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There are moments that feel electric. Maybe it happens at a corporate retreat where a speaker brings the room to life. Maybe it’s during a TED Talk or at a concert. Sometimes it surfaces in the quiet weight of a powerful eulogy. Whatever the setting, the experience often transcends words. It’s a presence, an energy, a spark that stays with you long after the moment ends. Most people, whether they realize it or not, live for these rare instances. The real question is whether they can be intentionally created. Aaron Smalls believes they can be.
Once an assistant on a Nickelodeon show, Smalls has evolved into an elite TV/live event host, DJ, and public speaker. He’s spent his life studying what makes a moment unforgettable. In his view, the difference between a speaker who informs and one who transforms comes down to something often overlooked. It’s not just about content, tone, or delivery. It’s also about social energy.
“Most communication training focuses on what’s said,” Smalls explains. “But the real magic is in how it’s felt.”
Through his company, Curiously Talented LLC, and his innovative concept, Charismatic Advantage, he is building a new approach to aligned leadership and public speaking that places energy at the center of affective communication. The concept is simple yet powerful: Help people tap into the energy that’s already within them so they can stop simply delivering information and start using it to connect with others in meaningful and impactful ways.
The Power Of Presence
In a world overflowing with leadership advice, Charismatic Advantage offers something different. It doesn’t rely on gimmicks or buzzwords. Instead, it focuses on presence, energy, and connection. Smalls sees charisma not as something you’re born with but as something you build. Like any skill, it comes through repetition, feedback, and refinement. “People have varying assumptions about charisma,” he says. “But it’s actually extremely intentional.”
Great speakers are constantly filtering through choices. They adapt in real time, not to control the room, but to connect and align with it. The result, when done well, feels spontaneous and magnetic. It looks like magic, but comes from years of practice. Smalls has spent those years performing in spaces where entertainment and emotional resonance meet. From packed corporate events to network television studios and intimate chalk talks, he’s developed an instinct for reading energy and shaping it. That’s where his real expertise lives.
Redefining Leadership Through Energy
At its heart, Charismatic Advantage is about what Smalls calls “positive relational energy.” It’s the ability to energize others and foster emotional alignment. This kind of leadership isn’t based on commanding attention but on creating a shared current with the people in the room. The best leaders don’t just transmit data; they build experiences. This approach encourages authenticity and presence. It teaches that great leadership isn’t about performance. It’s about connection. When leaders have the courage to show up fully, to speak with their whole selves, they give others permission to do the same. This is where alignment , trust, and culture begin.
“When leaders are fearless in showing their personality, something shifts,” Smalls says. “They stop trying to impress and start creating spaces where others feel safe to express.” That shift is what turns a message into a movement.
A Frequency Worth Tuning Into
Smalls knows that each person’s energy is different. The key isn’t to emulate someone else’s style but to refine your own. In a culture obsessed with productivity and profit, Smalls challenges leaders to prioritize energetic alignment over performance. He reminds them that people, not processes, are what drive everything forward. His own career is a masterclass in emotional range. He has been on stages across the world, behind turntables, in boardrooms, and on the mic. He’s helped leaders navigate high-pressure environments while still holding space for authenticity. That range gives him the ability to meet people where they are and help them grow into where they want to be.
Leading The Moment By Living It
Smalls doesn’t promise shortcuts. He offers something more lasting: leadership rooted in alignment and presence, not fear or control. It isn’t about commanding the room with volume. It’s about creating the kind of impact that helps others hear themselves more clearly, feel more aligned, and move forward with conviction. “People will always be drawn to the authentic you,” Smalls says. “Your energy is your message. You don’t have to change it. You just have to own it.”
In a world filled with noise, Smalls is helping leaders tune into a different kind of frequency. One built on presence, alignment, and purpose. One that’s impossible to ignore. As a thought leader, Smalls has learned the most unforgettable leaders aren’t just heard; they’re felt. They create those electric moments not by accident but through intention, presence, and energy. Smalls’ presence may start as a spark, but it grows into something far greater: a memory that lingers, a shift in energy, and a new way of leading. He doesn’t approach leadership as a performance to master, but as a frequency to live in. In doing so, he shows that real leadership isn’t about commanding the room. It’s about becoming the kind of presence people carry with them long after the moment ends.
To learn more about Smalls and the Charismatic Advantage, visit his website
