Hi, I’m Daniel Midson-Short. I’ve spent the last 15+ years speaking, training, and teaching others how to improve their public speaking skills, persuasion and influence, and build confidence through speaking.
I built Speaker Skills to be a free, practical, public speaking resource for anyone who wants to communicate with more confidence, clarity, and impact.
No gimmicks. No “hack your way to confidence.” Just the real stuff. What works, what doesn’t, and what I’ve learned from 15 years of speaking on stages, getting world-class coaching, taking on brutal feedback, and the (more than) occasional disaster.
Why listen to me?
Before you take any suggestions or advice from me, it’s fair to wonder who I am. Over the last decade and a half of public speaking, I’ve:
- Delivered two TEDx talks (TEDxTemecula 2016, TEDxYouthAlamitosBay 2017)
- Competed seven times in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, reaching the semi-finals in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024, and advancing to the World Championship of Public Speaking in 2019 as one of the top ten speakers in the world that year.
- Won the Founder’s District International Speech Contest seven times.
- Keynoted and trained for audiences ranging from 100 people to 1,000, across the US, UK, Europe, and Australia
- Worked with corporate teams, trade events, professional associations, networking groups, youth leadership programs, and motivational retreats
- Contributed articles to Toastmasters magazine and written about communication, influence, and personal development on my personal blog for over a decade
Of course, credentials are just the surface. What actually matters is what I do with them, and what I want to pass on to you.
Why share this stuff?
A few years ago, I realized that the best stuff I’d learned about public speaking was locked inside my head, my notebooks, and the occasional workshop I’d run.
Meanwhile, most of the “speaking advice” online was written by people who’ve never actually stood in front of a crowd, or recycled from the Dale Carnegie era with no new insight, or scraped by AI with no lived experience behind it.
I built Speaker Skills to fix that.
The mission here is simple. I want this to be the most valuable free resource for public speaking and communication skills on the internet, written by an actual human who’s done the work and stood on the stages.
That means real experience over theory. Specific techniques over vague encouragement. And a generous, honest tone. The kind I wish someone had used with me when I was terrified before my first big talk.
What you’ll find here
Speaker Skills covers the full arc of becoming a confident, influential communicator:
- Fear and anxiety. What actually happens in your body, and what genuinely works to manage it.
- Storytelling. How to find, shape, and deliver stories that land with any audience.
- Influence and persuasion. The ethical version. How to move people to action without manipulation.
- Confidence through communication. The long game of building real self-assurance by improving how you speak, listen, and present.
- Keynote and professional speaking. What it takes to make a living, or a bigger impact, from the stage.
- Delivery, voice, and presence. The craft-level details that separate okay speakers from memorable ones.
Every post is written by me. No AI-generated articles. No ghostwriters. Just what I’ve learned, what I’m still learning, and what I want to hand over to the next speaker rising up.
My approach
I believe public speaking is a meta-skill. Improve it, and it lifts everything else you do. Your career. Your relationships. Your ability to lead, sell, persuade, teach, and be understood.
I believe with enough time and persistence that anyone can become a confident speaker. The right coaching, the right practice, and enough time on stage works wonders. The truth is most people give up developing their speaking skills just as they get some traction, so the true ‘secret’ is simply sticking with it.
Finally, I’m a big believer in quality rising to the top. So if you’re here looking for quick fixes, hacks, or generic public speaking tips, this isn’t quite your place. If you want the long game of becoming genuinely skilled in public speaking, then welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
How to connect with me
For keynote bookings, corporate training inquiries, or media requests, reach out via LinkedIn.
A final word
If this site helps even one person step onto a stage, lead a meeting, or speak up in a room they’d usually stay quiet in, it’s done its job.
Thanks for being here. Let’s get better together.
Daniel Midson-Short