When television icon Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Academy Awards for the second time, she surprised everybody by having pizza delivered to the hungry celebrity audience. While this comedian’s use of humor and creativity to engage with the audience seems effortless, she wasn’t always so comfortable onstage. “I got so nervous I would choke,” she has said when talking about her early days doing stand-up comedy. When you feel nervous about speaking in front of others, consider taking a cue from Ellen: How can you work some audience interaction into your presentation?

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