learned a lot the last two years from Garr Reynolds’  books and his blog about design,  communicating and about simplyfing.  Perhaps  the most valuable of what I learned came from following a link on his blog and discovering this talk by  Brene Brown at TEDx Huston. Reynolds suggests it as one of a handful of good examples of presenting naked.  The idea behind presenting naked is to ditch the typical credential boasting introductions and hiding  behind a hundred complicated slides, and  firing bore-bullet  after bore-bullet at an audience. Instead, he suggests, embrace  simple, honest story telling and speak from the heart  with a clear and compelling message.

This talk is certainly a great example of that but Brene Brown gives us more. She talks about her work researching shame and as she does so exposes her own naked vulnerability – so offering us an example of not only how to deliver a great talk – but  also living example of the very thing she is talking about too.

Researching other’s ideas and experiences of  shame, she came to realise her own: she  tells of her struggle as she came to that awakening and her eventual realisation that  ” I am enough” .  And she shows us the very kind of courage of which she speaks – telling her own simple story, leaning into her own discomfort and letting go any disguise or professional barriers or compulsion she felt to present herself as anything other than who she is – presenting  naked:  real.

As she does this she demonstrates how letting go of shame, accepting herself and presenting herself as she is: vulnerable, imperfect and human she finds strength and power and  courage.  She is clearly enough – vulnerable, powerful, awesome, deeply soulful, funny – and having a ball. Who doesn’t want a little more of that?