Chantal Brodrick is Host of The Fitness Business Podcast, a Speaker, an emcee, and excitingly she was listed as one of the IHRSA 20 Women Who Inspire 2019.
Chantal is a passionate promoter of healthy, active and happy living. Her background is in corporate sales and marketing, and she’s also a qualified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Chantal works with fitness professionals as a coach and educator.
As you can see from the photo here, since completing Michelle’s masterclass, Chantal has become an accomplished international speaker and emcee. Her clients absolutely love her and she is proud of her repeat bookings.
What kind of presenting do you do at work?
These days I’m a speaker, MC and panellist for Fitness Industry conventions in Australia, USA, New Zealand on Leadership and Business topics.
I’m also a Podcast host of the acclaimed, The Fitness Business podcast.
I enjoy being an on camera host for the MIND123 Wellness Series.
My speaking jobs have been very rewarding:
2019 Speaker IHRSA Annual International Convention San Diego USA
2019 Speaker FILEX Convention Sydney Australia
2019 Host of the FILEX Women of Influence Forum Sydney Australia
2019 Speaker IDEA World Convention Anaheim USA
2019 Speaker Athletic Business Show Orlando Florida, USA
2018 Host of the FILEX Business Summit Sydney Australia
2018 Speaker FILEX Sydney Australia
2018 Speaker at IDEA World Fitness Convention San Diego USA
2018 Speaker IDEA Club and Studio Summit San Diego USA
2018 Speaker at the FILEX Immersive Business Summit Melbourne Australia
2018 Speaker at ATHLETIC BUSINESS SHOW New Orleans USA
2018 Moderator of the IHRSA Womens Summit at the AB SHOW New Orleans USA
2018 Speaker FITEX New Zealand Business Summit NZ
2018 Host of the FITEX New Zealand Business Summit NZ
2017 & 2018 Host of the New Zealand Exercise Industry Awards NZ
What prompted you to attend Michelle's Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass?
I was introduced to the Masterclass by a colleague. After completing Michelle’s Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass himself, he suggested I would equally enjoy it – and I did! I loved it! I have done advanced presentation skills training in the past, but none of my previous facilitators had the level of experience that Michelle was able to share.
How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting in business?
I love presenting, so I didn’t need convincing about the importance of it as a part of my skill set. What it reinforced, was the importance of preparation, especially when it comes to presentation structure and delivery. The analysis and design phases are where you can achieve great success as a presenter.
In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?
Working to the design formulas that Michelle teaches have made me feel more confident about the way I deliver my content.
Following the masterclass I restructured some of my old presentations and by following Michelle’s tips I was able to create a much simpler, and more effective presentation.
Still today – 7 years later (I completed the masterclass in 2012), I refer back to what Michelle taught me. Michelle has been so kind to continue to give me advice on my presentations and speeches. I think she offers this post program support to all her participants and it’s been of great help to me.
In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since completing Michelle's training?
Since completing the masterclass I have re-evaluated my presentation preparation. It was one of the most beneficial and fundamental lessons I took away from the masterclass – the importance of being prepared. Having my presentations finished 3 weeks in advance allows me to feel in control, prepared and well practiced.
Another key area I have focused on is building rapport with my audiences through visual connection and body language. This starts from the moment they walk in the door, from shaking their hand, to making eye contact, smiling and making that ‘click’ connection is instrumental in building a connection that definitely impacts on my engagement once I’m up on the stage.
What were your top three take aways from Michelle's program?
- My first take away was not content-driven or structural – it was physical! Michelle taught us how to “calm the butterflies” (or rather, contain the excitement!). Nervousness can make presenting very challenging. I have nailed this completely now thanks to Michelle. I have used the technique in every presentation since with great success from the week after the masterclass to today!
- I re-visited the ‘why’ part of my presentations and as a result have changed the opening structure of most of my formal presentations so they now follow Michelle’s design steps.
- I came to the harsh realisation that I was dramatically overusing PowerPoint in my formal presentations! Too many slides with too many words! I have now applied Michelle’s ‘Rule of 3’ to all of my presentations. They are visually more appealing and now I spend my preparation time thoroughly practicing the content (that used to be written on the slides!).