Stage Time University: Unforgettable Presenters

Would you like to tell better stories or get more laughs when you speak? Do you want to start a podcast? Would you like to build a business as a professional speaker?

Whether you’re a teacher, a coach, a manager—or just about anything—you’re called on to speak and present at times. Perhaps you even want to build a business around speaking. If so, you’ll want to check out the opportunities with Stage Time University.

Keep reading for an overview of Stage Time and all it has to offer to members and nonmembers.

What Is Stage Time University?

Stage Time University serves professional speakers and coaches. Although, really, it serves anyone who’s in a career that involves speaking and presenting.

Darren LaCroix, CSP, AS, is the founder of Stage Time. He’s a Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking (2001). LaCroix mastered the art of public speaking by working with a coach. Stage Time combines coaching with education to help people become better presenters and even become professional speakers.

AI Speech Coaching Support

Most of Stagetime University’s top speakers and coaches (including several world champions of public speaking) use Yoodli, a free artificial intelligence-powered speech coach, to improve their speaking skills. Yoodli provides private and judgment-free feedback on the content and delivery of your speaking, similar to what Grammarly does for writing.

Now, let’s take a look at Stage Time University’s workshops and membership opportunities.

Workshops

Stage Time offers several events throughout the year—all of them designed to help you develop your public speaking skills. Most of them cost something to attend, but a couple of training sessions are free.

Free Workshops

You can watch the following two Stage Time University workshop sessions for free online.

Unforgettable Presentations

“Unforgettable Presentations: Secrets From a World Champion Coach” is a 60-minute talk by LaCroix and Mark Brown. (Both men are actually World Champions of Public Speaking!) Just enter your email address, and you’ll get access to this video online. You’ll get to hear a part of the story of LaCroix’s inspiring journey to speaking success.

Get Paid to Speak

Who doesn’t want to get paid to speak? Learn how to turn your passion into a money-maker by watching the Get Paid to Speak training online. It’s an hour-long presentation by LaCroix and Ford Saeks with a bit of added time for questions and answers.

More Workshops & Events

Stage Time University members receive discounts on the following workshops.

Game Changers

Game Changers is an annual two-day event for speakers, entrepreneurs, authors, and corporate presenters. Presenters include a business growth expert, a coach, a comedian, and professional speakers. Here’s a sampling of what’s on the agenda for the 2023 workshop.

Monetize Your Message

• “Your First Thirty Seconds: How to Make Your Opening Memorable” by Patricia Fripp
• “Leveraging AI Tools and Technology for Professional Speakers” by Ford Saeks
• “Everyone Is Funny” by Butch Bradley

Get Booked

• “Unforgettable Numbers (Marketing That Sticks)” by Darren LaCroix
• “Suspect —> Prospect —> Gig!” by Ed Tate
• “How Is Business Different in 2023?” by Jennifer Lier
• “Yoodli Tool” by Ed Tate and Mark Brown—Yoodli is an AI-powered speech coach that provides personalized and private feedback (the screenshot below shows just three of the analytics that Yoodli provides). More and more speakers are using it to improve their speaking skills, and coaches use it to supplement their sessions. You, too, can use it for free.

You can attend Game Changers in person or virtually. If you attend live, you can opt for VIP status and get more personal access to faculty members before, during, and after the event.

Unforgettable Presentations

Countless presentation opportunities exist in the workforce and in schools. You want to be ready and confident. Stage Time University offers Unforgettable Presentations two times per year. You also can book this event for your own organization.

You’ll learn a seven-step process that includes the Patricia Fripp speech model and instruction in creating stand-out illustrations and effective takeaways. You will take away a first draft of your own presentation. Here’s a sampling of what the workshop covers:

• Clarify Your Message
• Find the Rich Content in Your Life
• Create Your Strong Opening
• Create Your Strong Closing
• Develop Your Points of Wisdom
• Develop Your Unforgettable Illustration
• Make Your Message STICKY!
• Compose Seamless Transitions to Make It Flow
• Internalize and Deliver Your Presentation

Event VIPs receive front-row seating and in-depth coaching.

Get Coached to Speak

Get Coached to Speak is a live or virtual three-day workshop that helps attendees learn to “own the stage.” Elements include:

• On-Site Preparation—Exactly what LaCroix and Brown do when they’re at a meeting site
• What the Audience Is Thinking
• Must-Haves & Must-Avoids
• Six-Step Success Stories—How to give the audience an emotional experience that will move them to action
• Slide Presentations

Drop In Improv

Improvisational speaking is not just for comedians. Everyone can benefit from learning to be more prepared to speak when called on and to respond when questioned.

Drop In Improv is a live 60- to 90-minute online workshop from Stage Time University involving instruction and exercises. Presenters include humor coach and stand-up comedian Stephanie McHugh.

Better Stories, Better Business

Better Stories, Better Business is a three-day virtual workshop that’s streamed live. You’ll receive their five-step Story Essentials Checklist™️ and learn the Then, Now & How Story Model.

You can opt for a VIP seat, which gets you “extra personal coaching” during the event and a chance to work with two story experts. The facilitators will work through your story as part of the presentation.

Mastering Virtual Presentations

Virtual presentations aren’t going away. You might be surprised to know, though, that many of the must-haves for live presentations are actually must-avoids for virtual presentations.

Mastering Virtual Presentations is a three-day live-streamed event. Here’s a sampling of what it covers:

• Own the Virtual Platform
• Meetings vs. Webinars
• Virtual One-on-One Coaching
• 20 Essential Pace Elements
• Your Presentation Structure
• Your Slides
• Your Images
• Presenting on Other People’s Platforms
• The Verbal Business Card
• Your 1-Minute Pitch

You can opt for VIP status to get Teach Back Time, exclusive coaching and feedback, and custom insights for your target audience.

Humor Boot Camp®

Humor Boot Camp® is a live three-day event at the LA Comedy Club in Las Vegas. While comedians certainly could benefit from it, it’s designed for anyone who wants to add humor to their presentations. Being funny can set you apart from the crowd.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Master the humor twist
• Make your personal stories funnier
• Discover the Triangle of Laughter
• Make boring subjects interesting
• Gain confidence mastering the little-known structure of humor
• Utilize callbacks to get more laughs quickly and easily
• Avoid the biggest mistake of presenters trying to be funny
• Know the secrets of funny words to spice up your presentations

You also can purchase the Humor Boot Camp® replays, tools, and MP3s.

How to Create My Big, Crazy, Ridiculous Dream Plan

How to Create My Big, Crazy, Ridiculous Dream Plan is a virtual workshop that’s held on four days spread over four weeks. Each session lasts 90 minutes. It will help you turn your dream into a solid plan and get you started on it.

Get Paid to Speak 30-Day Challenge

Get Paid to Speak 30-Day Challenge is a series of 90-minute sessions with expert coaches and speakers. You’ll receive clear action steps for your paid-to-speak plan along with peer encouragement and accountability.

Mastermind Retreat

The Mastermind Retreat is a live-streamed three-day intensive event. The experts work with you on your branding, marketing, and presentations. They also help you monetize your speaking services.

Members-Only Summit

The Members-Only Summit is a free annual one-day event for members. It occurs one day before the Game Changers event. It includes a Q&A session with Stage Time University coaches and a presentation on “How to Get More out of Your Online Community.” Attendees determine the rest of the agenda, based on what they want to learn. Members can attend in person or virtually.

Stage Time University Membership

Stage Time University offers three levels of membership: Presentation Mastery, Business Mastery, and Platinum. (Its website mentions Fast-Start membership, but it’s unclear what this is and whether it’s another level or a type of membership onboarding.)

Membership includes courses, live video chats with coaches who provide feedback on your presentations, and video chats with mentors (speakers and business experts) who help you grow your business.

Let’s take a look at each level in detail.

Presentation Mastery

Presentation Mastery is for people who simply want to improve their presentation skills. You’ll receive direction and correction (feedback) through courses and coaching.

Membership includes:

• Private social media group
• All Fast-Start programs
• 40% discount for all workshops
• Invitation to watch weekly live sessions in which three members are coached
• Member-to-member feedback
• Tools to build professional presentations more efficiently
• Courses (see below)

Courses

Presentation Mastery membership involves on-demand, self-paced video training, including the following courses:

• “Create Your Keynote by Next Week”—A seven-step process to create a world-class speech (content and structure)
• “Secrets of Storytelling”—How to keep your audience on the edge of their seats by telling stories that stick
• “Get More Laughs by Next Week”—17 exercises on how to start getting laughs even if you’re not funny
• “Own the Stage”—A focus on speech delivery
• 49-point checklist of must-haves and must-avoids

Pricing

Presentation Mastery membership costs $47 per month or $470 per year. You may upgrade at any time to a Business Mastery or Platinum membership. If you have a monthly membership, you may cancel at any time.

Business Mastery

Business Mastery membership is for people who want to build a professional speaking business. You get everything that’s included at the Presentation Mastery membership level plus time-saving templates, courses, and twice-monthly business coaching sessions.

Courses

Business Mastery membership involves on-demand, self-paced video training, including the following courses:

• “Say What”—How to find the best topics for you
• “Business 101″—How to build your #1 asset
• “30-Day Get Paid to Speak Challenge”—Get clarity on your goal, and get started in that direction.
• “Get Paid to Speak by Next Week©”—Lay the foundations.
• “Business Shortcuts”—Have them, use them, or waste them.
• “Multiple Streams of Speaking Income”—Receive passive income from products by next week.
• “Create Product Now!”—Quickly create profitable products.
• “YouTube It!”—How to profit from free online videos
• “Your Book”—Write it right now.

Business Mentoring

Members at this level participate in two virtual group sessions per month with Darren LaCroix and Ford Saeks (a marketing mentor and business growth expert). You’ll get feedback on your presentations, website, and one sheet.

Pricing

Business Mastery membership costs $197 per month or $1,497 per year. (Stage Time University points out that one-on-one sessions with its coaches range from $300 to $500 per hour.) You can upgrade at any time to a Platinum membership.

Platinum

Platinum members receive everything included in the Presentation Mastery and Business Mastery levels, plus the following:

• 100% discount on all live events and front-row seating
• Monthly group mastermind call with Darren LaCroix
• All replays of past special events
• Access to all new programs
• Live events:
  • “Get Coached to Speak”
  • “Get Paid to Speak”
  • “Multiple Streams of Speaking Income”
  • “Humor”
  • “Game Changers”
  • “Train-the-Trainer”
  • “Secrets of Storytelling”
  • “Mastering Back of the Room Sales”

Pricing

Platinum membership costs $397 per month or $3,997 per year.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, Stage Time University is serious about training and coaching professional speakers and aspiring professional speakers. And, they’re looking for speakers who are serious about sharpening their skills. Check out their website to explore more of what they have to offer.