From Zero to World-Class: Tristan de Montebello on the Art of Public Speaking

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Society & Culture, Talk Radio, Writer, Philosophy, Comedy, Chess, How To, Entrepreneurship, Jay, James, The James Altucher Show, Altucher, Author, Jay Yow, Education, Jay The Engineer, Business, James Altucher

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2025

⏱️ 117 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A Note from James

I’m honored to have today’s guest: Tristan de Montebello, a finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking. He also co-founded UltraSpeaking (ultraspeaking.com/james), where he teaches techniques to improve communication through games and real-world practice. We even played some of those games during this episode, and they surprised me with how much they revealed about my own speaking.

Public speaking isn’t just about giving a good talk—it’s about understanding who you are, what you stand for, and how you connect with others. I’ve been speaking for more than 25 years, but I’m still always looking for ways to improve. At the end of the day, sharing ideas—through writing, storytelling, or speaking—is how you can change the world.

This conversation with Tristan is fascinating because he’s gone from zero experience to becoming one of the best in the world, all while reverse-engineering what it takes to truly connect with an audience.

Episode Description

How does someone go from a complete beginner to a world-class speaker in less than a year? Tristan de Montebello did exactly that—and in the process, he uncovered the strategies, mindsets, and training methods that make communication powerful.

In this episode, James and Tristan break down the mechanics of storytelling, humor, vulnerability, and flow in speaking. They explore why audiences respond the way they do, how to use analogies to create connection, and why mindset is the foundation of every great communicator.

Whether you’re on a stage, in a meeting, or simply trying to share an idea with friends, these lessons will change the way you approach communication.

What You’ll Learn

How Tristan went from novice to World Championship finalist in under a year.
Why humor and vulnerability are essential ingredients for authentic connection.
Practical ways to use storytelling and analogies to make ideas stick.
How to handle insecurity, fumbles, and “tough audiences” without breaking flow.
Why mindset—not technique—is the foundation of great communication.

Timestamped Chapters

[01:00] A Note from James and introducing Tristan de Montebello
[04:15] Inside the World Championship of Public Speaking
[07:45] Humor, storytelling, and why connection matters
[11:10] The Fear Olympics: lessons from Tristan’s grandmother
[16:30] “Never be the hero of your own story”
[20:15] Breaking down stories like Finding Nemo
[24:45] How Tristan trained humor like a stand-up comic
[28:30] What great speakers and clowns have in common
[33:20] Managing insecurities and staying in character
[41:40] From finalist to struggling in an online mastermind
[50:20] Slacklining as a metaphor for learning
[54:10] Building analogies as a core communication skill
[60:30] Reading tough or quiet audiences
[67:15] Handling bias and building trust with skeptical crowds
[69:45] Flow state in public speaking

Additional Resources

UltraSpeaking – ultraspeaking.com/james
Toastmasters International – toastmasters.org
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki – Amazon link
Eight Mile (film referenced by James & Tristan) – IMDb

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.co. That's audible.co.uk slash wondering. This isn't your average business podcast, and he's not your average host. This is the James Altasher show.
0:36.6	I am honored to have as a guest the finalist of the world championship of public speaking,
0:42.1	Tristan de Montebello. He also has courses about public speaking.
0:49.1	If you go to the website, ultra speaking, that's ultraspeaking.com slash James. And we even played some games that I thought that were on his site that I thought were fascinating to improve my
0:54.1	own public speaking.
0:55.0	And you should give it a try to see how you do.
0:58.0	But Tristan de Montebello, such a fascinating conversation about public.
1:04.0	Because the thing about public speaking, it's not just about, oh, how do you give a good talk?
1:10.0	To be a good speaker, a good communicator,
1:13.5	you have to dive deep into who you are and what you stand for. I mean, I've been doing
1:19.7	public speaking for about 25 years and probably more intensely the last 10 to 15 years.
1:27.1	For me, I always really focus on. intensely the last 10 to 15 years.
1:34.8	For me, I always really focus on how can I improve, how can I get better talks, how can I communicate better?
1:36.6	Because ultimately, the only way you're able to share your ideas with others is through
1:43.3	the medium of storytelling and public speaking and writing.
1:48.4	So between public speaking and writing, these are the key ingredients to how you help create
1:55.4	a world that you view as a better world.
1:58.6	And that sounds overly idealistic and optimistic
2:02.5	of relating your own skills in public speaking and communicating
2:07.7	to making a better world.
2:09.4	But I truly believe this.
2:11.0	And it was such a fascinating conversation to dive into the whole mindset of public speaking,
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 24 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from James Altucher, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of James Altucher and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.