Kids Party Character Podcast presents: How to raise an Entrepreneur

How to Raise an Entrepreneur

If someone were to ask you what you’d like your child to be, words such as kind, honest, and happy might come to mind. 

Most of us would be uncomfortable pegging a career for our kids, we want them to be what they want to be (with a few restrictions of course!)

And what’s the use really, chances are if we tried to dictate our child’s career path she’d likely purposefully go in the opposite direction, anyway.

So before we talk about how to raise an entrepreneur, perhaps the better question is why would I want to raise my child to be an entrepreneur?

After all, it doesn’t take much experience as an entrepreneur to know that it can be a difficult and uncertain career path, and is sometimes simply a code word for “I’m unemployed.”

Even if you have no desire to try to put your child on a certain career path, there are at least two reasons you should raise her to be an entrepreneur.

First, we live in uncertain and changing economic times. 

It used to be common for people to get a job straight out of college and retire from that same company.

Such stability among jobs and companies themselves is rare anymore.

Equipping your child to be an entrepreneur is a good plan even though she may end up there someday out of necessity rather than choice. 

Second, if you raise your child to look at the world through the eyes of an entrepreneur, you’re empowering her to know she doesn’t have to settle for a life that’s lived around a job she hates going to every day, or a boss or co-worker she can’t stand.

You’re breaking open the traditional model of get the best job you can and stay there for the money whether you like it or not because that’s life, and giving your child brighter paths to consider.

So without having any expectation that your child should actually become an entrepreneur,  let’s look at four areas in which you can instill the entrepreneurial spirit in her that will benefit her no matter what profession or job she ultimately chooses.

Discipline

How we discipline our children has a big influence over their self-image and self-esteem. 

If we want to raise strong, self-assured, independent children, then we have to focus on problem solving rather than punishment as a method of discipline.

Ruling with an iron hand that metes out punishments in exchange for wrong doing sends your child the message that something’s wrong with him. 

It also sets the tone for a future boss/employee relationship where your child as the employee simply takes what the boss doles out and lives for Friday night where he can sit at the bar with his co-workers and bad mouth the offending boss.

If your child’s wrong doings are met with the attitude of “you have a problem, how can I help you solve it and get your behavior on track?” it helps to build your child up rather than tear him down.

Positive discipline instills ever-important problem-solving skills in your child and empowers him to grow, rather than just leaving him angry with you and questioning his own worth.

One of your biggest roles as a parent is arming your child  with a positive self-image because self-image is one of the best determiners for whether he will go on to live a happy and successful life. 

Keep this fact in mind when making choices on how to discipline your child.

Money Management

As soon as you feel your child is ready, start teaching her money management skills with small amounts of her own money.

In these early stages, you’ll have some say over what she does with her own money so that she grows up with good money habits.

This is a big issue for entrepreneurs because there is no “steady paycheck,” especially in the beginning.

As an entrepreneur you have to know how to save for the lean times, the value of reinvesting in your business, and the reality of having to set some of your earnings aside for taxes.

You can teach your child this by at first mandating that she can only spend a certain portion of the money she receives. 

Then help her decide what the rest needs to be set aside for.

There may be a portion for saving up for big items she wants, or for extra spending money during a planned vacation, a portion for unexpected things that come up that she may want to participate in or buy, and a portion for the favorite charity of her choosing.

If you’ll force this early attitude of not spending everything she gets, it will become a habit that follows her for life and allows her to make wise financial decisions, even if she does wind up with a steady paycheck.

Goal Setting

One of the cornerstones of entrepreneurial success is goal setting.

If you don’t define clearly what you want, your chances of getting it plummet dramatically.

All of the research surrounding goal setting shows that people who clearly define their goals, write them down, and share them with someone have a dramatically increased chance of actually meeting their goals.

So why not start early teaching your kids the best and easiest way to get what they want?

Again, it’s about instilling good habits that will serve your child for life.

Let your child choose his goals, although you can help by suggesting things that are important but might not be at the top of his list.

The goals could have to do with saving for a big purchase, getting a certain grade, improving a sports performance, making up with a friend . . . what they are isn’t nearly as important as writing them down and developing a plan to reach them is.

Growth Mindset

If you haven’t read Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, it’s a must-read for entrepreneurs and parents.

Dr. Dweck’s framework states that people either have a growth or fixed mindset.

Those with a fixed mindset believe that their abilities, talents, and intelligence are fixed or determined traits.

Those with a growth mindset know that they can get smarter, develop more abilities, and grow their talents through putting in time and effort, basically doing the work.

For entrepreneurs, growth mindset is an essential trait, one you can’t live without.

How do we encourage a growth mindset in our children?

First of course, by modeling it in ourselves and showing our children how our abilities and talents are continuously growing.

As for your child, you’ll have to instill in him through your words and actions that there’s enough in life for everyone, that the world is an abundant place.

Encourage him to explore different things to discover what his passions are, and allow him to change directions, in fact encourage it.

As a society, we ask kids what they want to be from the time they’re preschoolers, and then force them to choose a path when they begin college at 18 or 19 years old ~ a crucial time when they haven’t even figured out who they are yet.

Letting your child know that there is no end to the journey, and that changing paths is always okay, sets him up for a lifetime of happiness being who he wants to be and embracing the fact that it may change over the years.

Feed Your Entrepreneurial Spirit at Kids Party Characters

At Kids Party Characters, we’ve got both you and your child covered.

Help feed your child’s imagination and love for life by booking her next party though KidsPartyCharacters.com.

We have over 200 characters to choose from, each of whom is portrayed by trained actors who put on a show for your child and her guests that is guaranteed to create lasting memories. 

We also have available all your child’s favorite party activities such as face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy.

For mom, we have a unique opportunity to have your very own Kids Party Characters business.

With a license to KidsPartyCharacters.com you’ll have an exclusive territory in which to book parties, the right to use all of our 200+ costumes, access to our casting director and acting coach, and business training and support from Kids Party Characters founder Cheryl Jacobs.

If you’re a stay at home mom looking for an opportunity to work from home, or an entrepreneur looking to add another income stream, book a call with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer all your questions and determine whether this is the right opportunity for you.

And don’t forget to connect with Kids Party Characters on Facebook, where you’ll find daily updates on all the fun we create at children’s parties, as well as strategies for growing a business while raising happy and healthy kids.

Parents Guide to Ending the “Boys Will be Boys” Culture

The idea that “boys will be boys” is firmly ingrained in American culture.

There was a time when the sentiment was used to excuse the boy who’d ruined a new pair of shoes stomping through the mud, or broken a toy while playing a little too roughly with friends. 

And while even these rather innocent characterizations created some less than desirable stereotypes, they’re nothing compared to the misogynistic, criminal, and scary behavior that is now commonly normalized and dismissed because “boys will be boys.” 

And unfortunately, this isn’t a new trend. The 1996 court case of Nabozny v. Podiesny, brought to light the sad story of Jamie Nabozny, a young middle school boy who suffered years of bullying because he was gay.

Following verbal abuse, inappropriate touching, and enacting a mock rape while the rest of his class watched, Jamie went to the female principal of the school and was told “boys will be boys,” then scolded for entering her office without an appointment.

The bullying continued through middle school and high school, and resulted in two suicide attempts by Jamie, whose high school principal similarly did nothing to stop the verbal and physical attacks,

The assistant principal told Jamie that he was provoking the bullies and deserved the treatment because of his sexuality.

Another well-known example of the “boys will be boys” mentality was seen in 2015 when Brock Turner, a 20-year-old Stanford swimming star, sexually assaulted an intoxicated and unconscious female student.

Despite the prosecutor’s recommendation of a six year sentence, the judge sentenced Turner to six months, concluding that a prison sentence would have “a severe impact on him.” 

Similarly dismissive of the impact Turner’s actions had on his victim, Turner’s father asked for leniency claiming that a long sentence would be “a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 years of life.”

And finally, it’s been impossible to turn a blind eye to how strong the “boys will be boys” culture remains, as evidenced by the confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Amazingly, too much of the reaction has been that even if accusations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh are true, who cares?

Fox News columnist Stephen Miller defended the incident as being “drunk teenagers playing seven minutes of heaven,” despite the victim’s clear allegations to the contrary.

Several other commentators have voiced the opinion that even if Kavanaugh attempted to rape a woman when he was 17, this should not disqualify him from being a Justice on the highest court in our country. 

Minnesota Senator Scott Newman tweeted about the allegations, “Even if true, teenagers!” And then went on to state he personally didn’t believe Kavanaugh’s accuser.

Perhaps most disturbing, Carrie Severino, policy director for the Judicial Crisis Network, stated the allegations that Kavanaugh attempted to take his victim’s clothes off and muffled her screams could be described as “boorishness” or “rough horseplay.”

Clearly, the “boys will be boys” mentality has gone way too far, and there are too many public examples evidencing society’s acceptance of patently unacceptable behavior.

But if our judges, lawmakers, the media, and even school officials are going to excuse violent and illegal behavior as “boys will be boys,” what can we as parents do to protect our children — girls and boys — from this dangerous and demoralizing attitude?

Quite simply, we can work to make sure we’re creating a generation that rejects the normalization of violence against women and any other marginalized group.

Here are three ways to do that with your children.

Parent Against Stereotypes

The “boys will be boys” mentality is instilled basically from birth. 

We expect “rough and tumble” boys, and girls in frilly dresses with cute little dolls.

A boy who wrecks havoc on his sister’s tea party with her dolls is just being a boy.

Consciously work against these stereotypes starting with the first toy you purchase, the first activity you enroll your child in, the first game you play with him. 

And since those milestones have likely passed, start today.

Girls love to play in the mud too.

Boys love to prepare wooden food in the play kitchen and serve it to you.

As we’ve talked about before, ignore the gender expectation when purchasing toys. Let your child lead you as to what interests she has in toys, games, and activities.

Don’t divide tasks according to traditional gender roles. Girls can take out the trash, boys can chop an onion for dinner.

Never Excuse Bad Behavior

Whatever activity your child is engaged in, set an expectation that it will be done with kindness and respect.

Don’t laugh and say, “he’s such a boy” when he wrecks the tea party.

Make him clean it up and try to instill in your child that the behavior is inappropriate so he’ll be sorry when he does act out.

Treat your boy the same way you would (or do) your girl. If it’s not okay for her to do, it’s not okay for him to do.

Maybe your boys are prone to rougher behavior, that’s not a problem as long as they respect boundaries.

If the other person says “stop,” whether it’s a boy or girl, you stop.

Core values like kindness, empathy, respect for feelings and personal space, are taught from a very young age.

Instill them in your kids as they are playful toddlers, continue to enforce them as they begin to go out without your supervision, and begin to have intimate relationships, and they will carry these values for life.

Empower Your Children Through Role Modeling

When we make the commitment to raising children who reject the “boys will be boys” culture, we’re raising a generation that will have to change the status quo.

This means we not only need to teach them proper values and behavior, we also need to teach them to stick up for what’s right.

And we do this as parents by being good role models.

When we see or hear something that perpetuates “boys will be boys,” speak out against it or explain to your child what’s wrong with the situation and how it’s being handled.

Be cautious of how you are perpetuating stereotypes that place men in a more preferred status than women.

Something as simple as a family gathering where the women stay behind and clean up for an hour while the men sit in front of the TV watching a game and drinking beer can send the wrong message.

Maybe your boys will love trucks and climbing trees, and your girls will love dolls and their play kitchens. That’s totally fine.

Your only obligation as a parent is to have the same expectations of your child’s behavior whether they’re boys or girls.

Because how your child treats another person who says “no” or can’t speak up for themselves when they become a teenager, and how your child reacts to unacceptable peer behavior, depends on the values and norms you’re instilling in your child today.

Connecting With Kids Party Characters

If you’ve gotten some value out of today’s article, join Kids Party Characters on Facebook for daily updates with our best parenting tips, as well as the magic we bring to children’s parties.

And be sure to plan your next party at KidsPartyCharacters.com, where you’ll find over 200 of your child’s favorite characters, as well as party packages that include cotton candy, face painting, and balloon twisting.

Kids Party Characters Podcast Presents 15 Healthy, Kid-Friendly After Sc...

For many parents, one of the biggest joys of having the kids go back to school is that they aren’t raiding the pantry or refrigerator once an hour looking for a snack.

It's amazing how long they can go at school without a bite to eat, yet teeter on the edge of starvation if they miss their hourly feeding at home.

The downside to not eating much at school is of course that they come home hungry.

And even if you are there to greet them, you usually don’t have the time or desire to put together the dinner before dinner they’re requesting.

Rather than having them throw a frozen something in the microwave, try out these healthy snacks that come recommended from some of our kids here at Kids Party Characters.

We've included snacks that many kids will be able to make themselves, some no-bake options that you (or even the older kids) can quickly throw together, and a few choices that take a little more time but are definitely worth the effort when your hungry angel walks in the door after a long day at school.

DIY Snacks

Chocolate-Dipped Oranges: Peel some clementines or regular oranges, melt some bittersweet chocolate, dip the oranges in the chocolate and then sprinkle a little coarse sea salt over the chocolate. 

Celery with peanut butter: A traditional favorite that involves nothing more than cutting up some celery and putting peanut butter down the middle. 

You can also stick some grapes along the peanut butter (creating a snack younger kids have fun with since they look like "caterpillars.") Pieces of apple stuck in the peanut butter is another option kids like.

Apple sandwiches: Core an apple and then cut it horizontally into thin slices. The apple slices then become the bread for your sandwich. 

You can start with a base of peanut butter and stick whatever you want onto the peanut butter -- raisins, coconut, dried fruit, chocolate chips . . . top it off with another slice of apple and you have a unique and tasty sandwich.

Peanut butter pretzel sandwiches: Create your sandwich by spreading peanut butter between two pretzels. Then dip the pretzel sandwich in chocolate and you have a great sweet and salty treat.

Smoothie: You can make these ahead or teach the older kids how to do it themselves. The nice thing about smoothies is you can make up any recipe you want.

Generally, you'll want to start with a base of one cup of some type of milk (cow, almond, coconut, soy), add a few ice cubes, 4-8 ounces of yogurt, and a big handful of your favorite frozen fruit.

You can use juice instead of yogurt, but it spikes the sugar content awfully high.

You can always throw a banana in, even if your child doesn't like to eat bananas, as the taste is consumed by the other fruits.

Smoothies are also a great place to add additional nutrition without spoiling the taste. You can add a teaspoon or two of flaxseed meal or oil, nutritional yeast, protein powder, or chia seeds (if your child's okay with the texture of those).

Mini Pizzas: If your kids need a hearty snack, this is a great one they can make themselves. You'll just need to keep on hand some mini pizza shells, a jar of pizza sauce, and your favorite kinds of pizza cheese and toppings.

They'll have fun creating their own little pizza, it cooks in just a few minutes in the oven, and there's little mess or cleanup.

Frozen yogurt grapes: Freeze some grapes, put a toothpick in each frozen grape, dip them in yogurt and return them to the freezer (for a minute or all day if you're making them in advance).

You can also dip the yogurt-covered grape in other toppings before freezing it if you want. Coconut or crushed nuts add texture that many kids like.

Graham Cracker Fruit Pizzas: Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a graham cracker and then add your favorite fruit into the cream cheese for a pizza that's ready to eat.

This works great with freshly cut in-season fruits, but you can also use frozen fruits.

No-Bake Options for Adults and Older Kids to Prepare

These will take a little more preparation just because they have a few more ingredients, but they're still simple and provide a heartier option than some of the snacks kids can make themselves.

Simply click on the name of the snack and it will take you to the recipe.

No-Bake Granola Bar Bites: These use honey instead of sugar, and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled so you'll have extras to store in the freezer.     

No-Bake Chocolate Banana Energy Balls:  If you have a couple of ripe bananas, this is the recipe for you. Within the recipe there are also links to a couple of tasty variations on this recipe. The recipe calls for Truvia, but you can substitute honey or the sweetener of your choice.

Steel Cut Oatmeal Energy Bites: This is a great variation on the no-bake options because it uses steel cut oats, which are healthier and have a unique texture that kids often like.

No Bake PB&J Energy Bites: If your child finds the traditional PB&J too boring, give these a try for something a little different and even a little healthier.

For When You Have a Little Time

None of these options will keep you in the kitchen all day, but they do require baking and have a few more ingredients than the other snacks. 

They are however kid favorites and may even be good projects if you have an older child who's expressed a real interest in baking. 

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins: The name pretty much says it all here, how could you go wrong with these?! But don't be afraid that they sound too good to be healthy, you'll be surprised to find the focus on good-for-you ingredients and your kids won't even miss all the sugar. 

PB&J Bites: If your kids like the no-bake version above, they'll probably like this one too. And if they don't go for the no-bake version, give these a try, they use real jelly and are different enough from the no-bake variety to appeal to kids who want you to actually cook them something! 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins: This recipe has a little longer ingredient list, but it's worth the effort. Don't tell your kids you're feeding them zucchini and they'll never know.

Bonus Pick

So many families are gluten free these days, that it's worth including this recipe for gluten-free, vegan goldfish. These are surprisingly good and can obviously be made in any shape if you don't have a goldfish cookie cutter lying around.

The author of this recipe actually took the time to create a mouth and eye on each goldfish, but I promise you can skip this step without sacrificing the taste and without being considered a bad mom!

This goldfish recipe is a really good option to have around at parties too, just to make sure all guests feel included even if they have dietary restrictions.

In fact, all of the snacks we've included here would provide fun and tasty finger food options at your child's next party.

If you combine the ease of preparation of these snacks, with the fact that KidsPartyCharacters.com can handle all  your entertainment needs, your child's next party can be a huge hit with very little effort on your part.

Check out the 200+ characters we have to choose from and start planning your child's next party today at KidsPartyCharacters.com. 

And, don't forget to connect with us on Facebook for daily updates about what's going on at Kids Party Characters, as well as tips and strategies to make parenting easier and more fun.

Healthy Living that Fits Around Motherhood with Kids Party Characters

Limited-Time Free Resource that Could Change Your Life

As we announced here on the blog in August, Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs recently released her third book, titled How to be Financially Independent By Bringing Joy to Children.

Cheryl’s latest book is especially powerful for parent entrepreneurs because it provides you with not only the business tools and tips that Cheryl has used to make Kids Party Characters a success, but combines that with parenting strategies that will benefit your kids, and those you entertain through your business.

One of the wonderful things about having a business in the children’s entertainment industry is that it allows you to naturally involve your whole family in the business.

You’ll find your kids are just as excited as you are about the parties that you’re booking each week, which essentially cuts out the groaning and whining most work at home moms hear when they tell their kids “mommy’s working right now.”

If you’re the least bit interested in having a business that fits right into your family life, and provides potential to change your family’s financial picture, Cheryl’s new book is a must-read for you.

And if you haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet, we have a great limited-time opportunity for you to get it for free.

Simply be one of the first 10 people to click here on the book giveaway link.

When you see the big orange “Get Instant Access” button on the next page, click there, enter your email address and you’ll be reading the book within minutes.

A Word About “Free”

Cheryl’s decided to make this free offer to remove any barrier from getting her book into the hands of the people who need it and will benefit from it.

The information she shares in the book is far more valuable than the $6 it would cost you to buy the book on Amazon (which you’ll want to do right here if you’ve missed out on the free offer.)

If you have any reservation about not wanting to waste $6, or if there isn’t an extra $6 in your budget right now, the free offer is designed to eliminate that objection and get this information into your hands so you can start figuring out how to cure your financial situation.

The problem with “free” is that many of us have a “you get what you pay for” attitude based on past experiences in our lives, and we tend to undervalue free.

So before you jump on this offer and download the book, only to store it in “I will never read this land” on your hard drive, make sure to commit to yourself that you’ll actually use this valuable resource.

Don’t take someone else’s spot who will actually read the book and benefit from it.

Go here and download your free book now, and immediately schedule a time on your calendar when you’ll read it, if you can’t get to it today.

Will This Book Really Change My Life?

Well, yes and no and maybe is the answer to that question.

Not the answer you were looking for?

Here’s the deal. No book, podcast, video, or even person can change your life, that’s all up to you.

But can you use the information in this book to start the change you want to make?

Absolutely, yes.

Will you?

Maybe.

What you do with what Cheryl gives you here is entirely within your control.

Cheryl has a powerful story to tell. She started as a young single mom of two trying to figure out how to feed her kids.

Today, she not only owns a growing business at Kids Party Characters, but has also had a hand in starting 10 additional businesses.

So when it comes to walking the entrepreneurial trail from nothing to having it all, Cheryl’s been there and done that.

She doesn’t offer magic, push-button solutions because they don’t exist.

But she does offer a roadmap to getting started and building a successful business that will be life-changing for those with the right attitude and the action to back it up.

And, in addition to the free book, providing your email address will get you connected with Cheryl so that she can continue to share valuable resources and strategies with you on parenting and entrepreneurship.

So, what are you waiting for?

Grab your free copy of How to Become Financially Independent Bringing Joy to Children while you can.

And when you’re ready to talk with Cheryl about owning your own Kids Party Characters business, book a free chat with her right here and she’ll answer all your questions and give you all the details.

Make sure to also visit our website at KidsPartyCharacters.com to learn more about the magic we bring to children’s parties, and to connect with us on Facebook for daily updates.

Crucial Party Success Tip: Book Your Character Early!

Go to KidsPartyCharacters.com today and secure the peace of mind and happiness that comes with booking your character early. We can’t wait to hear from you!

We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, where we share party pictures, party planning tips, and strategies for raising happy and healthy children.

One Fear Entrepreneurs Must Conquer

You’ve probably heard it before, that more than even death, Americans fear public speaking.

While the political climate in this country has caused some new fears to pop up on the radar, most reported surveys over time show that if public speaking isn’t the thing we fear most, it’s right up there near the top.

And for most people, it can just be one of those things they avoid like a spider all their lives without any great repercussions.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, however, you would do yourself a big disservice by having the attitude that speaking in public is irrelevant to you because  you’re “just” looking to start a work from home business.

Fortunately, mastering the art of speaking is not as hard as it may first sound.

Today we’re going to look at why you should care about public speaking, and cover three tips to help you conquer whatever fear you may have surrounding speaking.

Why Great Entrepreneurs Are Good Speakers

Being a good speaker doesn’t mean you have to love doing it.

Even Richard Branson, who makes hundreds of public appearances and seems completely comfortable doing it, confesses in his book The Virgin Way, that he dislikes public speaking.

But even if you don’t eventually make a habit of it, developing the skills of a public speaker will serve you well as an entrepreneur for at least three reasons.

1. Confident Speakers are Better Leaders

As a business owner, you are naturally a leader.

And you can’t really lead through silence.

Think of the people you know professionally and socially. Some are naturally timid, don’t speak up a lot, and don’t have a strong presence when they do.

These are not the people that you see leading others, in any situation, but especially in business.

Being a confident speaker gives you instant credibility and causes people to listen to you and pay attention to what you say.

2. Good Speakers are Better Communicators

Maybe being on stage in front of hundreds, or thousands, of people and getting paid to speak is nowhere on your list of goals.

That’s fine, but you should still master public speaking.

Because it will make you a better communicator in that it forces you to organize your thoughts and get them out of your head.

And as a business owner, your ability to communicate is crucial.

Most of the money-making activities in your business require effective communication, whether it’s talking to potential and existing customers, negotiating contracts with outside service providers, or networking with colleagues and mentors.

Every interaction you have, from a one-on-one conversation, to running a meeting with five or 500 people, is an example of public speaking.

3. Speaking Helps You Learn to Think  on Your Feet

Another advantage of public speaking is that, no matter how prepared you are, you’re going to have to think on your feet when you get up there.

Anyone can read prepared remarks word-for-word from a piece of paper, but when you practice public speaking you’ll learn that the effective way to do it is to go with the flow of the audience and where your thoughts and experiences take you when speaking.

In business, you’ll be asked to think on your feet most every day.

Whether it’s a customer complaint or request, a technical problem that’s interrupting your sales process, or a marketing campaign that isn’t working, the ability to think quickly, adapt to unforeseen situations, and course correct without much notice is a must for the successful entrepreneur.

3 Tips For Conquering Your Fear

While there are probably a few people you know who appear to be natural-born speakers, most of us have at least some reservations about getting up in front of more than one person and giving any kind of a talk or presentation.

There are three things you can do that will make your speeches go better, and thus put you at ease as the person up there trying to make it through your allotted time without running to hide in the bathroom.

1. Engage Your Audience With Stories

When you think about listening to a speech, the word “boring” may pop into your head.

One of the key factors to being successful as a speaker is to not be boring.

If you’re boring, the audience sends you bored vibes up to the stage, causing you to panic and probably be even more boring as you try to just get through it and get out of there.

The number one rule to fighting boredom is to tell stories during your speeches.

People love stories, and they will listen to them in anticipation of the outcome.

People especially love stories they can relate to, so don’t just talk at your audience, talk with them.

Asking people to raise their hands, nod their head in agreement, or shout out simple words like yes and no, will have your engaged audience throwing love vibes up to you and will bring out the best in you as a speaker.

Where do you get the stories? From your own life, from friends, from things you’ve heard or read in line at the grocery store. 

It really makes no difference, just think “stories” when you approach speaking on any topic.

2. Tap Into Multiple Senses to Keep Your Audience Focused

If you can, avoid just standing in front of your audience and droning on like a talking head.

The more of your audience members’ senses you can tap into, the happier everyone will be.

Use Visually Appealing Slides

If you’re required or allowed to have slides, don’t just list bullet points and read them to your audience. 

Include colorful graphics, funny pictures, anything that’s a pattern interrupt to what your audience would expect to see. 

Change slides every 60 seconds or so for maximum visual appeal.

Play a Short Video

Break things up by playing a 2-5 minute video clip.

If it’s something funny or moving in some way, all the better, but really anything to shift the audience’s attentions to another speaker for a few minutes will do.

Have a Creative Handout

Your imagination is the limit here, but it’s worth spending a little more time and/or money to come up with something your audience can hold on to and shift their attention to.

You don’t want it to be something dense, some kind of information-filled handout they spend their time reading instead of listening to you.

It could be a sheet of paper you have some pictures on to illustrate your points or stories. At the appropriate time you say, look at photo one or diagram two and you’ll see what I mean here.

Again, it’s just about keeping them involved and shifting their attentions to different senses.

It could be a two-sided piece of card stock that’s simply green on one side and red on the other.  Sprinkled in your talk you could have times when you say, “Do you agree with me?”

You’ll have previously instructed people that there will be a few times that their feedback will matter to you, and could they please hold up the green side when they’re in agreement and red if they disagree.

Hopefully you get the point.

Use your creative mind to come up with anything that will keep your audience on its toes and tuned in to what you’re doing up there.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

The only shortcut to success when it comes to public speaking is to practice as often as you can, in as many environments as you can, with as many different topics as you can.

While you may eventually end up being a speaker who demands $5,000+ just to step on stage, that’s certainly not the goal from the start.

Speak anywhere you can on any topic you can, and do it for free as long as you need to.

Local business clubs and organizations are often looking for speakers, so simply connecting with these groups in your community and getting your name and interest out there is the best way to get started.

Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs is continuously honing her skills in this area and has found Toastmasters to be the perfect environment in which to get her practice.

With chapters all over the country, and internationally, the purpose of Toastmasters is to give you a place to improve your speaking skills in a supportive and nurturing environment.

This helps guarantee that you’ll get honest feedback that people will be naturally reluctant to give if you just ask them how they liked your talk.

Another benefit of Toastmasters is that with over 350,000 members nationwide, the group provides a good opportunity for business networking.

Chances are you’ll meet someone who can directly benefit your business, or who at least knows someone who is a good connection for your business.

The important thing is that you take that first step, start small, and get talking to anybody who will listen.

You’ll find public speaking to be an invaluable business skill and not near as scary as it first seems to most people.

And remember that Kids Party Characters is here if you need a business mentor to help you navigate the road to successful entrepreneurship. 

Owner Cheryl Jacobs started out as a mom needing to feed her kids and learned how to be a successful business owner one step at a time.

She’s now passionate about giving back to the community of new and struggling home business owners.

Cheryl has created an opportunity for membership in KidsPartyCharacters.com that gives you the chance to cut through much of the learning curve and start with all the tools you need for a successful business already in place.

With membership in KidsPartyCharacters.com, you’ll get an exclusive area in which to book parties, along with access to our 200+ costumes, our casting director, and our acting coach.

You’ll also get step-by-step training from Cheryl on how to start your business the right way.

Schedule a free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here if you’re interested in learning more about this unique and fun opportunity with Kids Party Characters.

Also learn more about our business and get daily updates on the magic we bring to parties, as well as the strategies Cheryl has used to build Kids Party Characters into a six-figure business, by connecting with us on Facebook.