Zero to Keynote

Turn ideas into talks people remember

Most people think speaking starts on stage.

It doesn’t.

It starts much earlier — with why you want to speak at all, what you actually believe, and how to turn half-formed ideas into something worth listening to.

Zero to Keynote is a practical, end-to-end guide to the entire speaking journey:

from deciding why to speak

to shaping ideas

to getting selected

to crafting a strong point of view

to delivering calmly and confidently

to surviving the reality of conferences themselves.

This is not a book about hype, performance tricks, or motivational fluff.

It’s a grounded, honest guide to doing talks properly.

Zero to Keynote is designed to be read slowly — and returned to whenever you’re preparing a talk.

What this book covers (the full journey)

This book walks through the whole process, not just the moment on stage.

You’ll learn how to:

• Understand why speaking matters
• Generate strong talk ideas rooted in experience, not ego
• Develop a clear through-line and point of view
• Write submissions that actually get accepted
• Shape ideas into a talk people can follow and remember
• Apply practical communication principles to structure and delivery
• Prepare properly
• Handle logistics, nerves, and last-minute changes
• Deliver with calm, clarity, and presence
• Manage Q&A with confidence
• Navigate conferences with a little more humanity (and humour)

It’s the book I wish I’d had before my first talk — and the one I still return to now.

Who this book is for

Zero to Keynote is for you if you:

• Want to speak at conferences, meetups, or events
• Present ideas regularly at work and want to do it better
• Care about clarity more than performance
• Have something to say, but don’t want to “fake confidence”
• Want a repeatable way to prepare talks without stress

You don’t need to be a professional speaker.

You don’t need a personal brand.

You just need ideas that matter — and a desire to share them well.

What makes this book different

• It covers the entire process, not just delivery
• It’s grounded in real experience — not theory
• It treats speaking as a craft, not a personality trait
• It respects the audience’s time and intelligence
• It’s practical, calm, and human

No “power pose” nonsense.

No pretending confidence is the goal.

Clarity is the goal. Confidence follows.

Format

Digital Edition (PDF)

• Immediate digital download
• Designed for reading, highlighting, and revisiting
• Easy to search, annotate, and keep close while preparing a talk
• Ideal if you want something you can return to quickly as ideas evolve

(Also available as a print edition — sold separately, UK only)

A quiet promise

This book won’t turn you into a motivational speaker or keynote celebrity.

It will help you:

• think more clearly about your ideas
• communicate them with intent
• and stand on a stage (or in a room) feeling like yourself

That’s enough.

What Readers Say

“I'm an experienced presenter and I'm still learning so much from this little book. Practical, encouraging, and incredibly useful.”

Refund Policy – Digital Products

We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you’re not satisfied, you can request a full refund within 30 days of your purchase by emailing products@cultivatedmanagement.com

Refunds are issued via your original payment method.

Please note: Once digital files are downloaded, refunds are still available within the 30-day period, but we trust buyers to act in good faith.