Alumni Anticipate ‘Words From Your Mouth’ Workshop

A new interactive event format will be featured when the St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) Alumni Association launches into its second year of popular Alumni Information Series events.

On Wednesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m., Sean Khan ’93 will host an exclusive workshop, Words From Your Mouth, for SMCS alumni.

Words From Your Mouth is a corporate communications instruction service offered via group workshops and one-on-one meetings provided by Khan’s company Amplified Radio Network.

According to research conducted by Quantified, public speakers have only 15 seconds to make a good first impression and in 90 percent of listeners, that impression won’t change after hearing the rest of the speaker’s message.

“I started this workshop because I saw a need for it,” explains Khan, founder of Words From Your Mouth. “I was participating in many Zoom calls and Clubhouse rooms and I noticed many of the speakers using too many filler words. It was so bad that I was distracted from what they were actually saying.”

“I remembered when I first started lecturing and later voicing my radio show that I had to reduce the filler words I was using,” he says. “I developed strategies that worked very well for me, and I knew that I could help others solve the same problems I had.”

Khan is no stranger to public speaking. As an accomplished member of the SMCS debating team, he learned what to say, how to say it, and when to be silent. Under the name Sean Savage, Khan is an accomplished recording arts professor, keynote speaker, teacher, and radio host on 105.9 The Region.

The workshop will help participants reduce, and in some cases, remove filler words and phrases like ‘um’, ‘ah’, and ‘you know’. Through discussions, strategies, and exercises, attendees will learn to peel back the layers that result in rushed words and being uncomfortable with silence.

Why alumni are participating:

“This Alumni Information Series piqued my interest because during my Diaconate Practicum at Covenant House, my Pastoral Minister instilled in me that ‘one can say a lot by saying very little and that sometimes silence is okay! I look forward to Sean’s presentation to further develop this skill and provide new strategies to enhance my ministry!”

– Deacon Rob Tunney ’81

“As someone whose work is often public facing, on top of being entrusted to step in front of crowds in roles like being a wedding MC on multiple occasions, I'm always looking to improve my speech from the perspective of cadence and reducing how often I lean on 'um' and 'ah' and other filler words. Anything I can take away that will help me improve in these areas by even one per cent will be a great help and something I'll take with me for a very long time.”

– Chris Lund ’07

“I registered for this workshop because I have a deep passion for always improving my ability to speak, both in day-to-day life and when giving presentations. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is incredibly important. I hope to receive feedback on my current ability to speak, as well as learn some new skills that I can take with me to help me continue to practice and grow.”

– Brandon Lista ’14

“Whether you’re in an interview, a meeting, or with family and friends, being an effective communicator is beneficial to numerous aspects of one’s life. Being a teacher of adults in speaking and a radio host, I know Sean will bring some innovative ways to make everyone in the room a better speaker. I hope to take the methods learned in this session with me to help root out my use of filler words, gradually improving the way I communicate. A big thing I always look forward to is reconnecting with fellow alumni and making new connections in the St. Mike’s community.”

– Andrew Rick ’15.

Space is limited for this interactive workshop.

“The attendees can expect a focused, judgement free, safe environment. We will discuss the reasons filler words are used,” says Khan. “We will go over some strategies and exercises to help reduce filler words and conclude with a Q&A to clarify any concepts.”