Şaban Özdemir, Journalist and Head of the Media PR Unit at Üsküdar University’s Directorate of Corporate Communications, attended the Circle Up 25 Summer Camp hosted by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University. Speaking on the topic “Entrepreneurship and Public Speaking in Media,” Özdemir gave invaluable advice to students from various universities and high schools across Türkiye. Addressing the dynamics of the media world from all angles, he emphasized the power of communication in entrepreneurship while also sharing effective public speaking techniques with the youth.
The Circle Up 25 Summer Camp, which brings together experienced professionals with young entrepreneurs, was held at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University’s Topkapı campus.
As part of the camp, Şaban Özdemir conducted a talk titled “Entrepreneurship and Public Speaking in Media,” moderated by Circle Up member Niran Uyanık.
A success story…
Highlighting the role of life stories in shaping careers, journalist Şaban Özdemir shared how his personal challenges helped shape his journey. He said: “I want to talk about some things that are not written down but have made Şaban who he is today. When I moved from Trabzon to Istanbul at the age of 13, I was often ridiculed for my accent. At times, I was excluded and marginalized. However, I never gave up. Coming from a family where I worked as a welder in a shipyard during high school, worked in a textile factory, and sold yufka bread at the marketplace, I now stand before you today.”
The golden rule of effective communication: listening to yourself
Emphasizing the importance of sincerity, empathy, and body language in effective communication, Özdemir stated that the ability to listen to oneself while speaking is also crucial: “One of my life philosophies has been the ability to listen to myself. This is a skill that can be developed with awareness. Listening to yourself while speaking is very important. Only then can you speak more fluently and effectively. By listening to yourself and conditioning yourself, you can eliminate filler words like ‘uh,’ ‘you know,’ ‘like.’ I’ve seen many people overcome this problem through awareness, and believe me, it changes your life.”
Valuable tips for entrepreneurs…
Özdemir pointed out that every entrepreneur is also a leader, and that a leader must develop the ability to speak effectively and persuasively. Answering a question, he highlighted the importance of the “elevator pitch” technique for entrepreneurs to make an effective presentation in a short time.
He outlined the key elements of such a pitch: “You meet a very important person related to your field. Time is limited. You only have 30 seconds! You must be able to quickly explain your idea or project. Passion is decisive here, and your passion and belief in your project. And most importantly, offering a solution to a problem… You must be able to briefly present the problem, explain what you have developed, and conclude in a way that sparks curiosity. Empathy, sincerity, transparency, and clarity are essential in such elevator talks and must be observed carefully.”
The essence of communication: sincerity and passion
Stressing that successful communication is built more on emotions felt rather than technical perfection, Özdemir said: “Even more important than technique are sincerity and passion. Sometimes we say, ‘The person is speaking, but they don’t move me, they don’t affect me at all…’ This is related to sincerity, that is, talking about something you don’t truly believe in. People can quickly detect sincerity. The tone of voice, intonation, choice of words, emotions, body language, and all of these reveal sincerity in persuasive speech.”
Engaging with the youth
At the camp, which brought together students from different universities and high schools across Türkiye, journalist Şaban Özdemir answered the students’ questions following his talk.
After the Q&A session, Özdemir was presented with a certificate for a sapling donated in his name to the Hatay Forest.
The event concluded with a group photo.
