Lifetime of Achievements

A Special Lifetime Achievement Media Award goes to public
relations executive Michael Sheehan, who dealt effectively with his
stuttering and became one of the best-known communications expertsalt text in
the country.

His story was chronicled by Jennifer Reingold in Fast Company
magazine.

Growing up in New York City, Sheehan struggled with stuttering
from an early age, but that didn't stop him from joining the high
school debate team and being involved in theater.

His passion for words now makes him one of the most sought after
public relations consultants in the nation's capital. He is hired by
everyone from politicians and large corporations to unions - all relying on him to help them get their message across.

Not much stands in the way of Sheehan, who later in life, had a devastating stroke.

Just as he worked to deal with his stuttering, he had the
courage to beat this new challenge and win.

Here are several tips he provided to Fast Company to become a
good communicator:

  • Know what you want to do before you translate that into a clear
    message.
  • Keep your message to just a few key points.
  • Make the first impression count.
  • Be animated when making a point.
  • Find creative ways to present the information and answer questions.
  • When doing public speaking, talk in short sound bites.
  • Ask yourself if you can make the audience say "Ooh, that's interesting."
  • Always tell the truth.