Sea Dragons Gavel Club

Mike Carr is the 2020 World Champion of Public Speaking, standing out among 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 U.S. 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 immediately developed a passion for speaking, but his enthusiasm also created challenges: he often spoke too long and used too many filler words. Eventually, someone introduced him to Toastmasters, which helped him improve those weaknesses and develop his speaking skills.

Throughout his journey, one of the most important lessons Mike learned was about confidence. He explained that everything in life can be divided into two categories: things you can control and things you cannot control. According to Mike, confidence grows when we focus only on what we can control and detach ourselves from what we cannot.

Mike shared that this lesson came from his eighteen-year journey competing in Toastmasters contests. He lost many times, and in 2015, he gave what he considered his favorite speech but did not even place, which was devastating. Later, he realized his confidence was low because he was focused on whether the judges liked his speech, something completely outside of his control. Instead, he changed his mindset and began judging his success based only on whether he had prepared as well as he could and served the audience as effectively as possible. After making this shift, his confidence increased, and he eventually won the World Championship in 2020.

When discussing preparation, Mike emphasized the importance of consistent writing and practice. He suggested writing for fifteen minutes every day to keep the creative mind flowing. For his speeches, he wrote out the entire script. At his speaking speed of 114 words per minute, a seven-minute speech required around 800 words. When he first wrote his championship speech, it was 1,500 words, so he carefully cut it down. He then created a mental outline by imagining walking through his house, with pictures representing each point of his speech. This helped him remember the structure and speak without notes. Before the finals, he practiced his speeches out loud at least 500 times, even practicing in distracting environments such as walking on a downtown trail.

Beyond preparation, Mike emphasized the importance of gratitude as a mindset. After his disappointment in 2015, he decided he no longer cared about winning as much. Instead, his focus became delivering a speech that could help someone in the audience. Before every speech, he says a prayer of gratitude, reminding himself that he has the opportunity to help at least one person. This allows him to focus less on himself and increases his confidence.

Mike also stressed the importance of having a strong vision while holding it lightly. He referenced Admiral Stockdale, who survived a prison camp by believing he would eventually get out while still focusing on surviving each day. For Mike, this means maintaining a long-term goal while staying focused on the present.

When sharing advice about creating interesting speeches, Mike suggested starting like a great movie that immediately drops the audience into the middle of a scene. A surprising statement, question, or moment can quickly capture attention. For impactful speeches, he recommended using stories instead of simple declarations, adding humor to build rapport, and constantly reading and writing so speakers can recognize ideas that create emotional responses.

For speaking without notes, Mike recommended progressing step by step: start with notes, turn information into stories, develop mental outlines, and practice until fewer notes are needed. He explained that confidence without notes comes from repeated preparation.

To connect with an audience, Mike emphasized the importance of eye contact. Instead of scanning across the room, speakers should look at one person at a time to create a stronger connection. When answering questions they cannot answer, he recommended honesty, saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll research it,” because authenticity builds trust.

Throughout his talk, Mike shared several quotes that reflected his speaking philosophy. A beginner speaker focuses on himself, an average speaker focuses on the speech, and an expert speaker focuses on the audience. He also explained that whenever someone does not share their authentic self, they waste their audience’s time. His advice to his younger self was simple: lighten up and have fun, because even if you trip and fall, you may have 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.