Lawrence Watkins: an engineer investing in the future
Lawrence Watkins is not your typical engineer. He has formed companies, worked in the investment sector, and is now the managing partner of Malcolm Garvey, helping organizations, business owners, and families use practical, market-driven approaches to improve the overall well-being of Black communities. I’m keen to learn more about the differences between entrepreneurship and corporate life, making the transition from one to the other, and the work he does now with Malcolm Garvey.
To learn more about Lawrence, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencewatkins.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
How to Ensure Your Audience Remembers What you Said
Last week we talked about making presentations less boring. This week, we take it a step further: how do you make sure your audience actually remembers what you said?
In this episode, I share practical tips for technical professionals to:
a. Craft a clear, memorable key message
b. Structure presentations so your audience can follow along
c. Use stories and examples that stick
d. Check understanding before it’s too late
Whether you’re presenting to colleagues, clients, or at a conference, these strategies will help your message land — and stay.
💡 For more tips on communicating complex ideas clearly, visit http://teachthegeek.com
Why Brilliant Engineers Give Boring Presentations and How to Fix it
Brilliant engineers often struggle to give presentations that are clear, engaging, and understandable — especially for nontechnical audiences. In this episode of Teach the Geek, I explain why technical professionals stumble in front of an audience and share practical tips to fix it:
✅ Avoid the curse of knowledge
✅ Use slides to support, not replace you
✅ Let go of perfection and connect
✅ Focus on what the audience cares about
If you lead technical teams or want to communicate your ideas more effectively, this episode is for you.
🌐 Learn more at teachthegeek.com
Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur: Speaker and STEM Advocate
Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur is an engineer with over 22 years of experience in the entertainment industry, leading projects in engineering, design, and technical management for major theme parks. Outside of work, she’s also a speaker and STEM advocate, inspiring the next generation of STEM workers. I’m interested to learn more about her work in entertainment, her STEM outreach, and speaking of course.
To learn more about Elaine, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaineschomburglafleur/.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.
Dianna Deeney: A Coach of Quality
Dianna Deeney is an engineer, product development coach, and founder of Deeney Enterprises. With over 25 years in manufacturing, she’s worked her way up from the plant floor to leading product design and quality engineering teams. She’s also the author of the book “Pierce the Design Fog”, showing how leaders can bridge the communication gap with engineers. I’m curious to learn more about her founding of Deeney Enterprises, her motivation to write her book, and the ways in which becoming an effective communicator has benefited her.
To learn more about Dianna, visit https://deeneyenterprises.com/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Dr. Harold Lee III on life in corporate, founding a consultancy, and giving technical presentations
Dr. Harold Lee III is the founder of the Preferred Thinking Group, a consultancy that provides services such as soft skill development, career readiness training, and project management. I’m curious to learn more about his work in corporate, his motivation to start the Preferred Thinking Group, and the ways in which becoming an effective communicator has benefited him.
To learn more about Dr. Lee, visit https://thepreferredthinkinggroup.com/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Jenn Stevens on Working with Technical Professionals on their Communication Skills
Jenn Stevens is the founder of Presence Coaching & Consulting, working with growing tech companies on the human side of technical problems. She has spent her career helping leaders discover that their biggest challenges aren't technical but are about communication, leadership, and navigating organizational complexity. I’m keen to learn how an organizational development consultant became the go-to person for leaders in tech companies when they realize they have people problems, not technology problems.
To learn more about Jenn, visit https://presenceod.com/.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Jacques the Party Scientist is Bringing Joy to the World
Jacques The Party Scientist ditched his career in pharmacology to, among other things, develop the Joy Bootcamp, the first joy-based leadership retreat. We chatted about his corporate life in Medical Devices (something we have in common), his transition to self-employment, and the ways in which he uses speaking to spread his message of joy.
To learn more about the Party Scientist and Jacques, visit https://thepartyscientist.com/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Darnell Dixon on STEM Advocacy, Being a Manager, and Technical Speaking
Darnell Dixon is an engineer and STEM advocate, working with local schools and organizations to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. I’m keen to learn more about his journey in Engineering, his advocacy efforts, and the ways in which speaking has impacted him.
To get in touch with Darnell, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrdixon/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Engineer Kim Burton on being a Pilot, Giving Presentations, and Managing Others
Kim Burton is a director of project engineering. She’s a pilot, too. I’m curious to learn more about where her interest in Engineering came from, her work in industry, and how speaking has benefited her work life.
To get in touch with Kim, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-burton-2898b9a/. You can also find her on IG and X @kimengineers.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Melanie Myles - Engineer Turned Coach: Master Career Growth & Public Speaking in STEM
Melanie Myles is founder of Arctic Butterfly Coaching and Consulting. She helps women in STEM take control of their careers via the GRACE framework. I’m keen to learn how an engineer got into coaching, her life industry, and the ways in which speaking has worked for her so far.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
To get in touch with Melanie, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniemyles/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Dr. Barbara Oakley: From Military to Engineering, Learning, Altruism & Public Speaking Insights
Today my guest is Dr. Barbara Oakley, a distinguished professor of Engineering. She didn’t start there, though. She spent time in the military before embarking on a career in industry, which ultimately led her to academia. I’m curious to learn more about learning Russian, going back to school to study Engineering, the "pathologies of altruism", and the ways in which speaking has benefited her.
To get in touch with Dr. Oakley, visit https://barbaraoakley.com/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Caroline Dunn: From Engineer to YouTuber
Caroline Dunn is a YouTube creator and author. In her corporate life, she started in engineering and transitioned to marketing before pursuing her current endeavors. I’m curious to find out more about her previous work life, the change to creator, and the ways that her past has prepared her for what she does now.
To get in touch with Caroline, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinedunn/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at
http://teachthegeek.com/tips
The Communication Gap Brilliant Minds Need to be Aware OfI attended the SPI Optics + Photonics conference and notice some things that perhaps don't affect a technical audience, but will affect a non-technical one. I laid out 3 challenges that technical presenters must overcome to effectively communicate with a non-technical audience. Do you agree with the challenges? Let me know in the comments!
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Dr. Stella Lee: Paradoxical Learning
Dr. Stella Lee is founder of Paradox Learning, a consultancy that partners with clients to develop initiatives in digital learning transformation, AI integration, and workforce capability development. I’m curious to learn more about how she came to founding her consultancy, the work she did along the way to get her there, and how she works with clients. I’m sure public speaking will come up, too.
To get in touch with Stella, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellal/.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Frank DiBartolomeo - From Military to Speaking
Frank DiBartolomeo is the founder of DiBartolomeo Consulting International (DCI) and host of the Successful Speaking for Technical Professionals podcast. After years in the armed forces and working in engineering roles, he started his firm to help technical professionals with their public speaking skills. I’m curious to learn more about his evolution from officer to engineer to found and podcast host.
To get in touch with Frank, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankdibartolomeo.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Cartis Best: Non-Impulsive Leadership
Cartis Best is the director of Impulse Leadership LLC, working with clients to develop strategies to lead, especially in uncertain times. I’m curious to find out more about his journey, namely how his Engineering background benefited him in what he does now, how his clients work with him, and how speaking figures into it all.
To get in touch with Cartis, visit http://cartisbest.com
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
In this solo episode, I talk about the genesis of Teach the Geek, starting from my days working as an engineer to where Teach the Geek is today, working with organizations to help their technical staff communicate more effectively with non-technical audiences.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Working with technical professionals so they can present more effectively, especially in front of non-technical audiences.
Get public speaking tips at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.
Sig Muller - The World's Best
Sig Muller, founder of Be the World’s Best, offers keynote speaking, executive coaching and team workshops to help people find their focus, remove barriers, and spark their greatness. I’m curious to learn how his Engineering background shaped his career path, what made him decide to found Be the World’s Best, and everything in between.
To get in touch with Sig, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/sigmuller/.
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Michelle Doerr - Wildlife Biologist and Ecopsychologist
Michelle Doerr is president of Anavah Consulting. With a background as a wildlife biologist and experience in ecopsychology, she designs workshops and coaching that foster healing, growth, and a culture of thriving. I’m keen to learn more about the motivation to found her consultancy, the works he does with clients, and the ways that speaking has benefited her.
To get in touch with Michelle, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleldoerr/
__
TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com)
Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com.
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips