Gav is a ball of energy. Really entertaining. Super-lively. . He breaks all the rules. I suspect he always has. Most presentation coaches would advise not running around the stage. But for Gav it works. It was perfect. He was utterly himself on stage. You don’t want to wind yourself in, you want to push yourself out a little. This is a great talk.

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Sean Carasso is a gentle speaker. He told a beautifully paced story. The story of his life. He told us of hardship and then success. That’s a great story right there. But then he told us how, during period of his life normally spent partying, he built a charity. He told us the story of why he did that at the Do Lectures - and there wasn’t a dry eye in house. His story-telling, his passion and his controlled delivery was nothing short of a master-class.

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Maggie gave up everything aged 17 to build an orphanage for kids a long way away from her native USA. She did this with no knowledge or money. Her story was surprising. Her story was humble and she delivered it in that way. Probably the most-watched Do Lecture over the last 12 years.

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Mickey is a surfer, a film-maker, a musician and a Cornishman. His love for the sea and land of Cornwall shone through in one of the most humble talks at the Do Lectures. He spoke last in 2009 and that’s a tough gig. You have witnessed 20 or so blistering talks and the temptation is to change yours. Mickey didn’t he kept it simple and he crafted sentences that haunt me to this day. He then delivered a bombshell at the end that brought the house down.

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Your past grooms your purpose. Holley delivered a brilliant presentation at the Do Lectures in 2016. She talked of love, she talked of how what we experience makes us stronger and she talked about the strength to find and claim your voice. Holley’s story is embedded in truth and honesty but what comes though is the fact that her voice matters; the fact that all our voices matter, particularly those who don’t normally have their voices listened to.

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Steve is a flamboyant showman. He delivers a brilliant and engageing talk that gets you saying “no way, no way”. His central theme (“this talk is more about can than can’t”) is supported by a series of orbitting stories. His stories and his theme were bigger than his technique. And his technique was totally Steve Edge. He couldn’t be anyone else if he tried.

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This is an oldie but a goodie. Understanding your purpose and communicating it effectively is the difference between you and your competitors. Start with Why is a simple way to look at this, even though Apple aren’t the same company these days. I’ve met Simon. He is a genuinely lovely man with a quick brain.

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We have two choices in life. To walk through it asleep or awake. The process of moving from sleep to wake, of changing direction, creates its own tensions. This fuels the hero’s journey method.

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It was hard too find one of me that was well-filmed and demonstrated the golden thread approach. This is the closest I have. Note to self: get another one filmed.

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One of my all time favourite presentations. MLK uses repetition and pace like a master - that’s because he was a preacher and church is a good place to go and see great orators (even if you don’t believe). This is a masterclass in oscillation. Hope and reality are beautifully juxtaposed and he ties everyone in with his observation that his dream is deeply rooted in the American dream. Genius.

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A brilliantly captivating talk that pulls you in close then hooks you in firmly. Delivered with real grace.

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A great example of a false start. The 2012 commencement speech by Neil Gaiman. A brilliant speech on why the world needs more art.

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It’s funny because it is true. A brilliant parody that as well as being funny also demonstrates some effective techniques.

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