Think Fast. Talk Smart.

Think Fast. Talk Smart. That phrase is powerful, but what exactly does it mean?

Matt Abrahams has built his career around precisely this concept: helping thousands of people who want to hone and develop their speaking to harness the power of their voice and message. Working on building the ability to think fast and talk smart can positively impact every area of one’s personal and professional life.

The recurring need to speak in an impromptu, off-the-cuff manner unnerves so many of us. But this skill is essential to develop because public speaking comes up often – most of our professional and personal communication is spontaneous (e.g., answering questions, giving feedback, making small talk, fixing our mistakes, etc.).

That’s where Matt’s expertise comes in -- as a passionate, collaborative and innovative educator and coach. His book Think Faster Talk Smarter is a strategic resource for so many. Matt is also founder and principal at TFTS Communications LLC, a presentation and communication skills company based in Silicon Valley that helps people improve their presentation skills. Matt has worked with executives to help prepare and present keynote addresses and IPO road shows, conduct media interviews, and deliver TED talks. Matt also hosts the Stanford GSB podcast called Think Fast Talk Smart: The Podcast.

Matt’s ties to Speech and Debate go back to his days at Los Gatos High School where he primarily competed in Speech events. He recognized immediately that participating in this activity would be life changing – the ability to think critically and communicate confidently would be the core foundation of everything to come. He won 5th place in the California Expository division and 1st place in Original Advocacy.

“My company's mission of helping people hone and develop their communication skills aligns perfectly with SVUDL. My teaching, coaching, writing, and podcasting are squarely focused on what SVUDL does. Sponsoring the 2023 Words to the Wise event is a natural extension of my personal and professional experiences. When students have the ability to think critically and communicate confidently, their options and opportunities expand. As a former high school teacher and forensics coach, along with being a community college communication instructor, I have seen first-hand the power of effective communication in young people’s lives and the empowering it can do. Communication is critical to success in business and in life. We rely on it to formulate, articulate, and motivate people towards our ideas, positions, and beliefs,” said Matt.

He recognizes that Words to the Wise not only provides the financial resources for SVUDL to be successful in its work, but it brings together a supportive community that can help SVUDL expand its work even further to reach more schools and students.

Our Words to the Wise sponsors help youth who have less opportunities tap the power of their voices to compete, excel, and change the world. Thank you to Matt Abrahams and all of our 2023 Words to the Wise sponsors!