Why Copying Great Speakers Fails: How to Speak With Authority Using Your Own Experience | Ep. 97
Wed Jan 21 2026
Ever watch a great speaker and think, "I wish I could sound like that"? Here's the problem: copying great speakers makes you worse, not better.
In this episode, I break down Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech—not to teach you his style, but to reveal his process. The speech wasn't planned. It was a "rhetorical scrapbook" of material he'd been testing for years. When Mahalia Jackson yelled "Tell them about the dream, Martin," he had the mental library to improvise 4 minutes that changed history.
You'll learn:
Why MLK's authority came from his context (and how to find yours)The "Stitch & Deliver" method for building your own speaking libraryHow to prepare so you can improvise in high-stakes momentsWhat to study from great speakers (and what to ignore)Great communication isn't about being MLK. It's about being you with better tools.
Start your rhetorical scrapbook today.
An easy way to send me a message? Click the link here.
Support the show
Have you enjoyed the podcast? If so, follow it, rate it, and share it with three people:
Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Follow on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube
If you want to share feedback, have a great idea, or have a question then email me: talktopeoplepodcast@gmail.com
Produced by Capture Connection Studios: captureconnectionstudios.com
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Ever watch a great speaker and think, "I wish I could sound like that"? Here's the problem: copying great speakers makes you worse, not better. In this episode, I break down Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech—not to teach you his style, but to reveal his process. The speech wasn't planned. It was a "rhetorical scrapbook" of material he'd been testing for years. When Mahalia Jackson yelled "Tell them about the dream, Martin," he had the mental library to improvise 4 minutes that changed history. You'll learn: Why MLK's authority came from his context (and how to find yours)The "Stitch & Deliver" method for building your own speaking libraryHow to prepare so you can improvise in high-stakes momentsWhat to study from great speakers (and what to ignore)Great communication isn't about being MLK. It's about being you with better tools. Start your rhetorical scrapbook today. An easy way to send me a message? Click the link here. Support the show Have you enjoyed the podcast? If so, follow it, rate it, and share it with three people: Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Follow on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube If you want to share feedback, have a great idea, or have a question then email me: talktopeoplepodcast@gmail.com Produced by Capture Connection Studios: captureconnectionstudios.com