MicDrop

Surround yourself with leaders who think and communicate BIG.

Founder

Alex Merry, Public Speaking Coach

Public speaking coaching for people who need to communicate BIG ideas.

The English-Speaking Union

Churchill Public Speaking Competition Judge

TEDxClapham

Many of the talks from TEDxClapham have gone on to have an incredible impact. From going viral to changing government legislation, and lobbying the UN to raising 7-figure investment for their ideas. It was here I learned the potential impact one short presentation can have.

Founder and Curator

Champions Life Academy

An award-winning fundraising agency that we grew from a team of 4 to 250. Raising over £12.5 million for charity along the way.

Chief Operating Officer

University of Birmingham

Responsible for managing, training and running 2 BUCS University football teams and a squad of 40+ people.  This was my first experience of presenting to a group - though I didn't realise it at the time!

Mens Football Coach

Helping entrepreneurs use public speaking to build their brand | Public Speaking Coach | Author of Make It Count | Former COO and TEDxClapham Founder

Why is it, that some people get away with breaking every public speaking rule in the book, yet we still want to listen to what they’ve got to say? 

If there’s one thing I've learned working with some of the most successful leaders of our generation, it’s that there is a big difference between having an idea and being able to communicate it.

That is what turns big thinkers into thought leaders.

As a leader, speaking is an important part of your life. You’ve got to cast a vision, inspire your team, and influence stakeholders. Yet, so many have never paid any attention to the one tool that has the power to unlock even more. Your voice.

I've spent the last 10 years helping people like you unlock the true potential of your ideas so they get the credibility and respect they deserve.

Public speaking isn't something that's come naturally to me. I've had to hard work at it and have seen first-hand the power of being able to communicate ideas well. 

I've used public speaking to build a business from 4-250 people. Then I  founded TEDxClapham and the talks I've worked on since have turned those who delivered them into the go-to people for their subject matter.

15 million views and counting 
£250m+ raised  
Government legislation changed

I'm brought in by organisations like Adobe, Bloomberg, WeTransfer, Mastercard and Amazon to do the same for them.

Your work is only as good as your ability to communicate it. The earlier you can start, the more impact you'll have.

There is SO much pressure to share your story publicly, both online and on stages. So why is it that...👇

When I look at the thought leaders I admire the most, I can't tell you anything about their private lives? 

The answer is quite simple, it's because they've realised something everyone else hasn't...

Your personal life isn't the asset.
Your perspective is.

I share this because: 

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 ≠ 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

---

It's a phenomenon I call The Influencer Trap.
[And I fall into it too!]

Everyday we see 'influencers' trading intimacy for engagement (after all it is the low hanging fruit), it's no wonder we can feel like this must be what it takes to become a thought leader.

But sharing your story isn't thought leadership.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆.

---

Thought leaders are exceptional storytellers, but it's actually incredibly rare that they share a story about themselves - because they don't need to.  
 
Instead of looking to themselves, they draw on examples from:

History 📜 | Science 🧪 | Culture 🌎 | Nature 🐅 | Technology 💾 | Data 📊 | Art 🖼️ | People 👥

The goal? To find the stories and examples that they think will give their ideas the greatest chance of: 

1. Connecting ✨
2. Being remembered 🧠 
3. And then being shared 🗣️

So that their ideas can spread ⚡️. 

And just like a comedian tests a joke, they test their stories until they find the ones that do all three.

It's a skill that is built over years; through curiosity, trial and error and an obsession with what actually lands.

𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁.

--

Every thought leader remembers the very first time they managed to shift someone's thinking without relying on their own story to do the heavy lifting. 

That's the moment you cross the threshold into true thought leadership, you start to see the world differently. 

 And when you do, something amazing happens:

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱.

---

This is exactly what we're designing for inside MicDrop in 2026. 

The goal? To create an environment that helps our members turn their ideas into the very thing they become sought-after for. We'll be opening our doors again next year - head to my bio to join the waitlist.

Alex Merry

Public speaking coach | I turn Founders into Thought Leaders 🎤 | Founder of MicDrop | Author of Make It Count | Ex-COO | Ex-TEDxClapham Founder

The sheer volume of work over the last few months has been absolutely brutal...👇

Inside MicDrop we've:
👋 Onboarded and welcomed 39 amazing new members in October
🧩 Rolled out our brand new Advanced Positioning Sprint
💻 Built MicDrop OS; a content hub for thought leaders
🤖 Trained MicDrop's own speaking assistant, Ari
⚫️ Helped members with SXSW applications
🍽️ Set up member supper clubs

Outside MicDrop there's been:
💰 Two 8-figure fundraises
🧑‍⚖️ One 9-figure lawsuit

[And a partridge in a pear tree! 🎶]

---

And then there was that wedding in Nepal we'd committed to before we knew any of these things even existed!

The timing for this trip was far from ideal, but we're lucky enough to be able to work wherever we want - and so we will!

[The Himalayas are going to take some beating 🌄]

There's something to be said for changing your environment when you're out of energy (even if that means working from a new coffee shop).

We landed at 5:30 this morning, not slept a wink but full of excitement and optimism for what's to come professionally in 2026.

Happy Friday!

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing messages like these...👇

When you've been off-grid for a couple of weeks. 
[Highly recommend Nepal🇳🇵]

Landing a slot at Davos is pretty extraordinary - especially given this member is right at the start their thought leadership journey.

MicDrop didn't play any direct part making in this happen, but  one thing we do well is help our members recognise and play to their strengths.  

Everything we do is about helping our members get invited to speak in the rooms that are going to enable them to have the biggest impact possible.

--

But the most important sentence in this picture for me is the last one. 

'Love MicDrop, just have been passive in showing the love.'

Because it highlights there isn't a right way to be a 'good' member.

---

Many of our members are visibly active every day.

They're the heartbeat of MicDrop and their energy enables our community to thrive 💙:

✅ Attending the live calls 
✅ Taking part in our sprints
✅ Posting in the hub and on WhatsApp

Their energy lifts the whole room. 

---

But I also know that some of the biggest breakthroughs happen quietly, in the background.

So many of our members use MicDrop in ways I never get to see: 

✅ Connecting/collaborating with other members directly
✅ Implementing our frameworks and tools
✅ Dipping in and out as and when they need

And this is so easy to forget.

Using MicDrop well looks different for everyone - it’s about using the community in a way that fits your personality and aligns with your speaking goals.

--

Time to fly home. 

More wins like this - whether shared publicly or privately are very welcome 😉!

MicDrop is my private community for thought leaders who speak. 
We'll be opening our doors again next year - head to my profile to join the waitlist.

I love this quote by Ed Latimore. 

But it lacks nuance so I added the word...👇 

'Perceived'

'Perceived' because in my experience, 
Embarrassment isn't guaranteed. 

Especially when it comes to finding your voice...
❌ We don't want to share it until it's 'right.'
❌ Because we don't want to look stupid.

The reality? 

---

1. There is no such thing as 'right.' 
↳ So experiment 🧪

---

2. People are too busy focusing on themselves to worry about whether what you're doing is right or wrong...

↳ This is a psychological phenomenon known as The Spotlight Effect 🔦. 

↳ A cognitive bias that vastly overestimates how much others notice and focus on us 🧠

↳ So experiment 🧪

---

3. So involve your audience in your voice finding journey...

✅ Test different messages and angles
✅ Ask them questions
✅ Share your insecurities

Because they're not interested in someone perfect;
They're interested in someone human.

---

Nearly half of MicDrop opted into our November Positioning Bootcamp and a huge amount of what we're doing sits right in this territory:

⚡️ Finding the right language for your message
⚡️ Sharpening how you talk about what you do
⚡️ Plugging the gaps in your credibility

All of this can feel really exposing.

And yet, it's the work that will determine:

1. The level of gravitas your message carries
2. Who books you to speak and why
3. How much your topic is worth

In other words, it really matters.

So if it feels uncomfortable, good. 

It means you’re in the stretch zone where positioning actually shifts. 

Keep going 💪. 
Keep experimenting 💪. 

Because this is the work that separates the sought-after thought leaders from everyone else.

---

MicDrop is my community for sought-after speakers. 

We're not taking on any new members until February, but if you're interested in being part of the next intake, head to my bio to join the others on the waitlist.

The updated LinkedIn post analytics are a really positive step in the right direction... 👇

Saves and sends to me, feel like the biggest indicators of post quality. 

They're the stats I'm going to be optimising for.

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