July 9th, 2024 

Written by Project Comms members Kevin L., Richard H., & Benjamin B.  

Chrysti Cook visits Project Comms

Project Comms members participated in a public speaking seminar by Chrysti Cook, CEO of and Social Media Strategist for The Social Construct. Chrysti started in the entertainment industry building movie sets for films like The Intern but soon became a social media consultant. Eventually, she started her own company, The Social Construct, where she helped businesses use social media to promote their products.  

Chrysti has used her public speaking skills since she was young, and today she joined Project Comms to share her skills and knowledge. She explained how important public speaking is in our adult lives and taught us how to overcome our fears and speak with confidence. 

The Importance of Public Speaking 

Chrysti explained that public speaking is an important skill to practice because it allows a person to “put [their] best foot forward” and convey their thoughts effectively. She discussed ways to combat anxiety and the fear of speaking in front of others. These included thorough preparation and practice, positive thinking, and deep breathing.  

She also explained how public speaking allows members to not only communicate and express their ideas clearly but also to build confidence and grow as a person. Chrysti provided important insights on how to prepare and deliver a speech. She helped members practice their public speaking skills through activities involving verbally creating a story as a team, improvised storytelling, and a partner interview where members spoke to each other in pairs to practice speaking in an interview. 

Important Lessons

Project Comms is grateful to have Chrysti Cook deliver this presentation. They learned important lessons, such as the importance of confidence and positive thinking. We appreciate the time and effort she took to teach the members. Members will use these skills throughout Project Comms to help them build foundational skills in communications as they gain confidence in public speaking.