297: SEASON 9 FINALE // Ditch the PowerPoint, tell a story: The future of speaking - with Carmen Sederino
- S9E297
- 52:54
- April 2nd 2025
As someone over 50, with oodles of experience and wisdom to share, should public speaking form a part of your 'portfolio' career?
In this episode of Crank The 3rd, host Trevor Young sits down with Carmen Sederino, a performance master, speaking strategist, and founder of Illuminated Story.
Carmen shares her journey from being a shy child to a trained actor to now, where she is helping individuals transform high-stakes presentations into unforgettable performances.
Key Discussion Points:
- Carmen’s Background: She talks about her early career in retail leadership and her formal training in acting, which helped her excel in speaking and coaching roles.
- Professional Speaking Landscape: Carmen and Trevor explore the shifting dynamics in professional speaking post-pandemic, emphasising the blend of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
- The Role of AI: Carmen discusses how AI can generate speeches but emphasises the irreplaceable nature of human connection and quality in speaking engagements.
- Strategies for Engaging Speaking: - Moving from information-based presentations to creating immersive experiences. - Focusing on authenticity over aspiration, highlighting the importance of genuine connection and vulnerability. - Creating meaning in messages rather than simply conveying matter.
- Illuminated Story Method: Carmen shares her approach to transforming presentations by focusing on both script content and engaging delivery techniques to create a memorable impact.
- Advice for Aspiring Speakers: Reflect on personal experiences, think about the message you want to share, and understand your audience to craft a unique speaking approach.
Practical Tips:
- Utilise sound and video strategically to enhance presentations.
- Engage with audiences through storytelling and interactive elements.
- Rehearse thoroughly to ensure a seamless and impactful delivery.
Carmen's advice? Ditch the PowerPoint, tell a story: "You are so much more interesting than your PowerPoint."
Carmen’s Contact Information:
- Visit Illuminated Story for more insights and access to a masterclass on improving public speaking skills.
Conclusion:
This episode is a deep dive into mastering the art of professional speaking, blending theatrical techniques with authentic storytelling to create lasting impressions.
EARN THE RIGHT with Trevor Young
EARN THE RIGHT is your audio platform for reputation-based authority building — turning credibility into recognition, and recognition into opportunity.
Hosted by Trevor Young, it’s for credible founders, experts, and solo practitioners who’ve earned their stripes and are ready to amplify their voice with integrity.
Across four distinct (but inter-related) tracks —
- Crank The 3rd
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- In The Arena
- From The Trenches
— you’ll get the ideas, stories, and strategies that help you cut through the noise and build lasting authority.
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1️⃣ CRANK THE 3RD
CRANK THE 3RD celebrates the Wisdom Economy — a world where depth, perspective, and lived experience fuel what’s next. It features conversations with inspiring midlife founders and professionals who are turning decades of know-how into opportunity: building meaningful ventures, shaping ideas, and designing work that matters.
2️⃣ POCKET PR ESSENTIALS
POCKET PR ESSENTIALS delivers short, sharp coaching sessions on building visibility and recognition — without the hype. Presented by Trevor Young, this audio playbook helps credible founders and solo professionals master PR, content, and digital communication to raise their profile and grow authority in a way that’s strategic, sustainable, and respectful.
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IN THE ARENA is Trevor Young’s unfiltered take on earning authority in real time — sharp, strategic riffs on content, credibility, connection, and the courage to keep showing up. Essential listening for entrepreneurs and professionals navigating the intersection of creativity, communication, and personal brand authority.
4️⃣ FROM THE TRENCHES
FROM THE TRENCHES presents deep-dive interviews with PR practitioners, content strategists, and digital communications experts that explore how reputation and influence are built today. Hosted by Trevor Young, this track shares grounded insights, hard-won lessons, and practical wisdom from those shaping credible marketing communications in the modern reputation economy.
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