Mike Carr is the 2020 World Champion of Public Speaking, standing out amongst 30,000 contestants from 146 countries. He is an economist, entrepreneur, and international speaker who launched his first business at age 14 and has worked with US senators and global financial firms.
Mike’s speaking journey began when he was ten years old in a group similar to a Gavel Club. He loved speaking so much that he talked way too long and used too many filler words. Someone later told him about Toastmasters, which helped him fix those struggles.
The most important lesson Mike shared was about confidence. He explained that everything in life falls into two categories: things you can control and things you cannot control. Our confidence builds when we focus only on what we can control and detach from what we cannot. Mike joined the Toastmasters contest for eighteen years and lost many times. In 2015, he gave his favorite speech and did not even place, which devastated him. He realized his confidence was low because he was focusing on whether the judges liked his speech, something he could not control. He decided to judge his success only on whether he prepared as well as he could and served the audience as best he could. After shifting his focus, his confidence soared and he won the world championship in 2020.
For preparation, Mike suggested writing fifteen minutes a day to keep your creative mind flowing. He wrote out his entire speech, which for him at 114 words per minute meant 800 words for seven minutes. When he first wrote his championship speech, it was 1,500 words, so he cut it back. Then he created a mental outline by visualizing walking through his house, with pictures representing each point of his speech, which helped him remember his outline and speak without notes. He practiced constantly, giving his speeches out loud at least five hundred times before the finals, even practicing in distracting environments like walking on a downtown trail.
Mike emphasized having gratitude as a mindset. After 2015, he decided he did not care about winning anymore. What mattered was providing a speech that helped someone in his audience. Before every speech, he says a prayer of gratitude that he gets to help at least one person, which gets his mind off himself and increases his confidence. He also stressed having a strong vision but holding it lightly, referencing Admiral Stockdale who survived a prison camp by knowing he would eventually get out, but focusing on surviving today.
For interesting openings, Mike suggested starting like a great movie that drops you right in the middle of a scene, such as a startling statement or question that grabs attention. For impactful speeches, he said to use stories rather than declarative statements, add humor which builds rapport, and constantly read and write so you notice what moves you emotionally. For speaking without notes, he recommended going in stages: start with notes, then turn data into stories, then use mental outlines, and practice until you need fewer notes.
For connecting with the audience, Mike said eye contact is best, looking at one person at a time rather than scanning. For handling questions you cannot answer, he advised honesty, saying “I don’t know, but I’ll research it,” which builds trust through authenticity.
Mike’s favorite quotes included that a beginner speaker focuses on himself, an average speaker focuses on the speech, and an expert speaker focuses on the audience. Another valuable quote was that whenever you do not share your authentic self, you waste your audience’s time. His advice to his younger self was simply to lighten up and have fun with it, because if you trip and fall, you just created a great story.
The key takeaway from Mike is that public speaking is a skill developed through consistent practice, focusing on what you can control, and serving your audience with gratitude and authenticity.