“I know it may not look like this. But it’s all scripted. I write down every word and then I learn it off by heart. I do that with all my talks and I’ve got lots of them”

…

He is not giving a speech or a lecture – he is giving a performance. And like any good actor, he knows that you have to learn your lines.

• Laughing people are more creative people. They are more productive people.
• A beginner is open and receptive and is more inclined to say “why not?” or “let’s give it a shot,” rather than “it’s never been done” or “that’s not common.”
• …the seemingly mundane business of a conference presentation, designed and delivered with the help of slideware, can be a very creative thing. A presentation is an opportunity to differentiate yourself, your organization, or your cause.
• “When forced to work within a strict framework the imagination is taxed to its utmost – and will produce its richest ideas. Given total freedom the work is likely to sprawl.” — T.S. Eliot
• Simplicity is not easy, in fact, it is hard.
• “Branding” is one of the most overused and misunderstood terms used today. Many people confuse the myriad elements of brand identity with brand or branding. The meaning of brand and branding goes far deeper than simply making one’s logo as recognizable as possible.
• “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” — Sir Ken Robinson
• “The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.” — Brian Sutton-Smith, University of Pennsylvania
• “Eat like a bird, poop like an elephant.” — Guy Kawasaki
• The Japanese have a great expression concerning healthy eating habits: hara hachi bu. This means eat until 80 percent full
• “What we think, we become” — Buddha

He (Sheehan) has a glandular understanding of words, how they sound and what they mean, and teaches people, very effectively, how to deliver the words so that their bodies, their voices, and their overall appearances are emotionally consonant with the medium and the message. He has an unmistakable gift for wringing better performances out of his speakers, no matter how shy or introspective or simply not cut out for the public role they may be.