After seven years of running a personal brand business, I still get scared of public speaking.
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There’s nothing like being on stage in front of hundreds of people that leaves me feeling vulnerable and exposed.
I worry about:
- Not having enough charisma and looking like an amateur on stage
- Messing up or forgetting my words
- Tripping or not knowing how to “work the stage”
- Delivering content that may be boring to people in the room
I recently spoke at Todd Herman’s PerformanceCON. I was stressed out for two full weeks leading up to the event, and I barely got anything done in my business the day before and the day of my talk.
On the outside, I tried to act cool and pretend I was “excited.” But on the inside, I was a nervous wreck.
So why do I say yes to these speaking opportunities — or anything else that makes me deeply uncomfortable?
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Because I choose not to let my fears dictate my life.
Because deep down I know that stepping out of my comfort zone is the ONLY way to live up to my true potential.
Because there are people I’m meant to help. If I stay hiding, I’ll never make the impact I desire to make in the world.
Can you relate to wanting to share your message so badly, but being completely terrified at the same time? If so, I want you to read on!
Here are three things I did to manage my stage fright and ultimately deliver a great talk:
1) Practiced like a pro
When we’re scared of something, we avoid it. That never helps, though, because the only way to get better at public speaking is to actually do more of it.
Practicing with team members, who I knew would be encouraging and helpful, eased my nerves. We did multiple run-throughs together and I used their feedback to improve my talk.
By the time I went on stage, I knew I’d done everything possible to prepare.
2) Rewired my brain
While I knew I was super prepared for my presentation, I found it hard to quiet the negative self-talk in my head.
I decided to reach out to my mastermind client Mandy Barbee, who is an incredibly talented hypnotherapist. She squeezed me in for a virtual session and gave me these powerful affirmations.
- “I am brilliant and I am enough. I am a natural public speaker.”
- “Every word I have, speak, and share with others is a gift.”
- “I use my voice easily and effortlessly. I am living out my purpose.”
Whenever a negative thought would pop into my mind, it’d switch it out with one of these positive statements.
3) Managed my energy
The day of my talk, I cleared my calendar and made a conscious effort to manage my energy.
Right before I went on stage, I did stretching and breathing exercises. Lucky for me, there was a trampoline backstage! Jumping on the trampoline helped me calm my nerves and get the energy flowing in my body.
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A consistent theme in my business is moving forward even in the face of fear. I’m proud of how I showed up for this experience — and how I served Todd’s audience through my talk.
Now I would love to hear from you! What do you do to prepare for a talk, whether it’s a live presentation, webinar or Facebook Live?
Tell me on this Facebook post! I’m eager to hear your best tips, and I read and reply to every comment 🙂
All my best,
Selena
