How Dylan Haugen Gave His First Conference Talk—And Made It Count

Ever given a talk in front of a live audience—with no script, no slides, and no backup plan?

That’s what Dylan Haugen did at the JVA Align Summit, where we spoke to a room full of volleyball club directors about using AI in their programs.

Dylan is 17. He’s been building his brand since age 11, has over 100 million views across YouTube and Reels, and has been working inside our systems at BlitzMetrics. This was his first time speaking at a professional event.

Here’s how Dylan handled the session—and what made it work.

Speak from Direct Experience

First-time speakers often try to impress instead of connect. They rehearse scripts and talk in generalities. Audiences can tell.

Dylan shared what he actually does. He showed how he edits videos using AI tools, builds workflows, manages creator accounts, and sets up personal branding for athletes. No theories—just process.

He used ChatGPT to outline a few talking points. But we didn’t follow it strictly. Once the room engaged, we adapted.

“I’ve done public speaking in school before, but never like this—where I’m actually talking about something I do every day.” — Dylan Haugen

Let the Questions Lead

The first thing someone asked was, “How do I download ChatGPT?”

That told us the audience wasn’t looking for advanced strategy. They needed help with the basics.

So we shifted. We opened Descript and showed how to clean up video clips. We pulled up a club website and walked through simple fixes. We showed Dylan’s Knowledge Panel live and explained how it builds trust and visibility.

When you’re comfortable with the tools, you can answer questions on the fly. That’s more useful than slides.

Show the Work—Don’t Present

There was no slide deck. No scripted pitch. Just a screen share and real-time problem solving.

We’ve used this approach in other industries, from funeral directors to youth sports teams. It’s always the same method: inputs, process, and outputs. Show how it works instead of talking about what could work.

“People don’t want theory. They want proof. Show them what works—while it’s working.” — Dennis Yu

Find Common Ground

Dylan’s not a volleyball player—he’s a dunker.

But he made the connection. Volleyball players care about vertical jump. So do dunkers. He talked about building visibility online, securing NIL deals, and what consistent personal branding does for an athlete and their club.

One coach mentioned they hadn’t realized how much player branding could lift the profile of the entire club. That stuck with us—when individual athletes build trust and visibility, it reflects directly on the program. When individual athletes build trust and visibility, it reflects directly on the program.

Nerves Go Away When You Focus on the Work

Dylan felt unsure—not because of the crowd, but because he’d never taught what he knew to total strangers before.

He was nervous before the session started. But once the questions came in, it became about being helpful—not performing. He realized he didn’t need to have all the answers. He just needed to explain what he’s done.

“I realized I didn’t have to know everything. I just needed to share what I do know.” — Dylan Haugen

We’ve seen this same mindset shift in other young adults we’ve trained—like Danny Leibrandt in this article on public speaking tips.

What Happens After the Talk Matters More

We recorded the session, captured photos, and followed up with attendees. That material becomes training and reference content.

This opportunity came about because someone from JVA had seen me speak a year earlier at a funeral directors conference. The industry didn’t matter. The system did. If you explain a working process clearly, people remember it.

“It’s not about the topic—it’s about the structure. Inputs, process, outputs. When you can explain that clearly, people see your value.” — Dennis Yu

To make sure we maximize these kinds of sessions, we follow a YouTube processing checklist to add chapters, include article links in the description, and organize videos into the right playlists.

We Shared the Full AI Guide

During the session, we handed out a 300-page AI guide—something we’ve been using internally to train national organizations, sports teams, and small businesses.

It includes tools, workflows, examples, and QR codes. Attendees were able to follow along during the talk and apply the same steps to their programs.

We gave it out because people needed more than a pitch—they needed real tools they could test that same day.

Where Public Speaking Fits in Your Personal Brand

Speaking on stage isn’t step one. It comes after you’ve built results people can verify.

It comes much later—after you’ve created one-minute videos, written blog posts, built processes, and gotten results worth sharing. That’s when you’re ready to speak. And that’s why Dylan was able to handle this talk with confidence—because he wasn’t guessing. He’d already done the work.

Notes for First-Time Speakers

• Stick to what you’ve done—not theory.
  
• Let the audience set the direction.
  
• Don’t use slides unless you have to.
  
• Keep the focus on their questions.
  
• Save everything—because the real impact often happens after the event.

For more on this, check out this podcast on speaking clearly and confidently where we break down practical strategies used in real talks.

That’s how Dylan handled his first talk. And how we train others to do the same.

What You Can Do Next

If you’re working toward becoming a strong speaker, start with smaller wins—write about your client experiences, create one-minute videos, and build a portfolio of doing real work. That’s what earns you the right to teach.

Have you already documented something useful—like a process, framework, or client result? Great. Publish it. Then share it with us. We’ll help you level it up.

And when you’re ready for that first real talk, you’ll know—because the content will already be there.