Enhancing Your Speaking Game with AI: Insights from Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins

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Enhancing Your Speaking Game with AI: Insights from Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins

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Summary

If you thought you needed to wait until adulthood to start making waves as a public speaker, Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins' story is going to blow your mind. As the youngest professional bass fisherman in the United States—at just 14—Mickey wasn’t just catching fish; she was captivating audiences of all ages (including a roomful of curmudgeonly pros). Her journey from fishing tournaments to corporate learning stages is packed with wisdom, resilience, and a few laugh-out-loud moments. Meet the Guest: Dr. Mickey Fitch Collins Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins is a human skills facilitator at Learn It, seasoned public speaker, and lifelong teacher at heart. With three decades on stage (yes, starting at 14!), Mickey helps managers and teams build practical workplace habits and the confidence to engage any room. Today, she’s taking her love of teaching and blending it with cutting-edge insights—think human skills in the age of AI and actionable advice for anyone who wants to get better at communicating. In our conversation, Mickey and I covered so much ground, including: Getting on Stage at 14: How being the youngest pro bass fisherman landed her on stages full of older men—and what she learned about belonging, confidence, and building trust.Navigating Bias and Naysayers: Real talk on handling skepticism (even hecklers!) as a teenage girl in a male-dominated world.Growing Into Your Voice: How lessons learned on the water translated into a career in facilitation, corporate training, and (yes) more speaking.Public Speaking Growth Mindset: Why reflecting after every gig—no matter your experience level—is key to mastery.Planned vs. Impromptu Speaking: Why the best speakers work just as hard on their ability to answer questions and think on their feet as they do prepping slides.Building a Brand Through Authenticity: How Speaker A balances high energy and realness—without trying to be “less” for anyone.Leveraging AI as Your Presentation Coach: The exact way Mickey uses AI tools (like ChatGPT and Claude) to analyze and improve her talks, with timestamped feedback!Getting Booked (and Saying “No” with Integrity): The role of networking, following up, and ethical offers in building a speaking career. [embed]https://youtu.be/ndNqCvzaokw[/embed] If Mickey’s journey lit a fire under you, here’s your next step: Share Your First Stage Story – Are you ready to tell yours? Head over to myfirststagepodcast.com and connect with the show—I’d love to feature new voices.Connect with Dr. Mickey Fitch Collins – Dive deeper into human skills, upskilling opportunities, and learning resources atlearnit.com/mickey, or find Speaker A on LinkedIn for more professional insights and her own podcast, Learn It Lounge.Subscribe and Leave a Review – Liking the show? Hit subscribe, drop a rating wherever you listen, and let me know what you want more of (or who you want to hear next).Start or Grow Your Speaking Career – Don’t wait for permission—host a webinar, offer a lunch-and-learn, or send that proposal. Rejection isn’t the end; sometimes it’s the start of your best stage yet. Thanks for listening to My First Stage! Tune in next week for even more unforgettable stories, strategies, and inspiration from people just bold enough to take the mic. Timestamped Summaries [00:00-00:47] – I welcome Dr. Speaker A to the show, and we set the stage for a story that starts long before powerpoint decks! [00:47-02:58] – Mickey reveals her one-of-a-kind first stage: as a 14-year-old prodigy, she became the youngest professional bass fisherman in the US, landing sponsorships with 30+ companies—and getting up on stage to teach seasoned pros a thing or two. [02:58-04:14] – We dive into gender and age bias, and Mickey shares how she won over skeptical audiences by focusing on value and growth mindset—even when feedback wasn’t always friendly. [04:22-05:29] – She breaks down handling criticism as a teen public speaker, embracing every comment as a chance to get better (even if it stung in the moment). [05:31-07:37] – Fast forward! Today, Speaker A is a human skills facilitator helping professionals upskill in the workplace, especially in the world of AI. She details how communication and critical thinking are THE skills for the modern stage. [08:20-09:53] – Mickey’s top advice: hone your impromptu speaking muscles! She explains why audiences (and colleagues) notice and appreciate speakers who can think on their feet, not just read slides. [10:16-12:09] – We share stories about presentation jitters and why taking questions (even when unplanned) helps prove you’re the real deal—not just a good memorizer. [12:24-15:40] – Speaker A reveals her post-stage ritual: always reflecting, noting what resonated, and re-evaluating her storytelling and in-person “presence” to maximize impact. [15:51-16:26] – A candid discussion about energy, authenticity, and why she refuses to shrink herself to fit ...

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