Marko's mantra

Marko is an Australian writer-actor-director and an old, old friend of mine.  One of his many talents if that he has as much control over an audience as any performer I've ever seen.  Every now and then we work together on 'presentation skills' workshops.

At the core of Marko's performing philosophy is a very simple mantra to be repeated in deep, slow sentences just before you go on stage;

I am Here

I deserve to be Here

I want to be Here

It's all about 'being in the moment', something vital for any performer looking to connect with an audience.

I've found it to be just as useful in other potentially stressful situations like just before walking into the client's office to make that big pitch or getting off a plane in a strange city a long way from home.

In fact Marko's mantra is a pretty good way for any self-employed person to start the day.  Simply replace 'Here' with 'Self-Employed' and repeat slowly until you start smiling.