Blog

How I Build My Confidence

Confidence can be defined in several different manners, but I sum it up with just one simple statement, confidence is all about believing in your self. As you have likely experienced, building up confidence can be a rather daunting challenge. There have been several occasions where I have doubted my abilities or lacked confidence as a whole. Can you boost confidence with time? Absolutely. I didn’t truly begin to feel confident until I was 18. Whenever I am full of doubt, I go back to the tips that were always effective.

Be Positive – Simply put, a positive attitude can work wonders for your confidence. 

Talk To Your Friends And Family – Your friends and family always have your back. They will always be the first to cheer you up and bring you back to reality. The reality is, they care about you for a reason.

Acknowledge Your Insecurities – We all have flaws. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life. By addressing your insecurities, you can either work on them or move on.

Don’t Obsess Over Perfection – There is no such thing as perfection. Michael Jordan missed thousands of basketball shots and Donald Trump doesn’t close every deal.  Greatness is an achievable feat, but perfection is not.

Recognize Your Accomplishments – Yes, you do have an accomplishment to be proud of. Go back into those memories, dig them out and then pat yourself on the back.

Focus On Your Goals – When you focus on a goal, you are more likely to achieve some form of satisfaction.

Life is an unpredictable storm. In order to weather that storm, you need to believe in your self. 

Why Competition Is A Good Thing

Over the course of my life, I have heard more than just a few individuals argue that competition is a horrible aspect in society. I personally found this argument to be rather vague as the reasons given were nearly non-existent. What’s so wrong about competition? In fact, I am firm believer that competition brings out the best in a person.

Here are my 3 reasons: 

It Keeps You Motivated: What better way to keep you motivated than a fellow competitor vying for your spot in the office. If this doesn’t make you perform at your absolute best, then I’m not sure what will.

It Encourages Creativity: Let’s pretend for a second that you and your fellow co-workers are pitching an idea to the big boss. Everyone around you has the same thing in mind “stand out above the rest!” This will have you firing on all cylinders and force yourself to be creative.

It Keeps You Focused: If a competitor is nipping at your heels in any aspect of life, you will be more focused than ever for the task at hand.

Just as animals compete for pray, we compete on a daily basis with each other. Whether it be at the hockey rink, in the workplace or at school, competition is something that has become all too natural and common. Rather than shun competition and call it repulsive, convert it into something positive by allowing it to bring out the best in you. 

Voice Over Work

I have been an independent voice over artist for nearly two years and thoroughly enjoy providing quality service to my clientele. As opposed to many other artists, I work strictly by word of mouth and referrals. This allows me more time to focus on each task at hand and to get it done in both an effective and timely manner. 

I have been contracted to provide voice over material for commercials, promos, instructional videos, educational videos and public service announcements.

If you or anyone you know of is need of voice over work, feel free to listen to my voice over samples. I also have samples on YouTube. 

Send me an email on the Contact Me page for more information.

My Tips For Public Speaking

Universally, public speaking remains one of the most prominent fears that human beings confess to having. The official term is called Glossophobia: “An intense anxiety prior to, or simply at the thought of having to verbally communicate with any group.”

Can this fear be overcome? Yes!

Before I provide my tips, I want to share with you my thoughts on the subject. I honestly use to despise speaking in public. Despite making others smile and laugh throughout my childhood, public speaking did little to appeal to me. And much like everyone else, it made me quite nervous. These are the tips that allowed me to not only conquer my nerves, but also help turn public speaking into my most valuable asset.

Slow Down – The quicker you speak, the more likely you are to make mistakes. Speak at a comfortable pace and never leave that comfort zone.

Know Your Material – Choose a topic that interests you and do plenty of research.

Don’t Obsess Over Mistakes – Even the professionals make errors. Stay composed and keep moving forward. 

Speak With Confidence – Make eye contact, smile, project your voice, choose your words carefully and enunciate.

Practice – Rehearsing in front of the mirror is a tried, tested and true method of perfecting a speech or presentation. Attempting to “wing it” is a recipe for disaster.

These tips allowed me to successfully host my own radio programs with thousands listening at any given time, present important material in front of business professionals and even speak on stage in front of 15,000 people and feel completely at home. Sure I had a few butterflies in my stomach, but that fear was non-existent. 

I hope these tips help! 

My Top 5 Favourite Movies of the 2000’s

I just posted a new video: My Top 5 Favourite Movies of the 2000’s!

Which will make my list? You have to watch to find out!

Click The Link Below 

www.youtube.com/christoplack

Moving On: The Best Revenge Of All

I am sure there has been at least one moment in your life when you felt the urge to gain revenge on a person or situation. Perhaps you were deceived, mislead, betrayed or even abandoned. You have this vision of rising from the ashes to conquer all and reign supreme. You want to gain the upper hand and embarrass those who have held you down for too long. 

Well, I’m about to share with you the best revenge of all, moving on!

I firmly believe that moving on from a person, situation or company that has purposely set out to deceive you or hold you down is the best revenge of all. Proving that you can be the better person and take the high road. Proving that you can still be successful and stay true to yourself. That’s what revenge should be all about.

I would like to share a story with you.

An old friend of mine from college was recently released from his job. It was no fault of his own, but to say he felt betrayed is a vast understatement. He was absolutely devastated and in a state of shock.

His contributions to the company over a 6-year span were undeniable. He earned a large sum of money, made hundreds of business deals, gained the respect of his fellow co-workers and was widely considered to be their biggest asset. What went wrong? One of his bosses made a horrible mistake that cost the company a great deal of money and rather than accept fault, he blamed it on my friend.

We were recently in touch over Facebook and I asked, “How did you deal with such a messy situation?”

His response: “I felt betrayed and angered, but realized that moving on and finding success elsewhere was the best revenge of all. Why bother going to war when I’m naturally a peaceful person.”

He took the high road and did manage to find success elsewhere.

Good people don’t always finish last. It just takes a positive attitude and patience to find that golden opportunity. Don’t ever allow the lingering thought of revenge bring you down to someone else’s level. Keep your head high, move on and never look back! The rest will eventually fall into place. 

Exciting News: A New Partnership!

I am pleased to announce a new partnership with Smoke-N-Bones Restaurant in London, Ontario. 

Every Monday evening, I will be the host of Pub Stumpers. This will officially begin on Feb 11th! 

What is Pub Stumpers? It’s a trivia league 

Amazing food, cheap drinks, trivia and your very own Chris Toplack!

Hope to see you at Smoke-N-Bones on February 11th!

Trademark Scents

Your scent can be one of the most important aspects of your image. In some cases, it can even be your trademark. What’s your trademark?

Here are mine:

1 Million Cologne by Paco Rabanne 

• Warm Spicy, Long lasting, Draws Compliments

L’homme Cologne by Yves Saint Laurent for Men

• Fresh Spicy, Long Lasting, Classy

Hugo Cologne by Hugo Boss for Men 

• Aromatic, Masculine, Modern

Cool Water Cologne by Davidoff for Men

• Fresh, Aquatic, Not Over Powering

Only The Brave Cologne by Diesel for Men

• Citrusy, Long Lasting, Masculine

 Spicebomb Cologne by Victor & Rolf for Men

• Warm Spicy, Long Lasting, Powerful

Swiss Army Cologne by Swiss Army for Men

• Aromatic, Fresh, Smooth

Ck One Shock Cologne by Calvin Klein for Men

• Fresh Spicy, Oriental, Long Lasting 

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Job Interview

Job interviews can be an intimidating and nerve-racking experience, but they are necessary and it’s inevitable that we will go through them. How you represent yourself at an interview with a potential employer could very well make or break you. Here are some helpful Do’s and Don’ts to ensure you have a successful interview.

Do’s

Make eye contact – This is a sign of confidence and respect.

Research – This shows you are prepared and genuinely care about your position with the company.

Be clear and concise – Your answers should be straight to the point.

Smile – Behind eye contact, smiling is the most important physical aspect of an interview.

Dress appropriately  – Remember, you can’t redo a first impression.

Sit up straight – Good posture makes you appear confident.

Brush your teeth and shower – Proper hygiene is an absolute must!

Practice – Come in prepared and have your responses memorized when answering general questions.

Don’ts

Make Demands – You are in no position to make a demand.

Leave your phone on – If your phone were to happen to go off, the interviewer may feel disrespected by your lack of professionalism.

Show up late – This would be considered career suicide. You should always arrive at least 10 minutes early to the interview.

Chew gum or candy – You should have nothing in your mouth.

Swear – Any use of profanity during an interview should be strictly prohibited.

Interrupt – Not only is it rude, but it shows you are not listening.

Wear cologne or presume – Several workplaces are now scent free.

Speak ill of your previous employer – Criticizing your former employer shows a general lack of loyalty. If pressured to answer, be honest yet respectful of your previous situation. 

Whether you would like to admit or not, you are a brand. How properly you treat this brand may be the difference between landing an incredible position or heading home empty-handed. The choice is entirely up to you. 

Welcome!

Listen to the audio for my official welcome to ChrisToplack.com!