From Terrified to Taking the Stage: How I Learned to Love Public Speaking

I went from a beet-red 12th grader who couldn't get the words out to someone who is energized by being on stage. I share the three things that got me there, and none of them are about building confidence. Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter Does your face go hot and your heart start pounding the second you have to speak up in front of a room? You're not alone, and it does not mean you're not leadership material. The higher you go, the more of your job requires speaking publicly: sharing your point of view in a leadership meeting, presenting a recommendation to the exec team, updating the board, leading an all-hands. At the VP level, people form their opinion of you in those moments, and if you freeze or ramble, your thinking never gets seen, no matter how good the idea is. In this episode, I take you back to the day in grade 12 when I couldn't choke the words out, and walk through the three specific things that took me from there to energized on stage. Public speaking is not a personality trait. It's a muscle you can build, and it is 100% learnable. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why nerves are your body treating the spotlight like a threat, and what actually convinces it you're safe Where to get low-stakes practice speaking in front of people, and the habit to build in your regular meetings so the moment never gets bigger in your head How to over-prepare on purpose, including what to script word for word and what to have ready for impromptu questions The shift that takes the spotlight off you, and why most people aren't judging you nearly as much as you think Why needing to prepare doesn't mean you're not a natural RESOURCES MENTIONED Own the Room summit: owntheroomsummit.com   Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a  Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter  Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there. Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.