Montis Public Speaking renamed to Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
by Jelle Annaars
1 December, 2020 – Montis Public Speaking, a growingcompany that focuses on public speaking coaching, changes its name to Elizabeth Van Den Bergh. The renaming puts founder Elizabeth front and center in its communication and is accompanied by a complete overhaul of the visual brand.
Van Den Bergh came up with the name Montis Public Speaking in 2017. Montis was a linguistic wink to her last name – they both mean ‘from the mountain’ in Latin and Dutch, respectively. In 2020, Van Den Bergh decided that the name didn’t fit how she wanted to be perceived any longer.
“What makes us stand out from our competition is our personal approach,” she explains. “We’re not a large training company and we do not plan to become one – although we are working on scaling the business, my personality and approach will always be the unique selling point. ‘Montis’ sounded too corporate in that light and developing a true personal brand made much more sense.”
Together with Belgian PR Specialist Saskia Neirinckx, Van Den Bergh created a briefing for Antwerp-based branding agency Lobster. The agency developed the entire visual brand including a colour scheme, font choice and multiple logos. They also completely redesigned the website to fit.
The new brand comprises 4 vibrant colour combinations.
“The new brand had to feel at the same time high-quality, classy, and bold, outspoken. Lobster did a tremendous job at combining those features into our new visual brand. We’re definitely entering a new era in our brand that is much less generic”, Van Den Bergh says.
Elizabeth Van Den Bergh’s new branding can be found on her website https://speaker.coach.
Last modified 15/04/26
Speaking in online meetings: My 21 top tips for more impact
by Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
“Speaking on video is like speaking under a magnifying glass.” — Elizabeth
When the coronavirus came, online meetings became the new norm. As you’ll have experienced, speaking on video is a bit of a different game from speaking in a live environment.
Here are my tips for speaking well in online meetings. Apply these tips — or even just a few — and you’re sure to make a great impression on the others in your virtual room!
What makes an online meeting so different?
Because you’re physically separated from the other, you’ll need to compensate for this virtual distance. This means your full mental presence is required. If you are only half present, and your thoughts are somewhere else, this shows! If necessary, energise yourself before the webinar using the tips below.
Your body language is harder to perceive, so the effect of your voice is amplified. Use and apply articulation, intonation and rhythm for clear speech.
Practical speaking tips for online meetings
For sound quality, make sure to connect an external microphone to your laptop or tablet. This can be a simple set of ear- or headphones with microphone included. It doesn’t have to be expensive — just the fact that the microphone is close to your mouth does wonder for the sound quality.
Your dress code is a plain, possibly coloured shirt, dress or top. I would personally always have covered shoulders even if it’s a hot day.
The less distraction there is in the background the better. If available, sit in front of a white (or unicolour) wall.
Make sure your face is well lit. Daylight is best. Avoid backlight and, if possible, have light coming from both left and right so both sides of your face are lit.
Look into your webcam when speaking, especially when you start speaking and towards the end of your intervention. In the middle, you can alternate between looking at the screen, looking at other participants and looking above your screen when you collect your thoughts.
To make the previous point easier: make sure the webcam is comfortably at eye-height. This way you’ll look mich better on camera, too. Use a laptop standard if necessary. You can always stack a few books under your laptop.
Warm-up before your online meeting
Energise the body: Stretch and open the ribs. Bend knees. Bend to the right, hand on head. Bend to the left, hand on head.
Breathing – 3 times: Focus on a spot anywhere in the room. Open up your diaphragm. Take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe out through the mouth to the count of 6, 8, 10.
Projection: Stretch your throat. Yawn. Stretch. Sing notes from high to low across the room
Practice tongue twisters for better articulation.
Unique New York, Unique New York
Sally sells sea shells on the seashore
I’d like a proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot
Tips on how to get the most out of your voice
Open wide: A lot of voice problems stem from constricting your throat or closing your jaw. Stack two fingers, place them between your teeth and count to ten. Remove your fingers and count to ten again. With your mouth more open, your voice should sound more energised.
Relax: Yawning can release upper body tension and so allow the larynx to find its neutral position and a comfortable pitch for your voice.
Check your endings: Nerves can make your voice lose volume or variety as you speak. Try to finish sentences with as much vocal energy as you started with, and to end assertively.
Pace yourself: You’ll sound more in control and be less likely to mumble, swallow words or run out of breath.
Pause: Think of pauses as verbal punctuation. One beat is a comma; two, a full stop; three, a paragraph break.
Get to the point: Cut filler words (like, sort of).
Breathe: Remember, breath is fuel for the voice.
Mind your articulation
Lips: Babababababa all over the room; now papapapapa
Roll Rs
Tip of tongue: dadadadadada, tatatatata, nananananan
Back of tongue: gagagagagagagagagaga, kakakakakakakaka
Now, TIC TOC TIC TAC TIC TOC TIC TAC
Use plenty of emphasis. iMAgine an AUdience anAlysis proves our inNOvative inSUrance company DEcades of sucCEss.
What tip have you found especially effective? Maybe you have one to add? Let us know in the comments.
Last modified 15/04/26
7 steps to prepare a speech in a surprisingly short time
by Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
Most of my clients are entrepreneurs, CEOs or working in other leadership positions. I also meet many small business entrepreneurs. One common thread is that they’re very busy. Successful leaders are mindful about how they spend every single minute.
It’s no surprise then, that when these leaders are asked to speak in public, the one thing they are thinking is:
How do I prepare a speech in as little time as possible?
Today I’d like to share with you an excerpt of my CEO playbook for delivering speeches. The section on preparation contains tips that are useful to anyone looking to prepare a speech in half the time while doubling their impact.
I’ve compiled them into a handy list of 7 steps:
The 7 steps to efficiently prepare a speech
The steps are:
Identify your purpose. Why are you speaking?
Know your audience. What are their aspirations, pains, …?
Add significance. Why should the audience care?
Define your clear message. What should your audience remember?
Establish your structure. Develop a middle part with one or two points supported by an anecdote, story, and preferably backed up by facts and data.
Prepare a strong opening and a strong ending.
Rehearse.
1. Define your purpose
For a speech to be effective, it must have a clear goal. A goal also helps you focus while creating the speech.
Ask yourself: do you mainly want to…
entertain?
inform?
persuade?
motivate?
inspire?
Note: these goals may overlap, and one does not exclude another. But one must be your main goal.
2. Know your audience
In order to connect with your audience during speeches, it is important to be able to place yourself in their shoes. Only from this perspective can you truly communicate understanding and establish rapport.
To know your audience is to engage your audience.
The Empathy Map is a handy technique from the world of user experience and marketing, where it is used to better understand potential or existing customers. It works remarkably well when you prepare a speech, too.
The empathy map helps you better understand your audience.
The big idea is to go over the different areas in the map and come up with the elements that create your listeners’ mental world in relation to the topic.
Suppose you are to deliver a speech on the use of sugar in processed foods. Some questions the empathy map would trigger are:
What do they think about the use of sugar and how does it make them feel?
What do they hear about sugar from their environment or in the news?
What do they see when it comes to sugar, e.g. in terms of advertising or packaging?
What do they say about sugar to their peers? What do they do – what actions do they take (or not take)?
What pain, or significant disadvantages, do they associate with sugar?
What gain, or significant advantages, do they associate with sugar?
Note that the answers to some of these questions will overlap. Don’t worry about that — this is just a brainstorming tool to trigger relevant information stored in your memory. The point is not to organise information in any neat way.
Try it, even if it’s for 5 minutes! You’ll be surprised how helpful the answers are for:
finding an angle
finding the right words
creating goodwill
overcoming resistance
and much more.
3. Add significance
Why significance is key when you prepare a speech
Crafting any good story starts with the why. What’s the point exactly?
There’s a saying in public speaking: you win the heart before you win the mind. Knowing the why of your speech is essential in accomplishing that.
Speakers engage an audience by being significant; by creating meaning. Audiences feel engaged when they have the feeling the talk is also about them. A great example is Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. The audience did not come to see Martin Luther King, they came because they identified with his ideas. They felt his speech was about them, their lives, and their dreams.
That explains the importance of step 2: Know your audience. You can only add significance if you have a clear image of the receiving end of your speech.
How to find your speech’s significance
To find the significance of your speech, ask yourself the following questions when you prepare a speech:
Why am I giving this speech?
What do I believe, that I want to share? What do I stand for?
So what?! Why should my audience care?
4. Define your clear message
Today, people are flooded with information. There is an image circulating on the web which goes so far to say that a person today receives more information in a day than a person in the middle ages in his entire life!
True or not, we can all agree that in a device-rich world, the information intake has never been more intense.
How does that translate to speeching? Well: to make your speech memorable, I suggest you focus on extracting one key message.
Your key message should be as simple as possible, regardless of the complexity of the issues and topics at hand. It will consist of one or two phrases that express your main point.
If that sounds daunting, let’s look at a model that can help.
The Message House model is a time-tested PR tool to condense complex stories into a thematic ‘house’. This house is made of a set of three messages that together form the overarching key message (called the Umbrella Statement in the model).
The Core Messages on the second level represent your Umbrella Statement, but in greater detail. They can be supporting arguments, sequential steps to take, conditional statements, descriptive (think: who, what, where, when, why and how), or of another kind.
Finally, the lower part of the house provides evidence, proof points and support. This is the foundation of your story.
How to use the Message House
In some cases, your Umbrella Statement (that’s your key message) will be very clear to you. If that’s so, it’s useful to come up with the 3 Core Messages that make up the Umbrella Statement.
At other times, you’ll have 2 or 3 messages in mind as you prepare a speech. In that case, consider those your Core messages and start to look for the single Umbrella Statement.
Examples of Umbrella Statements and their Core Messages
We need to allow our employees to do more remote working.
Employees lose time and energy in traffic.
Some employees report they feel less productive in larger office spaces.
Candidates for jobs that are hard to fill, are not attracted to our current policy.
We’re going to paint all of the streetside walls of our shops bright yellow.
First, I will introduce the idea at the annual shop owner’ meeting.
Then, I will have the team communicate the exact steps to each shop owner.
Finally, our sales representatives will check each shop they visit.
We’ve generated the most profit in the history of our company.
The Polish and Swedish teams did exceptionally well.
May and June were top periods for sales.
Orange bicycles are super popular and account for a large part of the profits.
5. Establish your structure
The way you organise information is essential if you want your audience to follow and understand your speech. Ideas must be put together in an orderly manner.
I therefore recommend every speaker to use an outline as the backbone for their speech.
An outline is simply 10,000 feet view of your speech. It’s as if you would zoom out completely and see the major turns your speech takes.
Why use an outline?
That’s easy: our brains are simply not capable of creating quality content from beginning to end.
Compare it to cooking a meal. Imagine yourself standing in front of different foods. Without thinking ahead, you grab a couple of ingredients and start cutting, cleaning and preparing them.
Unless you’re an experienced chef, that won’t result in a remarkable meal, will it? Without a gameplan to prepare a speech, the end result of your creation will be underwhelming.
Here are a few general directions your outlines can take. These are based on effective storytelling principles:
Problem – pathway – solution
Problem – solution – reasoning
Situation – complication – solution
Past – present – future
After you’ve decided on the general direction, flesh out your outline. See if you can describe your speech in ten to fifteen bullets. Refer to your Message House (see previous point) to make sure your outline includes your Core messages.
What structure works best for your purpose? Do you have a preference? Try a few structures for your speeches and choose the one that is most persuading.
Next, integrate even more storytelling. Your bigger picture might be represented by a story, but can you integrate ‘mini-stories’ to illustrate specific points?
6. Prepare a strong opening and strong ending
Scientific research shows it again and again. If you ask people to rate a certain experience they had recently, they will base a lot of their opinion on how it began and how it ends. Looking back at an experience, whatever happens in the middle seems to carry less weight for us.
A classic example is a visit to a restaurant. Smart restaurant owners focus extra on doing two things impeccably: the welcoming and the dessert. Although they pay great attention to the overall experience, of course, they know that a sloppy greeting of their guests, or a below-standard dessert, can easily spoil their guests’ memory of the whole evening.
For you, it means it’s smart to think twice about how you open and how you close.
Ideas for a strong opening
Here are a few angles to inspire you in crafting your opening:
‘Start with a bang’: use a quote, bold claim or striking fact, or ask a question.
‘So what?’: Go straight to the point and open with why your audience should care.
‘Introduce yourself’: But do it in a compelling way. Tell a juicy story. What would the tabloids write about you?
Make the purpose clear – What impact do you want to achieve?
Ideas for a memorable ending
Repeat your Key Message. Think ‘key takeaway’. This is a natural-feeling and effective way to make a firm point.
Refer to the beginning. Most good stories develop in a circular way. A problem introduced in the beginning gets solved in the end. Balance gets restored; etcetera.
Present a call-to-action. If you want your audience to take a certain action, always end with that.
7. Rehearse
1. Write out, practice and tweak (optional)
At this point, you could write out your speech in full text – if you have the time.
Read your text out loud for a few times until you’re comfortable with the content. You will probably still tweak a few parts.
If you don’t have the time, or you feel comfortable working with just bullet points, feel free to skip to step 2!
I do highly recommend you write out your opening and ending.
2. Bring back to bullet points and practice again
Once on stage, you don’t want to hold the full text of your speech in your hand. You will be tempted to look at it often, which will break your connection with the audience.
So now, reduce your text to a list of main points, keywords, facts and anecdotes. And practice your speech again. Refer back your outline from step 5 for the general structure.
This will also help you memorise the speech completely by heart faster.
Do I have to know my whole speech by heart, you ask?
My answer is: not necessarily. But as just mentioned, do know your opening and ending from the inside out.
3. Take your practice to the next level
Here are my rehearsing tips for the best results:
Record yourself. Most beginning speakers find this tough, but it’s an essential way of spotting weaknesses in your speaking and improving them.
Practice for real people. The gap between practising in front of a mirror and practising in front of a crowd is just too large. Practice for a small group of colleagues or family members to get used to the stress that comes with having an audience.
Ask for specific feedback. If you practice in front of people, help them evaluate you by asking them specific questions. It could be the content, your body language, or your opening. Anything you feel you need feedback on.
Rehearse often. Once you’re happy with your speech’s content and your performance, practice your speech ten times – if you have that luxury of time. If you need more practice, go for it. There’s no better confidence booster as knowing you’ve rehearsed your speech until it hurt 🙂
That’s it!
Although I could elaborate on each on the above points, this provides you with a larger plan to optimally prepare a speech.
Are you a busy professional looking for a speaker coach to get you from good to great in the most efficient way. Look no further. I am here to help all my clients achieve exactly that.
“I knew that Elizabeth really understands what I want to achieve and whom I want to reach, and that she is a bad-ass coach with mad skills. When I was asked to give a keynote at an event, I was determined to really take my talk to the next level. So it was a no-brainer to work with her. Could I have done it on my own? Perhaps, but it would have taken me more time, stress and effort and I would not have achieved the same results. Working with a coach who you can trust, like Elizabeth, creates an extremely comfortable starting position, which made me step onto the stage on the Big Day without any nerves.” – Anouck Meier, CEO of Ampersand
The day a man joined my women-only training, or: what you can learn from being an outsider
by Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
Here’s an interesting take on what it feels like to be an outsider.
This is a feeling that many women in the working world experience on a daily basis. Many men are not conscious of this — which makes for a very interesting situation when the roles are reversed for once.
The feeling of being in a minority is a huge factor in how you experience or approach speaking in front of an audience, which is why I’d like to include this on our blog.
Here’s the story:
I had my first Christmas party of the year at The Library Group in Brussels which is ran by Anne-Sofie van den Born-Rehfeld and her team. As always, it was a great event with wonderful people.
Gaëtan Van Reusel
When I was about to go home, I ran into Gaëtan Vanreusel. I had to think for a second where I knew him from, and then it hit me. ‘Weren’t you the only man in my Powerful Speaking for Women session for Leadarise some years ago?’
And he was! Gaëtan Vanreusel is an executive recruiter who founded Camario. His company won Best Excellence Recognition Award” at the HR Excellence Awards in November 2019.
So I asked Gaëtan a couple of questions on what that experience felt like, and thought I’d share the conversation with you. Many thanks to Gaëtan for letting us share his experience with everyone reading!
How did you end up to be the only man in a group of women?
“As a member of The Library Group, we are invited to events now and then. In a discussion with Anne-Sofie, I mentioned I had some trouble speaking in public. She then told me about a seminar that was planned at The Library by a great trainer. Seats were limited, she asked me if I was interested in joining, and I was glad to. Looking back, there was one thing she didn’t mention…
Arriving at the event itself, I was welcomed inside… only to realise I was the only man among 30+ women! I had just joined what was supposed to be a ‘women-only’ event.”
Was this the first time you were the only men among a group of women?
“I have never experienced anything like this before. I am usually quite an extraverted and highly sociable person, but I now felt I was in unknown territory, and that quieted me down.
I felt a bit uncomfortable for a minute, not sure how I was going to be accepted as a man in the audience. I really felt like a minority.
I’ve said before: “Hey, I wouldn’t mind being part of a minority”. But here, I really got the experience of getting all the attention that comes with it. It made me feel vulnerable.
Not knowing how man-friendly the crowd would be, I paid extra attention to what I said or did, being afraid of being misunderstood or being undermined.
It also made me think afterwards on why had I felt like this. I work with many women every day. But it’s remarkable to realise that I did not know what to expect in this situation, or what the ‘social pattern’ would be.”
I really got the experience of getting all the attention that comes with it. It made me feel vulnerable.
Did it make you reconsider how others experience being part of a minority in a professional context?
“Absolutely. I just didn’t realise what certain women were experiencing or how certain situations made them feel.
To be frank, I think before this, I was sort of missing the point. I used to think that negative experiences in this context had to do with the person in question probably being over-sensitive.
What I see now is how much social pressure is put on you when you are part of a minority. It was intimidating to stand out so much, and I suppose I was afraid of not being valued or judged beyond just my gender.”
What else did you take away from this evening?
“During this event, many women shared their experiences working in men-dominated environments. I realised that what I was experiencing these couple of hours, was actually everyday life for many women…
This experience of first being the only man and second, hearing all these different stories of how women need to fight for respect and equal treatment, was a real eye-opener.
It made me aware of how fragile we feel as part of a minority group. Since the experience, I try my best to give people who may feel part of a minority group, sufficient space to let them be who they are — without the need to conform themselves. I try to make them feel accepted, included, and like a part of a friendly environment.”
I try my best to give people who may feel part of a minority group, sufficient space to let them be who they are — without the need to conform themselves.
What is it that you will never forget about this experience?
“The mixed reactions I received as an extreme minority. For example:
Being eyed critically. I could see some women thinking, “What the hell is he doing here?” “Doesn’t he notice he’s the only guy?”.
Being taken “under their wings”, which sometimes came across as patronising. “Are you all right?” “Not too impressed being the only man here?” “Well, I have no problem with you being here!”
There was the very friendly type constantly making conversation and putting me at ease, taking my attention off of the seminar contents. I couldn’t help thinking, “She wants me to pay more attention to her… This must be how a woman feels when men don’t leave her alone…”
All this may sound silly, but those are the things that stuck and that I won’t forget.”
It’s something that needs to be talked about more. I think men need to be more receptive about this, but I would also sincerely invite women to mention it more.
What do you tell other people about this experience?
“I encourage them to communicate more. I personally did not realise how some women struggle to be respected, listened to, and treated equally.
It’s something that needs to be talked about more. I think men need to be more receptive about this, but I would also sincerely invite women to mention it more. I am convinced most men don’t have a clue, and an experience like this would foster great progress in the matter.
I feel fortunate to have been able to experience this. If it were not initially based on a misunderstanding, I probably would never have been ‘invited’ to such an event. Why not invite a man to a women-only work session, yoga class or gym once in a while?
After this experience, I am convinced that still in this day and age, we need to keep fighting for equal rights for men and women in our everyday lives. Plus, we need to make sure we protect ‘our’ minorities. I can’t ignore that any longer.”
Thank you for sharing, Gaëtan!
What can you take away from this story to improve your public speaking?
What fascinated me most about our conversation is that Gaëtan went through a transformative experience. One that changed his view of the world forever. And it’s exactly these experiences that are the perfect starting point for a brilliant speech.
Imagine for a second that Gaëtan had heard female colleagues complain about company culture, and had then agreed to give a speech, based on a meeting with these women, to encourage better gender equality.
Everyone can gather knowledge and create a speech around it. Only the bold go after actual experiences and instantly set their story apart from the rest.
Now, imagine him creating and giving a speech with the same purpose, but after his unique experience. Which, do you think, will have the most impact?
Everyone can gather knowledge and create a speech around it. Only the bold go after actual experiences and instantly set their story apart from the rest.
What do you take out of this interesting story? Let us know in a reply beneath.
Last modified 15/04/26
Writing A New Year’s Speech: Your Checklist (VIDEO)
by Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
Are you planning a New Year’s speech, but are you experiencing a writer’s block?
Know that’s completely normal. Writing a memorable New Year’s speech is tough. Because it’s a milestone speech, it can seem like an overwhelming task.
Still, it is the perfect occasion to look back and look forward together, and thank the members of your team.
Here are my tips to prepare your New Year’s speech. (See text below video for tip details)
1. Define your speeching intention
There are unavoidable elements to a New Year’s speech, which we’ll look into below.
But to start off, ask yourself: What do I want people to take away, say one week after the speech?
Think not only in terms of what you want people to know, but also what you want them to feel and do.
For example:
What will they know? That even if this felt like our best year ever, they can prepare for an even better one
What will they feel? Proud, excited and curious
What will they do? They will act motivated and keep the objectives clearly in mind.
This way, you get one clear message that gives your speech direction.
2. First, look back
New Year’s is the time to review the past year. There are different angles you can mix and match:
Spot trends: As a leader, people look to you to paint the bigger picture. What are remarkable developments in the world? Your industry? Your organisation?
Tell stories: Every year has its good stories. Which can you use in your speech, that illustrate your main point? Or maybe they are just plain funny.
Give credit: In true holiday spirit, call out those that have accomplished valuable things. You will win hearts and confirm your image of a leader who is well aware of the value of their team. Try to include people on every level — not just your management team.
3. Then, look forward
New Year’s is also the time to formulate resolutions. Leaders have a vision. What are the big goals you are setting for your organisation or team?
These can be numeric (growth in sales, staff or offices, for example), but it might be appropriate to formulate ‘softer’ goals such as what you as an organisation will make happen in the world.
People love to have a direction to work towards, and this is your occasion to provide it as a leader. This is your ‘I have a dream’ moment!
4. Keep it light
Every speech has a context.
In the case of a New Year’s speech, that context is: your people have the holidays just behind them. They’ve had their fair deal of family dinners and receptions. They’ve probably eaten and possibly drank more than was good for them.
The message here is: a New Year’s speech that is too serious or too long is a bit like a cold shower at this point. Better to inject some warm feelings and a sense of humour.
5. End clearly and on a high note
As always, the end of your speech determines the final impression you make.
Ever had a splendid meal at a restaurant, but the dessert was disappointing? Then you know what I mean. So don’t waste that chance.
In the case of a New Year’s speech, it’s good practice to bring out a toast.
You could prepare your audience by using a ‘bridge phrase’ toward the then of your speech, such as:
“So, as I close this toast and we bring in a new year…”
And then you bring out your toast. Here are a few of our favourite ones:
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
“Here’s to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old; here’s to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.”
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” — Dan Millman
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” — Brad Paisley
“May all your troubles during the coming year be as short as your New Year’s resolutions.” (a funny one – ideal for keeping it light 😉 )
You can of course find another quote about change or gratitude that you like, or write your own.
Good luck writing your New Year’s Speech! Which tip will you implement? Do you have additional tips? Let me know in a comment.
Last modified 15/04/26
‘My life after Nelson Mandela’: An interview with his former aide, Zelda la Grange
by Elizabeth Van Den Bergh
Today, 18 July is International Nelson Mandela day. A day that invites us to follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela who has fought for social justice for 67 years, to start with 67 minutes volunteering or community service to fight poverty and promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity.
Zelda la Grange was raised as a daughter of white apartheid. She would become President Nelson Mandela’s most trusted and loyal assistant after she started working in the presidential office in 1994.
Brussels-based Speaker Coach Elizabeth Van Den Bergh had the honor to help Zelda la Grange prepare her TED Talk for TEDxFlanders 2019. The day after they found time for coffee and a talk.
I was nervous for our first skype call. In the first few minutes of my online meeting with Zelda la Grange, I was presenting myself she said ‘Elizabeth, I think you are selling yourself short’ and smiled. The ice was broken and we had a fruitful talk about what she would say in her Ted Talk about Nelson Mandela’s legacy. Only two hours after our first Skype call I already received a first draft of her Talk in my mailbox. Zelda la Grange is that kind of person: warm, kind and committed.
After having been so close to Madiba for 19 years, how did you deal with his passing?
Writing the book Goodmorning Mr. Mandela was cathartic. Madiba (a title of respect for Nelson Mandela, deriving from his Xhosa clan name) is still very present in my life because I talk about him every day and that helps.
It is almost 6 years since he passed away. I have not really taken two months off to mourn and process what has happened to me. I haven’t had the time to sit and think about it. I prefer it this way because otherwise I could have become conceited.
Working alongside Madiba with everybody from Bono, to President Clinton and everybody who felt they needed some of his time and a photograph alongside him, must have been so intense. After 19 years of working at times day and night, what kind of life did you see for yourself and what actually happened?
Haha, good question. At some point I just longed for a quieter life and was thinking of opening a florist shop, but things turned out quite differently!
People ask me ‘Zelda, do you have a five year plan? I don’t!’
Looking back at my life, I did not have the ambition to become so close to Madiba.
I believe my life purpose is revelations.
I am revealing the person that I worked for. In doing so I am also pursuing my passion.
Looking back now, how did you end up working alongside one of the most famous presidents in human history?
At the age of 23 I didn’t want to be the office assistant, this rookie job. But I committed and became the manager. I am extremely hard-working, I simply get things done.
I don’t know why President Mandela picked me to be his personal assistant, but he did.
I am an all or nothing kind of person. If my heart is not in something I cannot engage and then I’d rather leave it. In my work with Nelson Mandela my level of commitment is what differentiated me. I was 110% in the job, you cannot ignore such commitment.
It is important to be in the moment and doing the best you can with what you have.
It’s really about becoming the best in your craft with dedication, loyalty and commitment, just like Nelson Mandela.
If I would have said ‘I can’t do all this by myself, being a personal assistant, being a spokesperson and being a crisis manager, I wouldn’t have gone through the wonderful rollercoaster I have.
I didn’t always like my job, but it gave me opportunities. And that’s the thing, we don’t always see opportunities. But I have learned do what you do with complete conviction then the next step will be a secure one.
If I had had children I would have been the best mother. But motherhood is not what life presented me. Life presented me a different path.
But, I had such a privileged life. To be so close to someone like him.
I have an obligation. It is my way to show gratitude. Gratitude that I am paying forward by making people understand what Madiba’s work is all about.
How did you become a professional speaker?
My speaker career started in 2010, when we were cutting on Madiba’s public life because physically it was not possible for him anymore.
A friend of mine who works for the rugby association invited me to speak to the Sprinkbok national women’s team.
Not being used to public speaking. I actually I enjoyed it. And then more and more speaking engagements come from that.
In 2010 Madiba was still alive, but I stopped taking on speaking engagements 3 months before he passed away. There was a lot of admin work around his office and supporting his wife Graça Machel.
I didn’t plan that my book would come 6 months after his passing, but that’s what happened and then the speaking engagements picked up.
There was the desire to hear his story. I must say I was completely overwhelmed by the selling of the book. People asked how many books do you want to sell.
I have no idea about the sales numbers. The demand for it just didn’t stop.
I had other plans. Around publishing time I had plans to go to a more simple life.
Dealing with the politics around Nelson Mandela is exhausting. This was the moment I was determined to open a florist. But as you can tell, things turned out differently.
You are getting caught up in another roller coaster?
Yes! So many things have happened to me since the book and the passing.
I am getting involved in interesting things. I co-curated an exhibition in London.
There is a documentary in Afrikaans about the young life of Nelson Mandela.
8 years have gone by since he passed away and nothing has been done in terms of broadcasting. Nothing about the history and I am passionate about that.
I am involved in a weekly women’s talk show that I present in Afrikaans. I enjoy the variety of all these many things.
And then life enfolds itself?
Indeed, from all of these things the next opportunity will come. I believe the universe reveals itself in time. Whenever I want to stop I’ll meet someone who will inspire me, encourage me. To continue. I take it as a sign.
So, I don’t sit down and think I have a particular role to play. Or my voice is important.
I just do. And when I do, I do with complete conviction.
If it was in my nature to sit down and reflect I could have become conceited.
Like look at me, but I don’t. Even now I don’t have time to think, and that’s good. It goes to your head. I find satisfaction from doing.
How has Madiba’s way of being affected you?
The learnings from Mandela become part of ones nature.
I have adopted a different regard for other people. Mr. Nelson Mandela was a very mindful person by nature. Being mindful takes practice. It is so hard these days surviving in today’s fast moving world, you would easily forget to be mindful.
For example, when someone serves me at the restaurant, I make eye contact and connect with that other human being.
We live in our little silos and that’s why we have become so unaware of each other’s struggle. Many of us are just making it through the day. So if you look up at the person serving you, and say’ thank you very much are you having a good day’ you are making a difference in someone’s day.
Or, like in the supermarket, the person taking your money, I look at the name tag and say something kind. This is important for someone’s survival. Other people are human beings as well.
Nelson Mandela also taught me to think about people’s circumstances, specifically in the South African context.
It has to do with empathy. For example, you are driving your car and someone cuts into you. Despite of the tensions and road rage, I would not get angry because the person made a stupid mistake.
Not judging but asking why is this person behaving in a particular way. Realising that there may be a very good reason. That I would not understand because I am just in my moment dealing with my frustration. We are all so full of prejudices and that’s only human, but our challenge is to question our prejudice. I don’t reduce other people to their actions.
It will shock people but if I look at the most hardened murderer, I still feel empathy.
Nelson Mandela believes no one is beyond redemption. He would reach out to a murderer and say ‘you have made a mistake, you have to deal with the consequences, but it doesn’t mean we have written you off.‘
When you speak in public do you act or are you being yourself?
It is not about not being yourself it is about the delivery. I am very much at ease with one on one conversations, or talking in groups of friends. But as an introvert I find it challenging to speak to big crowds or strangers. On stage I bridge that for myself. It is out of character for me in that big room. That’s where the acting comes in. I dramatize in the delivery. And the storytelling behind it.
I wanted to be an actress growing up. I didn’t become one, but in my 19 years with Nelson Mandela I was surely given the opportunity to act. Being the frontperson for him requires acting and role play. I was not skilled but got to do it. In speaking it is also exactly that.
I use a lot of humor. Nelson Mandela also had a great sense of humor. I use that and it’s entertaining. I add both prepared and unprepared jokes.
Certain stories people find funny.
When Madiba (Mandela’s clan name, editor’s note) met Queen Elizabeth, he first looked at her from the other side of the room. He had every intention to respect the protocol. But he also wanted to break the ice.
He took a long time to cross the room, and finally he said ‘Elizabeth. You lost weight!’ And she burst into laughter.
Ms. Machell, Madiba’s wife, quickly tried to correct him: ‘You cannot call her Elizabeth!’ ‘Why not?’ he replied, ‘She calls me Nelson’.
In any situation he could use his sense of humor to diffuse tension.
If you meet young people what do you tell them?
I believe things will happen as they should and that we should know that we are at the right place and right time.
So, I tell young people ‘Be present in the moment and do everything with complete conviction. Because we never realize which opportunity could come to us.’
And remember, ‘It always seem impossible until it’s done.’
