Welcome to Ed Barks’ Personal Trainer Library. This resource draws upon eight years’ worth of Ed’s monthly Personal Trainer columns. Topics focus on how to sharpen your skills when dealing with the media, delivering presentations, and offering legislative and regulatory testimony.

With the advent of The Truth About Public Speaking (and the Media) Blog, we have ceased regular publication of Personal Trainer. Fear not, however. We will be rotating the best of Ed’s thought pieces on this page regularly, so check back often.

And for up-to-the-minute insights from Ed about public speaking, the media, and business thinking, visit The Truth About Public Speaking (and the Media) Blog daily.

What Is the Truth About Public Speaking?
Here is the truth about public speaking: If you aspire to anything beyond run-of-the-mill in either your professional or personal life, you need solid presentation skills.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Knocking knees. Racing heart. Sweaty palms. Cotton mouth. Quivering voice. Shaky hands. Churning stomach. Jelly legs. You don't need a doctor to diagnose these symptoms. Your ailment is called fear of public performance.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Public Speaking
Some commonly asked questions about speaking in public, complete with quick hitting, to-the-point answers.

Reporters Don’t Hate You
Some leaders operate under the mistaken assumption that reporters detest them, as well as everyone else they interview. That’s not necessarily so.

Spin is a Sin
It is one of the most maligned words in the annals of journalism. It is the one word that sets the blood of reporters and credible media trainers to boiling. It’s the dreaded four-letter word: Spin.

Lights! Camera! Action!
The anchor completes her brisk introduction and turns to you with that first question. Now comes your moment in the sun.

Five Minutes that Help You Cut Through Red Tape
Five minutes is not a lot of time to advance your public policy objectives. By using the Five Minute Approach, you can maximize your opportunities when appearing before public officials.

Create Your Own Lifelong Learning Plan In The Truth About Public Speaking: The Three Keys to Great Presentations, Ed Barks emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning—a factor that many speakers neglect.