Small Business Spotlight: Patricia Stark Talks Media & Public Speaking Training

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – In this week's Small Business Spotlight, Joe Connolly sits down with popular media and public speaking trainer Patricia Stark.

Stark got her start on camera in broadcast, then moved into corporate media. One day, a moment arose for her to help train others.

"It was that 'ah-ha' light bulb moment, where I was like I can do this as a business – to train people for communication skills, teleprompter, public speaking, media training, you name it," she says.

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So how does a small business owner get invited to a good public speaking gig?

"I think that you have to hang your shingle out there and let people know that you're even interested," says Stark. "Not just the fact that you're available for speaking, but what would you like to speak about? Pick some topics – think of things that are either evergreen, or certain times of the year, or the latest news and formulate topics and speeches ahead of time so that you can give them to multiple great places."

What if you want to pitch the media?

"Make their job easy. Do it for them. Create the content, the ideas. Pitch it where it's timely, where it's interesting," she says. "Watch what other people are doing and think to yourself, 'What do I have to offer that I can kind of not recreate the wheel?'"

Any parting advice?

"Communication skills have always been hugely important. But now more than ever – video, being in front of the camera," says Stark. "People who never would think that they were going to be in front of the camera have to be in front of the camera these days."