your topic that it’s flowing out of you and you just have to get onstage (or online) in front of strangers to tell them. Your passion is infectious and will inspire your audience to pay attention and take action.
You will be unstoppable if you ground yourself, and your communications, in these ten core principles.
In community,
Jess Agi