Reposted from Tim Richardson

“Cut the Bull$%&t!” from the back of the room less than five minutes into my presentation.

“Get to the point,” he barked—loudly and angrily. From there, the entire session unraveled. What I didn’t know at the time was that the company hosting the event had just completed a hostile acquisition of a competitor in New England. Many of the attendees had been forced to attend this corporate offsite—and they didn’t want to be there. They certainly didn’t want to hear from a motivational speaker.

To make matters worse, the executive in charge of the $1 billion division who hired me told her team to plan so many activities so that she could avoid interacting with attendees altogether. There was barely time to take a breath, let alone appreciate the gorgeous Colorado resort where we were staying. She didn’t want to be there. They didn’t want to be there. And within minutes, neither did I. After this inauspicious beginning, the company canceled the five remaining events they had booked with me. Our first child was only a few months old. My wife’s maternity leave had just ended. That loss hurt in more ways than one. I’ll Never Forget It—And That’s a Good Thing. That experience happened more than 30 years ago. But it stuck with me—just like another early disaster when an event introducer opened with: “Everyone who knows me knows I don’t follow scripts, so here goes…”

Then he butchered my introduction. I blundered through the first few minutes correcting the mistakes in his introduction and setting the stage for my remarks: something I didn’t usually have to do. The presentation never recovered. More recently, I opened a conference for C-suite leaders after lunch. I was told ahead of time that they were a “quiet group.” Still, nothing prepares you for a room where a third of the seats are empty and the front row is a ghost town.

Here are three key lessons I’ve learned from those tougher moments that apply far beyond the stage—and directly into your boardroom or team huddle:

1. Do Your Homework – Whether you’re giving a keynote, leading a sales call, planning an offsite, or running an all-hands meeting, you must understand your audience. What’s happening inside their organization? Why are they showing up—and do they even want or need to be there? If you don’t understand their context and current emotional state, your message will likely miss the mark.

2. Orchestrate the Experience – Not Just the Agenda

People remember primacy (the first thing they hear) and recency (the last). A poor introduction or awkward launch can sabotage the most well-crafted message. Coach your presenters. Rehearse. Make the opening of any gathering intentional, not perfunctory. That first impression is the moment of truth.

3. Mind the Space to Avoid an Energy Drain – A half-empty ballroom kills momentum.
When people are physically distant, they’re emotionally distant too.
Whether you’re delivering a keynote or running a departmental meeting, space management matters.
Want people engaged?
Incentivize front-row seating.
Use greeters.
Close the distance.
This principle applies beyond events.
In the workplace, proximity fosters collaboration. It’s one reason many leaders are pushing for employees to return to the office—it’s hard to replicate that closeness on a screen.

Your work may look very different from mine. But one thing we all share is this: Things won’t always go as planned. There will be off days, tough crowds, and moments when you question everything. That’s okay. That’s part of leadership. What matters most is how you respond: Accept it. Analyze it. Learn from it. Move forward. The last thing any of us wants—whether it’s in a keynote, a client pitch, or a board meeting—is for someone in the back of the room to call out “Cut the Bull$%&t!”

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