TEDxCincinnati
Michael Inspires Storytelling
If you have ever gone to a TEDxCincinnati event, you may be familiar with the art and work of Michael Davis without even realizing it. Michael is one of the coaches working with some of the speakers to deliver powerful messages. And audiences typically leave those shows impacted in meaningful ways.
His ability to help others craft and strengthen their stories has been tested well beyond Cincinnati. Michael has also successfully coached competitors of the World Championship of Public Speaking; and he is a
A certified World Class Speaking Coach, Michael speaks, coaches people, and offers free speaking tips through his company, Speaking CPR. I know him as one of the founders of my Toast of the Town Toastmasters Club. I can tell you, when he presents, you want to be there to here him. We just recently had a rare opportunity to offer a workshop by him on storytelling and it inspired me to learn more about this man who makes a living helping others sound their best.
I was actually surprised to learn that his passion for this work comes from his own personal growth, a journey that has taken him from a shy child to a financial planner who gave workshops that ‘were really awful’ (in his own words). In fact, “they were so bad that my boss sat me down and said, ‘you better get better or else.’”
Talk about motivation!
Michael soon found Toastmasters…and the rest is, well, how a journey can stray way off course only to point you in the direction you were always meant to go.
Lisa: How long did it take you to build your speaking and communication skills?
Michael: It did not happen overnight. It was about ten years.
I remember the one day in a Toastmasters meeting that I learned a valuable lesson, out of desperation. No one showed up that day and so I was asked to speak. I wasn’t prepared which was completely out of my comfort zone. When I finished, I sat down and berated myself. But fellow member Chris Nachtrab, a Toastmaster regional champion and international semi-finalist, told me that he has never seen me more authentic. He told me to keep doing what I was doing. It was an eye opener.
Lisa: What do you tell people who are fearful about speaking?
Michael: I tell them you just have got to get up and speak. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will be with it. It is normal to be nervous. We are wired to be afraid of speaking. You are alone in front of an audience with all these eyes you. Some researchers believe we feel we are in attack when on stage. But the audience WANTS you to do well.
I hear this often, ‘I want to get up and be perfect.’ I tell them no. It is about connection, not perfection. I wanted that for a long time. People have told me I looked polished, but then I realized after my speech, that it is about being real. You will make mistakes. Learn from it and get better.
Lisa: What do you enjoy most about the coaching?
Michael: I love seeing people who were in the same place I was years ago, who get it. They say, ‘ok, I can do this. I can deliver a message in a way that impacts people.’ They say, ‘you won’t believe how I impacted people.’
That is the greatest feeling. To me, the benefit of becoming a speaker is growing your confidence, being comfortable in your own skin. You can be better known in your field and create opportunities for advancement. You can definitely make more money. It is a great time saver too, especially for sales people when you can present your message, story and pitch before a group of prospects.
Lisa: What is a piece of advice you have for others when it comes to speaking?
Michael: The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare. Something will go wrong, but when you know your speech you can step away from it. You know you know your presentation.
Lisa: What is one of your life lessons that experience has taught you?
Michael: I’ve come to realize that when I go up in front of an audience, and I don’t get my point across, that I haven’t failed. I see it now as a learning lesson. It is not permanent. You try again.
In 2002, I met Darren Lacroix, then the reigning World Champion of Public Speaking, and thought, ‘that is a guy I’d like to emulate.’ I asked him if he would coach me and his answer was, ‘well, I might.’ I replied, ‘What do you mean?’, and his answer was that I need to read a book called Stand-Up Comedy. Then I remembered a story from his speech. He was a young comedian and his mentor pulled him aside. His mentor told him, ‘I will always give you a slot to open for me but if you ever turn me down, you will lose that spot.’
After reading the book I asked Darren what was next. He was surprised I was the only person who read the it. He wanted to see that I was serious. My lesson from that is that when the test comes up to open a door, even though it might not be what you are looking for it, walk through the door and take the test, and trust that something good will happen on the other side.
Darren and I are close friends today, and I am one of the coaches for his Stage Time University on public speaking.
Lisa: What is something people may not know about you?
Michael: I am an Indy car fanatic and once rode an Indy car 150 mph on the race track. I’ve been to Indy 39 times….
and I am not ashamed to admit is that an 8 pound chihuahua runs my life.
TEDxCincinnati Sparks Conversation
BaddBob is part of a Florida group of bikers whose passion is empowering and standing up for children who have been victims of abuse. Through 
her poetry, Tiffany Bowden brings her listeners back in time to the innocence of childhood, a time when humanity was uncomplicated and when embracing difference came without limitations. Jason R. Nguyen is a producer/musician who plays a unique traditional Vietnamese instrument that has only one string. At 14, Isabelle Weall is a quadruple amputee who believes whatever happens in life, that it is important to be resilient in pushing boundaries to achieve what is possible. Malak Alwawi is a 17 year old Cincinnati student who uses her writing talent to raise awareness of some of society’s issues such as racism, mental health, sexual harassment and more. And Mike Zelkind has an indoor, hydroponic farm that grows the highest quality produce with 97% less water, yielding 100 times more than traditional farming with ZERO pesticides.
What do these very different and unusual people have in common?
They will ALL be among the presenters and entertainers at this spring’s TEDxCincinnati 8th annual Main Stage Event, to be held on Saturday, May 12 at Memorial Hall in downtown Cincinnati. There will be two identical shows – one beginning at 4:00 pm and the second beginning at 7:30 pm with networking, happy hour and Elis BBQ for purchase in between.
I have always loved going to TEDxCincinnati events, and served on its leadership team years back. Shows include an eclectic collection of such diverse, unusual and thought-provoking topics carefully crafted to draw you in, give you pause, and cause you to think about things from an often new perspective.
Jami Edelheit, director of TEDxCincinnati, describes it this way: “Think of TEDxCincinnati as a trip to the brain spa, one in which you leave read to talk and explore new ideas with those around you. People don’t come to our Main Stage Event specifically for the speakers that are chosen, but rather for the experience that they are sure to have.”
I encourage you to visit their website to see the full list of speakers and entertainers, and then purchase your ticket now…before they are sold out!
Brain Donor Project Is A Father’s Legacy
Gene Armentrout and his daughter, Tish Hevel
Gene Armentrout was surrounded by family when his heart beat its last pulse March 10, 2015. He was an avid tennis player, an amateur bridge partner, sometimes golfer and passionate runner for 25+ years. He was the guy running in Eden Park or on bridges across the Ohio River at lunchtime – in a Santa suit during December. Gene was also a respected businessman and philanthropist. A graduate of the first class of Leadership Cincinnati, his last position before retiring in 2012 was as president of Gradison Financial Services (later acquired by McDonald & Co. Securities, then Key Bank; currently owned by UBS). He was president of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, and served on the Boards of the Urban League of Cincinnati, the Northern Kentucky University Foundation, the Business Advisory Council at Xavier University, and many other arts, humanitarian and educational organizations.
But more than that, Gene was a family man. He met Rita, the woman of his dreams, in first grade, and 58 of his 78 years were spent married to her. Together they enjoyed five children and eight grandchildren, and many lifelong friends.
It took just a few short months for Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) to rob friends, family, and a community of a man whose brain helped him achieve great accomplishments, who lived with passion and heart, who loved and gave love generously.
Gene’s daughter, Tish Hevel, had been living in Columbus for 20 years when her father became ill and she became a caregiver. It was during her search for more information that she learned of the critical need for brain donations to study the growing and vast number of neurological diseases and disorders. The decision was made to give that piece of her dad to benefit others.
Only it was a decision that came with far too many complications. In his final four hours, a time when Tish would have liked to have spent holding his hand, she researching how to ensure her dad’s final gift would be carried out.
More than 50 million Americans are estimated to have some form of neurological disorder, among them Parkinson’s, autism, dementia, schizophrenia, and CPE from concussions. In other words, about one in six of us will experience or know someone who is experiencing one of these disorders in our lifetime. Research has come a long way but human tissue is necessary in the quest for answers, and there simply is not enough of it being donated. Part of that reason is due to the complication of the donation process, part of the reason is a lack of knowledge and misunderstandings.
A New Chapter
Less than a year later, the Brain Donor Project, was an official 501C3 with a mission of raising awareness of the need while simplifying the process for human brain donation for research. Tish is its founder and president.
In just about seven months, already the Brain Donor Project has had almost 500 brains committed from 46 states and the District of Columbia, representing some 45 categories of brain disorders.
Brain Donations Simplified: How the Brain Donor Project Works
Arranging to donate your brain for research may be the most valuable legacy you can leave to improve the health and wellbeing of future generations. The first step is visiting http://www.braindonorproject.org to have your questions answered. In one stop you can register to donate your brain when you die, receive authorization and consent forms, and tell your friends
The Truths About Brain Donation
Registering as an organ donor IS NOT the same thing, and just because you have registered to donate your organs to science does mean you have also registered to give your brain. There is a different consent process for donating a brain.
You DO NOT need to have a brain disease in order to donate your brain. In fact, ‘control’ brains are in just as much demand and are just as valuable for research.
There is no additional cost to your family for donating your brain.
Bodies are not disfigured when brains are donated. Families can still plan for open casket funerals.
Hear Tish’s Story at TEDxCincinnati
And on June 17, she will be sharing her story at TEDxCincinnati.
This year, for the first time ever, TEDxCincinnati will be on a Saturday with new times and more ways to connect and learn. The Main Stage Event will be Saturday, June 17 at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 and will feature the same show at two convenient times:
Pre-Dinner Show at 5:00 pm (registration opens at 4:00 pm)
Post-Dinner Show at 8:30 pm (registration opens at 7:15 pm)
All guests are encouraged to attend the networking cocktail hour from 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm. Food trucks and entertainment will be on site while guests network with the evening’s speakers and performers.
Jami Edelheit Is An Idea Worth Spreading
I have come to learn, one of the really great gifts we can give each other is the gift of connection…and reconnection. There is so much that we can learn from and appreciate 
about one another. That process gives life greater value, greater joy, greater inspiration.
Life gave me another one of these gifts recently.
I can’t remember when or how Jami Edelheit and I first met, but I remember how her presence made me feel. She had (and still has) a way of energizing me. She made me laugh. She made me smile. She opened my eyes to different perspectives.
Jami has that effect on people. She is like a magnet, attracting others to dream, connect, and do. She is a leader and change maker who makes things happen in big ways.
TED, a global nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, is one of her passions. In case you are unfamiliar, TED began in 1984 as an annual conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design; and has since spread the power of messages and ideas to billions world wide.
Jami is the founder and director of TEDxCincinnati, bringing people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxCincinnati includes its main stage event (that have been selling out) featuring TED talk videos, live speakers and performers to spark deep discussion and connection (details are below on its June 16, 2016 event); and a growing community. I served on the leadership team several years ago.
But her roots with TED go much deeper. They sprouted in 2011 when, as the public relations coordinator for a floating campus called Semesters at Sea, she developed a strategic partnership between the two organizations. When she got off the ship, the director of TEDx came to her with the idea of building a community in Cincinnati. That idea has touched thousands in our region alone.
Jami told me she is a TEDster, having gone to the annual global TED event, an event for which tickets are pretty difficult to come by. She also has the license for TEDx on Board, holding events on a yacht in San Francisco.
San Francisco, you ask? Well, when Jami is not conducting business, organizing events, selling real estate, or enjoying family here, she commutes to California – or other parts of the world, where she creates strategic partnerships to create life changing innovations. Chinese CEOs found Jami about three years ago and asked for her help in researching and finding them leading new technologies to invest in, license or bring back to their country. That work led to Google selecting her as one of 12 people chosen work with the social media giant in identifying and amplifying technologies that could impact a billion people – that Google project is currently on hold.
And, as if that is not enough, Jami also runs an international program at Stanford University called Future Xi (meaning Future Technologies) that identifies technologies and solutions.
Quietly, under the radar of many who know and admire her, Jami’s work is impacting the world in which we live.
I asked her a few more questions.
Lisa: Tell us about your very first job.
Jami: My first job was at my neighborhood Friendly’s Ice Cream. I started there as a dishwasher. Everyone began that way, and then when they found someone to replace you, you got to move up to being a cook, and then to an ice cream maker. I moved up to being a server from there.
Lisa: Where does your inspiration come from?
Jami: All of the people I am around inspire me. One is smarter than the next. I just look at the future and think, WOW! It is really all about the people you surround yourself with – whether they are friends, family, or people working on solutions for the world.
Lisa: How have your parents influenced you?
Jami: My dad is 93 years old now. He is a very kind, honest and loyal person who has never raised his voice. He is the most diplomatic, generous and empathic person and has been a stable voice in my life. My mom is 83, and has been singing and dancing and performing around the community for many years. I am so lucky to have grown up with their balance. From them I have learned about being empathetic, compassionate and seeing the bright side of everything.
Lisa: Are your children involved with TED?
Jami: Absolutely. Jordan founded TEDx at The Ohio State University in 2012 and founded the first TEDx in a prison. Now there are TEDx in prisons internationally and she helped mentor several of them. She has spoken at Harvard, Yale, Duke, and in Japan. My middle daughter, Carly, works with me on the TEDxCincinnati team. She is going to Ghanna for the entire summer to work on a public water project. And Michael was the director of TEDxCincinnati Youth for area high schools.
Lisa: You are such an incredible inspiration to all of us. What advice do you give others on experiencing it to the fullest?
Jami: Always be grateful and empathetic. Life is amazing and it is right there in front of you.
Before I wrote this, Jami emailed me this quote she found that she said spoke to her. “There is only one real choice in life, ‘be ordinary or extraordinary.’”
“I choose the later!!! I love to meet and learn from extraordinary people!,” Jami told me.
And speaking of learning from extraordinary people…after reading this, you just did.
TEDxCincinnati Main Stage Event ‘Leap’
Thursday, June 16 from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Cincinnati Masonic Center (315 W 5th Street in downtown Cincinnati)
For tickets, please click here.
With the theme, ‘Leap’, this year’s event will feature speakers on health innovation, education, wellness, biotech, technology, performances and more. TEDxCincinnati main stage events inspire innovation, thought leadership and visionary insight with speakers and performers on the main stage.
Network with other TEDsters at Innovation Alley before the main stage event. New this year, TEDxCincinnati and GCVA will have awards to recognize the hottest businesses, technologies, entrepreneurs, and funders in Cincinnati’s technology community & of course there will be happy hour!
#GoodThingsCincy
CINspirational People: Leila Kubesch
There are people in this world who live their life with purpose, who push beyond their comfort zone because the power of what they are fighting for is much stronger than any insecurity inside themselves. They are courageous and they are leaders, and they are making this world better in their own way.
Leila Kubesch is one of those people. She is the founder of a Cincinnati nonprofit organization called Parents 2 Partners that educates and empowers vulnerable families including those with limited English, aged out and homeless youth from foster care.
Her website describes what she does this way, ”We use the language they understand and go at pace they can handle. First, we move them from a victim to victor mind-set and let them soar. We train parents, youth, and educators because maximum impact does not occur in isolation. Our aspiration is to promote cohesive informed families that support each other for the success of all.”
She and I walked through Sharon Woods one day when she shared some of her story. It began in Africa where she grew up never having owned or played with a toy. She didn’t know she was poor. “Even without a book to call mine,” she told me, “I loved possibilities. My grandmother sat me down and taught me to dream big. I believed in her words, kept the faith and am achieving my dreams.”
A year ago Leila volunteered as a court appointed youth advocate, a role that changed her path. She discovered the difficult fork in the road for foster care youth, who, at 18, find themselves alone.
“Somehow we think they can make it on their own. One child died in my own community for not getting his medication,” Leila said. “When I asked some of these children what they wanted more than anything, they said simply…a mentor.”
Think about that for a minute. These young adults trying to find their way in this complicated world just trying to get their most basic needs like food, clothing and housing met, are telling Leila what they want more than anything is an adult role model who cares.
It is their stories, their hearts and their potential that has given this soft spoken woman a strong voice. Leila has driven to Washington to meet with a Senator. She developed a web app so that foster care children can be found according to school district. She has applied for program grants and gotten them. She has educated and empowered parents, families and young people through camps, workshops, a Parent Academy.
On March 5, she told her story to a small crowd and was selected to speak at a sell out TEDxCincinnati event this year.
“A year ago, I could not speak in front of people but when I stood there looking into the crowd, I was fearless like I have never known myself to be,” she told me. “It was because I was not speaking with my mind. I was speaking with my heart and I knew I had a purpose. I knew at that moment I did not want to fail.”
Please watch Leila’s TEDxCincinnati talk below.
What is Leila’s advice to other’s? “My advice to anyone who wants to start something is not feel trapped or bound by what you are good at. Follow where your heart is and amazing things will happen.”
Learn more about Parents 2 Partners here.
