“What I Believe” – by Thom Singer

I am privileged to have worked as a keynote speaker and master of ceremonies / EmCee at in-person, hybrid, and virtual meetings. The companies and associations that I have served have each had people who have touched my soul.  I created this page, as I know that selecting a speaker has to be about more than how they look, or clips from a sizzle reel. The right speaker or event host / EmCee has to have the right emotional fit for the organization and the audience. Too often we have all seen presentations that were good, but did not resonate. That ability to connect to the meeting participants is about more than being an experienced orator.

What I believe about life and people has morphed and changed over time, and over the years my ego and personality have taken a backseat to my soul. This has been a hard process. Changing and growing is hard, and I understand now about the chrysalis and transformation of a butterfly. It is jolting, painful, difficult, and a necessary process.

Learning to put first impressions and judgement aside has not been easy, and by all means I am still a work in progress. Those who knew me five years ago would attest to some of the changes, if they were open to looking at how others behave. Too often we put people in a box and never notice the new phases they enter. Part of my message about human connections is that we have to allow room for editing our narrative of the people in our orbit. What I believe is that people can and do change and their new perspectives are usually more powerful than their early viewpoints.

Presenting at conferences and doing in-company educational sessions have had an impact on what I believe about the journey of life. My exposure to people of different ages, genders, races, political beliefs, countries of origin, educational background, religious beliefs, etc… has been the greatest gift I have ever been given. The people whom have helped me along my path are nothing less than the shining light of the universe.

  • I believe people are fascinating and deserve my attention

  • I believe that my soul beats my ego / personality

  • I believe events are important for learning and human engagement

  • I believe a speaker should bring energy to a conference

  • I believe a speaker should educate and inspire – but should also be open to learning in the process

  • I believe that modern-day conferences need interaction

  • I believe all speakers should stick around after their presentation as part of the event community

  • I believe the audience’s attention must be earned

  • I believe all speakers need to stay on time

  • I believe in humor and stories as a way to connect with people

  • I believe speakers set the tone for the whole event

  • I believe live meetings can change the world

What I believe is that being selected to present at a conference is an honor. The gift of sharing ideas and inspiring other people is something that I did not always understand. But over time I realized a speaking career spanning over a decade and having presented to over 1000 audiences is unique. While I am not the right fit for every conference, when a meeting organizer and / or a planning committee trusts me to speak, it is my responsibility to customize my talk to ensure their event is a memorable experience.

I believe few people will read this page, but if you have…. thank you.  I would like to have a conversation with you about your meeting, and I am happy to refer you to other speakers if I am not the right one for this conference.  Check out my page on “Recommended Professional Speakers” which I created to help you find amazing people who will WOW your meeting participants.