There are many different ways that successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and organizational leaders can continue to expand their influence as they reach new heights. Public speaking is often a popular medium in which leaders of all sorts prefer due to the connections and networking that can result. Public speaking isn’t just a good way to gain recognition as an influencer or industry player; it can also attract consumers to your brand and lead to strategic partnerships. That said, there is definitely a bit of skill involved in the art of public speaking. 

A Little Background on Jason Haugen

Just about anyone can work on the skills and techniques they need to become excellent public speakers. However, like is the case with athletes, some people have a bit more natural skill in public speaking to begin with. Jason Haugen, CEO of Haugen RV Group and the host and producer of the Culture Camp podcast, has been involved with high-level public speaking for a lot longer than his time as CEO of his RV company. 

Prior to purchasing his first RV dealership, Jason started a network marketing company. As one of the highest performing speakers with that organization, Jason quickly realized the power of public speaking and would carry that with him throughout the rest of his career, to date. In 2018, Jason Haugen jumped at the opportunity to purchase his first RV dealership, which began his Huagen RV Group journey.

Shortly after making his first purchase, Jason was able to buy a second location and continued expanding his reach. Since then, he successfully grew his business to $100M in sales before the time he turned 28. An impressive feat for anyone, let alone someone under the age of 30. Jason grants a lot of his success to the people around him, including his leadership and managerial teams at Haugen RV Group, as well as his loving and supporting wife who doubles as his number one fan. 

Jason’s Public Speaking Career

When it comes to public speaking, Jason understands that the number of people in the crowd should only somewhat influence your approach to the presentation. Many public speakers recognize that there are a few differences between speaking and presenting in a more intimate setting compared to a larger auditorium that might house over hundreds of people. With this in mind, Jason has spoken to crowds of just a handful all the way up to thousands of people. At the end of the day, how many people are in the audience really doesn’t matter. According to Haugen, it’s all about the message and the connection. 

As an entrepreneur and a successful business owner himself, Jason often discusses the importance of a workplace culture that has been well-established as emotionally healthy and inclusive, which, in turn, elevates productivity, engagement, and employee fulfillment. These are all benchmarks that modern organizations are focusing on with extreme intent and emphasis as we approach the last quarter of 2022. Jason’s experiences in business ownership and operations and his dedication to workplace culture often influence his current public speaking. In fact, much of his current speaking specifically revolves around culture and its value, though he is a well-versed speaker who could likely tackle any topic of interest. 

Something that Jason keeps in mind when he has a public speaking engagement is to sound natural; this is also one of the first pieces of advice that he would offer to anyone interested in getting their start in public speaking. Making the presentation sound organic and smooth will help the audience connect and engage with the speaker as if they’re all having a typical, everyday conversation. While practicing this is easier said than done, it becomes much easier over time with consistent practice. 

Attending Live Events

Many people question the benefit of attending a public speaking event, like a lecture or presentation. Jason would argue that attending an in-person event, even in late 2022 when most things are digital, can offer people a chance to connect with one another on a deeper, more human level. He even compares the experience to that of seeing your favorite musician live versus streaming them over your preferred audio channel. Additionally, one benefit that live events boast is the networking opportunities, making these events a great way to expand your professional network. 

Whether you attend a lecture or public speaking event digitally or in person, you’ll likely have a good chance at meeting like-minded individuals and other professionals in your industry who could be strong contacts for you now or further down the line. From the speaker’s perspective, public speaking can help you connect with individuals who you may become life-long friends with. Jason had one such experience after an attendee at one of his events reached out to share that since seeing him speak, the attendee had successfully increased his business ten-fold. The two became friends and still are today. 

Focused On Helping Others

Jason primarily wants attendees of his public speaking events to take away an action-step mindset. This means finding internal motivation and using it to create actionable steps in your day-to-day life that will help you reach weekly, monthly, and even yearly goals. Jason feels his public speaking events are a success if he can connect and help even just one person in the audience. He recognizes that he most often speaks to an audience of other leaders, meaning if he connects with even one of those people, he could effectively be impacting the lives of 10+ others whom he’s never seen, met, or spoken to. This is the ripple effect that a lot of people forget to consider when they evaluate the true value of a public speaking event or lecture.

At only 28 years old, Haugen already has a fairly impressive public speaking resume and is excited about any new opportunities he can add to that. This is, of course, all while he balances his work as CEO of Haugen RV Group and his hosting and producing duties for the Culture Camp podcast. 

Discussing Motivation

One topic that always seems to surface among entrepreneurs, public speakers, and others involved in the world of professional development is motivation. Many of us are driven by different motives for different reasons, and it’s crucial for each of us to understand those driving factors. Jason knows this well and understands that he can only do so much to help the people in the audience; he isn’t hoping his words become the attendees motivation. Rather, he’s hopeful that by listening to him speak or present, audience members will conduct a self-evaluation and identify their own true internal motives. This, in turn, will lead them to take action on their own behalf instead of waiting around for someone to lift them up.

Another note that Haugen points out is that public speaking can help people connect with successful individuals on a more human level while also giving them a chance to learn from tested experience. There is no one single formula that always results in success, and those who make it to the top of their field know this well. Almost everyone can be as successful as they’d like to be with the right determination, adjustments, consistency, and resources. It doesn’t matter how many times you fail; it only matters if you succeed once. 

That is a philosophy that’s been proven time and time again as many successful individuals in today’s day and age emerged to that level through the success of a single venture. Expanded success, in the case of people like Mark Cuban, is possible due to their entry into financial independence. As long as you always learn from your failures, they could actually be lessons that lead you into your success. 

A Few Last Words

Most importantly, Jason wants to help people with his public speaking. Despite his financial success, Jason remains true to his philosophy that people are the most valuable asset of any organization, and he spreads this message in his public speaking. Through his public speaking, he has helped countless individuals understand the importance of workplace culture. On top of that, Jason’s speaking has also helped these leaders implement practical workplace culture practices.

With 30 years of age right around the corner, the success of Haugen RV Group, the Culture Camp podcast, and his public speaking ventures, Jason surely keeps a busy schedule and continues to take strides in his field while establishing a name for himself as an influencer, content creator, and public speaker. If you’re looking for a speaker who can connect with other organizational leaders about the importance and value of establishing a strong, healthy workplace culture for the modern professional workforce, consider booking Jason Haugen for your event or conference.