The Practitioner’s Keynote: A Look Behind the Curtain

It’s worth reflecting on the process of public speaking. Many of us who are practitioners in a field see leaders or well-known figures present and we compare ourselves. That comparison isn’t always fair. When an executive stands on stage, they often have an entire team of writers, marketers, and coaches who helped refine the message, build the slides, and critique the delivery. They have access to professional teleprompters and structured practice sessions. Other times, they are in roles where public speaking is a specifically defined function and they have time built into their calendar for preparing and delivering talks. For the rest of us, trying to self-organize that level of time can be difficult and getting that kind of support is a huge ask of friends and colleagues.

My experience delivering my first invited keynote at OpenAlt 2025 this past weekend was a perfect case study in the practitioner’s reality. This post is a look behind that curtain.

The journey began on a compressed timeline, with just over a week from final confirmation to delivery. The organizers asked for a talk on community and collaboration - a “fuzzy” message that is challenging to nail without a team to brainstorm and refine it with. To this goal they added the request that people leave the talk feeling excited about the conference, even if they didn’t “learn anything new.” This is the first hurdle for the practitioner: you are your own strategist, writer, and editor.

Then came the realities of life. The preparation week was a chaotic mix of school holidays and a sick child. While introducing my daughter to Star Wars was a joy, it meant that talk preparation happened in fragmented bursts, often late at night. Not a complaint - it’s the environment in which most of us do this “extra” work.

I developed a habit of not using slides when there is no real visual requirement for the message. I feel like it focuses both the audience and me on the message of the talk. This was that kind of talk. To manage the terror of speaking without slides, I wrote a full script. But my delivery aids were DIY and not a professional setup. I tried using an iPad instead of printed notes, which turned out to be a mistake. Paper is static and aids spatial memory, while the iPad’s scrolling and flawed teleprompter mode were more of a distraction than a help. This is another practitioner reality: we make do with the tools we have, and sometimes learn lessons the hard way.

When it’s time to present, last-minute changes and diversions start piling up. A sudden request to introduce myself, or help craft an intro to be said by someone else, required an on-the-fly pivot before the talk even began. Throughout the talk, I made small adjustments and ad-libs to match the energy of the room. The script isn’t designed to be read, instead it internalizes the themes and points for me and helps me hit my time goals. The time goal is always a factor when you finally give the talk. When you’re not reading a script, there’s a temptation to pull in discarded material and risk a rushed ending.

In the end, the talk, “Bring Wood for the Fire,” was a success. I received positive feedback from attendees able to cite specific comments that resonated with them, not just generic platitudes. The organizers let me know that I exceeded their goals and they are pleased with the final product. I’m proud that the core message held strong despite the chaotic process and live detours. It tells me I developed a solid message and then internalized the narrative, which is a speaker’s ultimate goal. As a practitioner, I may not have a team of professionals, but I can know my story inside and out.

Key takeaways

• Prepare a tight script when skipping slides — it helps you keep time and structure.
• Use static notes (paper or static electronic notes) for spatial memory; avoid scrolling teleprompters unless you’re used to them and they sit naturally in your sightline.
• Internalize the narrative so you can adapt and ad-lib without losing the core message.
• Expect last-minute pivots; prepare a flexible intro and a short fallback.

So when you watch a polished keynote, appreciate the craft, but don’t use it as a stick to beat yourself with. As practitioners, our process is different. It’s messier, more chaotic, and intensely personal. And succeeding within those constraints is a victory worth celebrating.

A recording of the talk is available, thanks to the organizers of OpenAlt.