Speaker Tips from Professional Speaker Kenston Henderson Sr., CSP

23 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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1:22

In this concise monologue, the speaker—drawing on two decades of HR experience—offers practical advice for individuals looking to break into public speaking. The core recommendations are: be intentional and strategic in planning your speaking journey; leverage existing professional relationships and identify target audiences, then pitch short, low‑stakes talks such as lunch‑and‑learns to gain experience; seek out a coach or mentor who has already succeeded in speaking to accelerate learning and overcome barriers; and consider speaking in underserved locations (e.g., Kalispell and Whitefish, Montana) to create new opportunities and pave the way for others. The overall message emphasizes purposeful action, network utilization, guided development, and market expansion as a pathway to speaking confidence and visibility.

Chapters

It's really just strategizing, planning it out, be intentional. Because it— this didn't happen overnight, bro. This is me 20 years in HR, building those relationships, building my— just my resume. Relationships is key. But so start leveraging relationships. Start, you know, putting yourself out there. I wouldn't say take every engagement, but who, you know, find out who your target audience is, then see where they hang out at, and then pitch your talk. Say, hey, would you mind me speaking for half hour, a lunch and learn, something that will get you out there, get you starting to get comfortable with speaking. And then, but also I would say find a coach too, somebody who's been there, or mentor, somebody who's been there, done that, can show you the way. Yeah. So you can actually break through barriers that have already been broken, right? I'm always in a space of when I go to speak in places like Kalispell, Montana, or Whitefish, Montana, I'm blazing a space where not a lot of us are there. And so, but they can now go different places now because it's there. So get a coach, get a mentor, but really be intentional.