Unleash the Power of Your Voice!

Join us for an electrifying event on June 18th where passion meets the stage! Experience the magic as 10 daring aspiring speakers take the spotlight at our inaugural Drop The Mic Night.

In this high-energy live event, you will have your moment to shine, hone your speaking skills and captivate the audience in just 5 minutes! It’s a thrilling showcase where nerves meet excitement and confidence is born.

This event is the perfect platform for aspiring speakers to flex your speaking muscles, build confidence and unleash your inner orator in a safe and supportive environment.

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Audacity

Theme

The theme for our June event is AUDACITY.

Your challenge is to prepare a 5 minute presentation related to this theme. Whether you're cracking jokes, sharing a heartfelt story or inspiring us with your wisdom, your mission is to "drop the mic" and leave us wanting more!

Prizes will be awarded for the most mic-drop worthy presentations. Will you walk away with the Golden Mic?

Event Deets

Tuesday, June 18th

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

HAYVN Coworking Community

320 Boston Post Road, Suite 180

Darien, CT 06820

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What We're Looking For

Aspiring Speakers

If you're brimming with ideas and bursting to share them with the world but haven't hit the big leagues yet, you're in the right place. Whether you dream of commanding massive stages or captivating intimate crowds, we're here to help you polish your speaking chops and unleash your message upon the world. If you're ready to take the stage by storm, it's time to seize the spotlight – apply now and let's make magic happen together!

Bold Ideas

This isn’t the place to play it safe with your ideas. We want to hear what’s been rumbling inside of you, waiting for it’s time to shine. We’re looking for speakers who are ready to share their bold ideas of Audacity with the world!

Creativity

We are seeking speakers who bring fresh, imaginative perspectives to their interpretation of "audacity," demonstrating innovative thinking, originality and a willingness to push boundaries. We value creativity that challenges conventional notions, sparks curiosity, and leaves audiences inspired and intrigued.

Diversity

We actively seek diversity in ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, age, disability, education, background. We’re proud to shine a light on those that are often marginalized or underrepresented in our society.

What You Get

Coaching

Each of our 10 speakers will receive a complimentary 30-minute coaching session with Jenn and Shannon to help polish your content and delivery so that you shine brightly when you step up to the mic.

Professional Speaker Video

You will receive a professionally filmed video of your talk, an invaluable asset to any aspiring speaker working to build their speaker reel and credentials!

Experience

There is no replacement for the feel of the stage under your feet, the microphone in your hand and the sound of applause after a well-delivered message. This is your chance to step on stage in front of a live audience, take up space and share your story, while gaining incredibly important experience on your journey to become a professional speaker.

Visibility

In addition to giving you exposure to a live audience, we will be highlighting and promoting our 10-speakers across our social media platforms and in our newsletters.

Confidence

There’s no better way to build confidence as a speaker than stepping on stage and DOING IT. Once you've crushed your first presentation, you'll have the confidence, skills and experience to take any stage!

Community & Connection

Not only will you forge meaningful connections with fellow speakers, but you'll also have the opportunity to take the stage at HAYVN Coworking Community, where you'll immerse yourself in a vibrant community of entrepreneurs. Get ready to network, collaborate and be inspired by the dynamic energy pulsating through HAYVN!

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Prizes

1st Prize

Get ready to strut your stuff like a true champion because our first-place winner isn't just taking home the GOLDEN MIC TROPHY – they're also gearing up to unleash some serious style!

Picture this:

You, dazzling & confident, courtesy of a Personalized Styling Session with stylist, Mary Carangelo. Get set for a four-hour consultation that'll leave you feeling like a million bucks! Your prize package includes:

Style Discovery Call
In person or online Style Consult
In-Review email of Style Plan
Copy of Mary's Closet Audit Protocol
Copy of Mary's How to Dress for a Branding Photo Guide

2nd Prize

Ignite your creativity and turbocharge your content creation with a one-month membership to Terri Trespicio's New Rules Studio!

As a member of the Studio, you'll supercharge your writing for your book, blog, email list, social media, podcast, speeches, or just for your personal enjoyment!

That's not all! In addition to the Studio, you'll get a copy of Terri's electrifying book, Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters To You. This book gives you the tools you need (and the permission you crave) to dispense with the BS, toss the old advice, and lay claim to the life that’s been yours the whole time—so that you can begin to live it on your terms.

3rd Prize

Unleash the full potential of your brand with a PR Brand Audit from Visibility on Purpose!

In this 1-on-1 strategy call you'll review your brand's positioning as it relates to PR and Media Exposure with the experts at Visibility on Purpose.

During the call, they will review the PR Checklist with you to make sure your brand is ready for media exposure. This might look like:

Coming up with topics you feel comfortable speaking on
Solidifying your brand summary
Nailing down your founder bio
As well as looking at your online presence.

Value: $1,500

Value: $250

Value: $199

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Prizes

Meet the Organizers

Jenn Lederer

Jenn is an NYC based award-winning comedian and keynote speaker. Her work has been featured by SiriusXM, Forbes.com, The Huffington Post, Inspiring Lives Magazine, on stages at YALE, Twitter and Google Headquarters in NYC and comedy clubs throughout New York City and Europe. Performing all over the country, internationally and virtually, too! Jenn emcees and leads workshops and keynotes helping audiences learn how to answer the one question everyone hates (but can’t avoid) “What do you do?” using the “comedian’s formula” for educating, connecting and amusing your audience. Jenn’s experience spans 15+ years and at least 8 different avenues in the creative industry that include earning a BA in Dance from Point Park University, co-writing an off-off-Broadway musical, co-writing an album, owning and running a Talent Management company representing actors for film, TV and theater, Motivational Speaking, Business Coaching and now comedy. Stay tuned for what’s next!

Shannon Malkin Daniels

Shannon is a communication nerd, TEDx speaker, international author and entrepreneur who views obstacles as opportunities and believes anything is possible with the right combination of creativity, hard work and perseverance. Applying this mindset has enabled Shannon to develop innovative solutions and stand out as a leader. In 2018, she drew upon her communication expertise to found encaptiv, an award-winning audience engagement and conversion platform for virtual, hybrid and in-person presentations and events. Shannon holds a master’s in interpersonal communication from the University of Central Florida, has served on the faculty at Columbia University and Iona College, and has been coaching executives, professionals, entrepreneurs and students on effective communication and public speaking skills for a decade. Among her many accomplishments, Shannon has helped clients land, develop and deliver TEDx talks - including one that became a viral phenomenon that turned into a book deal; successfully navigate Shark Tank auditions to get to filming; transform authors' words into impactful keynotes that launched their books...and more! Shannon is the Co-Founder of SOW Victory Fest, a global event that celebrates, elevates and empowers women; and Co-Founder of Stamford Innovation Week, a week-long festival and conference celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. Her book, Water Yourself, has been read in 10 countries and the second edition was released in April 2023.

Meet Your Judges

Terri Trespicio

Terri is an award-winning writer, speaker, brand advisor, and author of Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life that Matters to You (Atria/Simon & Schuster, December 2021). Her TEDx talk, "Stop Searching for Your Passion," has surpassed 8 million views, and she was named by Hubspot as one of the "Top 18 female speakers who are killing it" (she came in at #2—Oprah was #8), and one of the world's leading creatives by Creative Boom magazine. A former magazine editor and radio host at Martha Stewart, she has appeared on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, The Early Show, The Martha Stewart Show and The Anderson Cooper Show. Her work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Prevention, Business Insider, Forbes.com, and Inc.com. Certified in the Gateless method for capturing creative genius, she leads workshops and retreats all over the country to help professionals of all stripes take their stories and ideas from page to stage and beyond.

Bridget Aileen Sicsko

Bridget is a speaker, yoga instructor and the co-founder of Visibility on Purpose, a PR and Media company helping small business owners be known for the cool things they’re building. Bridget loves speaking, hosts a top-rated podcast called Visibility Era and is an avid spiritual student and teacher. Ultimately, Bridget believes in the power of words, stories and voices to shift our view of reality, our potential and our purpose on the planet.Bridget has been featured in AskMen, Women’s Business Daily, Medium, on RVN TV, Ticker News, News 12 New York and over 50+ podcasts. In her free time, you can find her cold plunging with her husband, running distance trail races, brewing up some herbal concoction and modeling what it means to live an "ultra" life.

Eddie "Tranzcendent" Martinez

Eddie is a U.S. Army OIF Veteran and was a State of Connecticut Judicial Marshal for 7 1/2 years. After leaving his state job he discovered a passion for community, communications and our youth. Accordingly, today Eddie is the President of the Greater Bridgeport Latino Network and serves as the Board Chair for Leadership Greater Bridgeport, an affiliate leadership program of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Eddie is an Inspirational Speaker focusing on the importance of Self Awareness, Personal & Workplace Development Coach and Podcaster. He is a Certified DiSC Facilitator and Certified Facilitator of Girls Circle and The Council for Boys & Young Men, both gender specific development programs. He is the founder/owner of Tranzcendent Outlook, LLC., a company that specializes in personal, organizational, and workplace development, youth gender-specific development coaching and inspirational presentations for events ranging from high school to corporate. Eddie also produces the Tranzcendent Outlook Podcast where he highlights outstanding community leaders & entrepreneurs in Connecticut, among other positive content.