I recently spoke at Project Summit / Business Analyst World in Vancouver. I delivered both my “Fry Your Chickens” keynote and two AI-focused presentations. With every speaking event, there are lessons and new perspectives—sometimes with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Here are three of the “chickens” I fried during my time in Vancouver:
Chicken 1: Timing Fumbles in the Keynote
So there I was, rolling along through my keynote, hitting all the main points, getting laughs, delivering the big conclusion…and then it hits me: I still have 15 minutes left. I had dropped a story earlier to avoid running over time, but now there was no way to go back and add it.
As a speaker, there’s an unwritten rule: never end on a Q&A. You wrap with a memorable conclusion, not a Q&A. But here I was, out of material and out of options. I could practically hear one of those squawking chickens in my head going, “Hey, Phil, you know the rule—never end on a Q&A. You just blew it!” But with no clock and nothing left in the tank, I went for it and said, “Does anyone have any questions?”
Guess what? Best decision ever. The audience was fully engaged, asking great questions and turning those last 15 minutes into a real conversation. After the final question, I repeated my closing point, tossed in a quick “Thanks for having me!” and it was a wrap. Timing issues and all, it worked out better than I could have planned.
Chicken 2: Rolling with Last-Minute AI
Now, here’s the thing about AI presentations: they’re a different beast. Normally, I have weeks to refine my material and perfect my timing. But with AI, things change so fast that I was still cramming new ideas and tools on the flight to Vancouver. I finished the Monday presentation Sunday night and focused on AI’s role in communication—emails, social media, contracts, you name it.
But here’s the curveball: a week before the event, I agreed to fill in for another AI speaker who couldn’t make it. That meant creating a whole new presentation for Tuesday. So, by Tuesday morning, I had whipped up a session I called “Holy 💩! You Can Do That with AI?
How did I get the presentations done? Of course — with AI. 😉
Both sessions were a hit. The audience was fully engaged, sharing their own AI tips, and laughing along. Whirlwind? Absolutely. Worth it? 100%.
Chicken 3: The Sushi Chicken
Here’s the thing about me and sushi: I’m just not a fan. But my friends wanted to hit a Japanese place before I left, and one of them swore there were cooked options on the menu. So, I went for it and ordered the black cod. It was cooked, and to my surprise, actually really good.
I still haven’t fried my “sushi chicken” (yes, the metaphors are getting mixed here), but the food and fellowship made it a perfect end to the trip. Next time I’m in Vancouver, I’ll go back and try the tempura fried vegetables. Who knows—there might be a “Fry Your Veggies” newsletter in the future!
Finally…
The staff at the Pinnacle Hotel Waterfront were awesome. Super customer focus, lots of smiles and laughs. Thank you all for the great hospitality and fun!
These Vancouver sessions taught me more about rolling with the punches, trying new things, and connecting with incredible people. If you’ve recently fried any of your own “chickens” or have a story about tackling something unexpected, I’d love to hear about it!
#PublicSpeaking #AI #StressManagement #FryYourChickens #Leadership #OvercomingChallenges #PhilBarth