From Stutterer to World Champion (what changed everything)

Dear Legend,

You’re only one story away from changing everything.

That story might be buried under years of corporate jargon.
It might be hiding behind your fear of being seen.
It might be sitting in your heart right now, untold and unspoken.

But once you speak it, once you share it, the world will change around you.

And that’s exactly what Ed Tate did.

You see, Ed wasn’t born a brilliant speaker. In fact, he grew up stuttering. He was beat up for being mixed-race. He moved around constantly as a military kid. He was, in his words, “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

So, at eight years old, he made a decision, he told himself a new story.

He started reading magazines out loud, twice a day.
He did play-by-play commentary for local basketball games.
He became a high school news anchor. A college DJ.
He practiced. And practiced. And practiced.

Eventually… he joined toastmasters and the president told him to enter their annual global speech competition with 30,000 contestants.

But here’s where it gets legendary:

He never thought he was going to win, he wanted to do his best and requested that the president stop “harassing” him to join the competition.

But before he delivered the final speech that would crown him champion, Ed gave the same speech to 22 different live audiences.

Twenty. Two.

Each time he recorded himself.
Reviewed the footage.
Noted what worked.
Rewrote and retested.

“I approached it like a scientist,” he said.
“Each version got tighter, funnier, sharper.”

So by the time he hit the stage in front of 2,000 people in Miami Beach…

He knew exactly when to pause.
He knew where the laughs would land.
He knew when to deliver the final blow.

That’s how you win.
Not with charisma.
But with craftsmanship.

🥇 He became the World Champion of Public Speaking.

Because he engineered every second of the experience.

Watch Ed’s winning speech (8 min)

❤️ Heartset: You Have a Voice, You Are Interesting

Most people think they are boring.

“Howie, I didn’t climb Mt. Everest”

“Howie, I didn’t swim across the Panama canal”

“Howie, I didn’t even leave my hometown until I was 25!”

Different people have different stories. The common denominator? We all have stories to tell and all of them are interesting - if we shape them that way.

The thing is, even if you’re NOT on a stage, NOT standing in front of a crowd, you are communicating every single day. Sometimes there are big consequences and sometimes not so much, but everytime you speak is an opportunity to make someone care.

This issue is for anyone who’s ever wanted to stand up and speak… but sat back down.

This is your nudge to rise again.

🧠 Mindset: It’s not about content. It’s about the experience you create.

Think about that. It’s not just about what you say, it’s MORE important how you say it.

Most presenters try to say the right thing.
The best ones design moments that make people feel.

So let’s shift:

• From informing to transforming

• From sameness to surprise

• From data dumps to designed experiences

Give people something to remember you by, give people something that touches their heart.

Ed Tate doesn’t just “speak.” He engineers standing ovations.

🧰 Skillset: The Champion Speaker Framework:

1. Break Preoccupation

The audience is always distracted.
Emails. Kids. Slack. TikTok. Stress.

Your job is to snap them out of it—fast.

That’s why Ed starts with a story that hits hard:

“Ed, don’t get on the plane Monday. We’re shutting the company down.” That line… stopped people cold.

Whatever you do, don’t be predictable.

2. Frame the Message

Once you’ve got their attention, set the stage.

• Why should they care?

• What’s the big idea?

• Where are you taking them?

Context is everything. Without it, your story is just noise.

And Ed carries the momentum forward:

“In that moment, I realized something...Most people are comfortable. Most people avoid risk. But I had a choice: stay broke—or bet on myself.”

That quick frame aligns you and the audience around a shared problem, so they want the solution you’re about to deliver.

3. Jump into Content

This is where most people lose the room. The transition after the framing is long and tedious.

Instead of beating about the bush get right into it.

Here is how Ed pulls you into the body of his talk:

“Here’s what I did: I took every experience I had—every mistake, every pitch, every training session—and I turned it into my own business.”

Now you’re thinking, what is this business? What happened next?

4. Create Movement

When you get the audience physically involved, your message sticks better. Have people raise hands, speak a phrase, do something.

Here’s how he does it in a simple way:

“Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a moment like that, where everything fell apart, and you had to rebuild from zero.”

He’s once had a workshop participant bump into him 5 years later and still remember his talk!

5. Make Them the Hero

This is the game-changer. Ed doesn’t just talk about himself.

He tells stories about the audience:

“This story isn’t just about me. It’s about you. What’s your ‘don’t get on the plane’ moment? And what will you do with it?”

He reflects the story back to the audience.

Because he’s not telling it to impress them—
He’s telling it to connect with them.

He’s saying: “I’ve been where you are. I made it through. So can you.”

That’s influence.

Don’t miss👇🏽

Whether you’re speaking to big room or just presenting to your team, everytime you open your mouth is a chance to make an impression that can build your reputation.

Which tip will you try first?

I will see you next Sunday!

Make your mark, live your legend 🤘🏽

Howie Chan

Creator of Legend Letters

​Read my story​

​Follow me on LinkedIn

WHENEVER YOU ARE READY

1/ Your Professional Brand

”How do I package my genius into a clear, compelling brand?” Whether you want a quick high impact call or a complete done for you strategy, there’s a fit.

Learn more

2/ Hire me to speak to your team

Companies don’t become great. Great people make great companies. Organizations trust Howie Chan to bring programs that are provocative, actionable, and spicy 🌶 so every individual leave with a sense of fresh purpose and passion for greatness.

Are you ready?

​Learn more