Did You Give 150%? What Every Game-Changing Speaker Asks Themselves After the Mic Drops

Football season is always fun. The energy, the rivalries, the roar of fans cheering for their team.

But oh, how I miss the season of tennis.

During the US Open, I watched a video of Naomi Osaka practicing. Not competing. Practicing. What struck me was the rhythm of it. Repetition. Precision. Recovery. Again and again until muscle memory took over.

That image stayed with me because speaking is the same. Every time I step onto a stage, it is not just about performance. It is the result of practice. The audience is not my opponent. They are my partner. Together we rally in a match that is about connection, emotion, and truth.

That is why I hold close the 14 reflection questions from Dr. Cheryl Wood. They are not just for speakers. They are for anyone who dares to lead, influence, or tell a story that matters.

Questions like:

Did I connect emotionally and intellectually?

Did I invite the audience into an experience, not just a speech?

Did I balance truth with hope, pain with purpose?

These questions remind me that the real work begins after the mic drops. Because speaking, like tennis, is about rhythm, recovery, and refinement.

When I step off stage, I do not ask, Did they like me?

I ask, Did I serve them?

Did I give my best, not just in performance but in purpose?

Practice shapes the answer. Showing up with 150 percent of your heart, every single time, is what turns practice into transformation.

So whether you are holding a mic, leading a team, or showing up in your everyday life, ask yourself:

Did you give your best? Did you give 150 percent?

That is where transformation lives. That is how impact is made. That is how legacies are built.