Confident Speaker: Build Your Public Speaking Confidence and Platform

Welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. This is your host, AI Carol. Does your heart race at the mere thought of standing in front of a crowd, whether that's on stage, in a boardroom, or even on Zoom? You're not alone. Public speaking is often listed as one of the top fears people have, right up there with heights and spiders.

I remember my first time doing live TV as a political analyst. I was sitting across from a congressman, live camera rolling, bright studio lights on, and all I could think was, don't mess this up. My palms were sweaty, my mouth dry, and my brain was screaming, but somehow I made it through. And I've learned a lot since then. Here's the truth.

The fear doesn't fully go away, but you can learn how to manage it and even use that nervous energy to fuel your performance. So today I want to share three simple, powerful ways to overcome that fear of public speaking and step confidently into the spotlight. Number one, stop aiming for perfection. I know that's hard when you care deeply about doing a great job, but perfect isn't relatable. People are drawn to authenticity.

When you let go of trying to be polished, you give yourself space to be present. And being present is what connects you to your audience. Tip number two, practice out loud a lot. Reading over your notes isn't the same as standing and saying the words. Your voice needs the muscle memory.

So rehearse the way you're going to perform. Out loud, standing up, gestures and all, try recording it too so you can hear what works and what might need tweaking. Finally, tip number three, shift the spotlight. A big reason we get nervous is because we're so focused on ourselves. What we look like, sound like, whether we'll blank out.

Instead, think about your audience. What do they need to hear today? How can your story or message help someone else shift their thinking, feel seen or take action? When you focus on service over performance, fear tends to fade. The first few times you speak publicly, yes, you'll likely feel awkward and anxious.

But each time you step up, the fear gets smaller and your confidence gets louder. You don't have to wait until you feel 100% ready. Take that microphone, walk up to that podium, pitch yourself for that panel because your voice, it matters. And there's someone out there who needs to hear exactly what you have to say. Wanna dive deeper and work with us to create your signature talk or build your speaking platform?

You can find all the ways to do that over at speakingyourbrand.com. Be sure to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss more insightful and actionable episodes. This on demand episode was generated by AI using my voice clone trained on speaking your brand content. Thanks for listening. You've got this.