ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The real power of your speaking isn’t in your story but in the moment someone realises it’s their story too.
This episode with poet, performer, author, and creativity-driven speaker Joel McKerrow is one of those rare, breath-catching moments that stays with you. If you’re an emerging or aspiring speaker, lean in.
Joel pulls back the curtain on what actually creates connection on stage - not the polished lines, not the clever structure, but the place where your story meets someone else’s story and something in them quietly rearranges.
He talks about how creativity becomes a responsibility, why specificity is the doorway to universality, how to build the discipline of deep listening, and why your inner life is your most underused speaking tool.
You’ll hear how slam-poetry taught him stagecraft under pressure, how fiction reshaped his worldview, and why the best speakers are the ones who stop performing and start witnessing.
This is a reminder that your story, when shaped with intention, doesn’t just inform an audience. It moves them. And that’s the real work of a speaker who wants to make a mark.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
- 01:11 - Build a multi-dimensional speaking career without confusing your message
- 03:43 - Become the speaker nobody expects (but everybody remembers)
- 05:09 - Move people beyond the cognitive level (the heart-level space where transformation actually happens)
- 07:41 - Connect your personal narrative to something bigger to create lasting influence
- 10:20 - Wake your audience out of the “anesthetic life” and help people feel, see, and reconnect again to meaning
- 14:36 - Transform pain into expression by sharing vulnerably without oversharing
- 29:55 - Build a “half-communication” that invites the audience to bring their story forward
- 33:01 - Strengthen deep-listening skills to make your speaking unforgettable
- 41:25 - Make your talk feel both intimate and widely relatable
- 46:28 - Build a ritual that sharpens your voice over time
- 47:58 - Know which stories belong on stage (and which don’t) to keep your speaking grounded and responsible
- 51:39 - Protect your creative voice in an AI-heavy world
- 59:56 - Stay creatively alive while growing your speaking business
- 01:08:48 - Practice and refine your delivery out loud before stepping into the arena
If you’ve ever doubted your creativity, felt pressure to “sound like a speaker,” or wondered how to make your story serve your audience instead of overshadowing them, this episode is exactly what you need.
You don’t need a gimmick and you don’t need perfection. You need presence, specificity, and the courage to listen as deeply as you speak.
WHERE TO FIND JOEL MCKERROW
- Website: https://www.joelmckerrow.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelmckerrowcreative/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-mckerrow-creative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joel.mckerrow/
- Podcast: The Deep Place Podcast
If you are on a mission to amplify your message to make a more meaningful impact, and you’d love to join a vibrant community of people all harnessing the power of speaking we’d love you to join us in our private Facebook group. Here you will gain access to exclusive live trainings, free resources and the opportunity to ask Jacqueline anything. It’s all designed to take the speaking game to the next level. We can’t wait to welcome you.
Join here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakerdrivenbusinesscommunity
To connect and learn more about creating a Speaker Driven Business connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn. You can also follow Jacqueline on Instagram and join our Facebook Group.
Join the Speak More Collective.
