Ross Shafer On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis of Authority Magazine
Meet Ross Shafer
Ross Shafer is an Emmy-winning television host, best-selling author, and former stand-up comedian turned keynote speaker. With over 2,500 paid speeches and 11 published books—including his latest, RATTLED — Crazy A** Stories of Extreme Resilience—Ross has helped thousands of professionals and executives navigate performance, leadership, and reinvention.
“Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you better.”
Q: Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Oregon and Washington State. My parents were hilarious and hosted their friends regularly. At seven, they enrolled me in accordion lessons, and I became the house performer. Countless times, my dad would wake me up at midnight to come down and have me play “Lady of Spain” for his coworkers. That early exposure to “the stage” erased any fear of public performance—and gave me an edge when I ran for student body president later on.
Q: What led you to this career path?
After college I was determined to become a millionaire. (I had no idea how to do that). I started in business, buying and selling 23 bankrupt companies. But a chance visit to a comedy club rekindled my love for performing. I eventually won a comedy competition in Seattle, toured with stars like Diana Ross, and hosted national TV shows like Match Game and Almost Live. When the comedy boom waned, I fused my business smarts with my performance chops—and became a corporate keynote speaker.
Q: What’s the most interesting experience you’ve had as a speaker?
Having lunch at the Vienna Opera House—where Mozart once performed—before giving a paid talk there. The travel perks and global exposure are definitely career highlights. I’ve been flown first class to give speeches in Paris, France, London, England, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dharan & Riyad, Saudi Arabia, and Vienna, Austria.
Q: Funniest early mistake?
Speaking at the Mall of America with a terrible PA system and scattered audience.I heard no laughs. I saw no smiles. I did see a fair amount of Chamber members get up and leave. Even though I was dying on stage, I pretended I was charmed and thrilled to be there. I finished my 60-minute set in 24 minutes, thinking I nailed it. I learned: Always assess the venue. Ask the right questions. Sound, seating, and environment matter.
Q: Who helped you along the way?
Nobody succeeds alone. Early on, I got a lot of encouragement from a comedy team of Mack Dryden and Jamie Alcroft. Seattle comedians Mike Neun and George Miller were mentors who guided me to my first network TV appearance. Comedians and friends like Jay Leno made big time standup success accessible for me. In the speaking world, Joe Griffith taught me how to market myself as a corporate speaker—he told me to join NSA and create a hilarious cassette tape. (Yes, tape!)
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring speakers?
Be bold. Practice by speaking for free at places like the Jaycees, Kiwanis Clubs, or community college business classes. It’ll take 90–100 speeches before you’re ready to charge. Know your material. Know your audience.
Q: What keeps you going?
Now that I’ve reached financial stability, my drive is legacy and impact. It is a privilege to be paid to speak to an audience and I take that responsibility seriously. My life has been a roller coaster. I’ve failed, been broke, and rebuilt—and my message of resilience resonates because it’s real. I speak to help people bounce back from adversity.
Q: What’s next for you?
Allison Dalvit and I released RATTLED — Crazy A** Stories of Extreme Resilience to Help You go from Shook To Solid, written during lockdown. It’s the book we wanted our five kids to have—stories of real-life grit. We hope to inspire a series of RATTLED books for other groups: teens, couples, veterans, and more.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?”
Ross Shafer’s “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker”
1. Confidence
When I first went to comedy clubs, I was curious to see why some comedians snagged the headliner spot (highest paid) while others were stuck for years as “opening acts.” Confidence was the differentiator.Confidence calms the audience. Even if you’re nervous (you probably are), practice until you appear unshakable. Fake it until it becomes real.
2. Structure
As a young comedian I was hired as the opening act for deep-voiced singer Lou Rawls. One night he came into my dressing room to give me some advice. Lou said, “You have some funny stuff but you need some structure, man. Your funniest bits are in the middle and your act gets weaker at the end. If you want people to remember you, you have to have an unforgettable closer.”
Build your talk like a great concert. Open with your second-best material, end with your best. People remember how you finish. (Thanks, Lou!)
3. Credibility
If you say something bold, back it up. Use research, stories, and stats. Your authority depends on trust.
4. Consistency
No excuses. Even on a bad day, it’s your job to deliver. The audience doesn’t owe you energy—you owe them value. I mentored a talented young speaker who was finally getting some companies to pay him to speak When he tanked, he blamed it on the audience and told me he was having an “off day.” I said, “Professional speakers don’t have “off days.” Blaming your failure on the audience was assigning blame to the wrong people. It is not the audience’s responsibility to make you great. That’s on you.” Effective speakers take responsibility for making the speech great without excuses.
5. Humility
Don’t let success go to your head. Entitlement kills careers. Treat every audience like they matter—because they do. My humble advice is to be nice to everybody, all of the time.
Bonus Tips From Ross: How To Overcome Fear of Public Speaking
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Know your first five words cold. They’ll launch you once you start talking, you’ll realize you can continue the rest of your talk.
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Remember: nerves are invisible. Even legends like Johnny Carson were anxious backstage, with heart rates of 145 beats per minute, but nobody saw anything but cool, collected Johnny Carson. People don’t notice your nerves either.
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Repetition is your secret weapon. Rehearse until your message becomes second nature.
Want More Ross Shafer?
Contact us to book Ross for your next event, or pick up a copy of RATTLED on Amazon. For aspiring speakers, don’t miss Ross’s speaker training tips on his YouTube channel.
👉 Read the full interview with Ross Shafer at Authority Magazine!