It is late enough that the folks who sleep late are now awake, but not so late in the day that early risers are starting to get tired. The first speaker of the day for an early morning (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) program should not expect hearty laughter. People are not conditioned to laugh a great deal in the early morning. Many won't even be awake yet. Use more information and less humor. I was asked by a sales speaker to open up an early morning seminar. MORE

Research  has proven out that we nightowls tend to be more creative than those early-risers.    For instance, psychologists Marina Giampietro and G.M. Cavallera published their study in PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES [February 2007] finding that creative types tend to live outside the norm.    Being active while more in-the-box thinkers are sleeping may be just an extension of that.  MORE

The early riser to do that is lawyer-journalist Staci Zaretsky.  It was 11 years ago that odd phenomenon Abovethelaw.com (ATL) happened online. It followed in the tradition of Anonymous Lawyer (which made fun of those august law firm partners). MORE

Respected medical doctors leap from Manhattan high-risers. Digital activist aka hacker James Dolan took his own life last December. Three year before that Aaron Swartz, also an activist online, committed suicide. Some, reports the New York Post , are trying to link the two deaths. MORE

Also check to see that any risers and stairs to the risers don't squeak and are sturdy. The stage background can be a distraction. If possible, I try to find out what my background will be so I don't blend right in. MORE

When he showed up – his stage was a riser in the food court of the local mall. The path to a successful speaking business isn’t always the same for everyone. Let’s use Scott Stratten as an example. Scott was 12 years old when he realized he wanted to become a professional speaker. It came after watching a Les Brown motivational talk on PBS. After seeing that special and realizing you can get […]. MORE