Welcome to another episode of "10 Words or Less," in which I ask brief questions of interesting people and request brief answers in return. Today's offering belongs to a growing 10WOL subset in which I talk to professional speakers. This particular speaker is a recent past president of the National Speakers Association and a recipient of both its highest earned and bestowed honors. He’ll be presenting ideas and solutions to NSA’s New England Chapter on Feb. 11th, an event that is open to the public. He is the author of four books including "Do It Well Make It Fun." He’s a nationally known humorist whose clients have included the US Senate and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, John Hopkins and Safeway.

Name Ron Culberson
Born when and where “Abingdon, Va., in 1960, but grew up in Emory, Va., which is 10 miles up the road in the middle of nowhere.”
Was there anything unusual about the circumstances of your birth? “Yes. I came in with such force, my mother went deaf in one ear. … She had mumps.”
Wow. Did she hold it against you? “That’s a good question. I need to ask my therapist about that. I’m not sure.”

Ryan is a leader in the field of worksite wellness, having founded the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts. She's a thriving and authoritative businesswoman and successful professional speaker.

Donna Serdula is the doyenne of the LinkedIn profile. She speaks professionally on the topic, and employs about 40 writers who craft better profiles for a world of clients. As the guest of the New England chapter of the National Speakers Association, she's coming to Waltham Jan. 7 to present on both topics: How to craft a profile, but also, how to build a business that needs 40-plus contributors to meet the demand for its services. Follow this link to attend her presentation.

Welcome to another special interest episode of 10 Words or Less, in which I ask brief questions of interesting people and ask them to respond with brief answers of their own. Today’s contestant is a professional speaker and the author of at least four books. He’s deeply invested in creativity and one of his outlets and speaking topics is how to make presentation slides that don’t suck. My usual admonishment to those playing at home: 10 words is a goal, not a limit, so please, no counting! It’s not easy to do.

Note: This is an edited transcript of a video interview published Sept. 23. Mike approved all edits.

Name Mike Robertson
Born when, where? “Feb. 23, 1954, in a tiny town in the brush country of Texas called Cotulla. I don’t think I have been back since."
Where do you live now? “I live in Austin, Texas. The capital city. The weirdest city in Texas."
What you do for work? “I’m a full-time speaker and designer of slides for myself and other people."
What did you create the first time you remember being creative? “I was probably sitting on the swing set in my backyard making up a song."
Something important about being creative “You have to exercise it. It’s not a good idea to be creative and then stop for a while because that muscle will begin to lose its strength. … Last year I decided I would do something different creatively each month. The first month of the year I wrote a song completely with all the tracks and recorded it. The second month I decided I would like to paint a large size painting, which I had never done. The third month I published a new book. That’s when my resolution came to a stop."
A misunderstood part of creativity “People tend to think they need a different gift to achieve something really cool and so we become envious of other people’s gifts. We say, well if I could sing like that guy, or, if I had her acting ability, I could do something really great with my life. But we each have tools already. The trick is just finding a new way to use those tools."

Welcome to a special-interest episode of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask brief questions of interesting people and request brief answers in return.