Scary Things and Stage Time: A Speaker's Guide to Growth

Confronting Professional Fears to Enhance Communication Skills Summary In this episode of 'Present Influence,' host John Ball explores the concept of tackling fears to grow professionally as speakers and communicators. Reflecting on a conversation with Judy Carter, John discusses the importance of doing the things that scare us, such as participating in open mic nights and storytelling events, to improve our craft. John shares his personal journey of preparing for his first stand-up comedy performance, emphasising the value of consistent practice and deliberately pushing oneself beyond comfort zones. He also highlights the significance of entertainment in professional speaking and offers practical advice for those struggling with stage fright. The episode wraps up with an invitation to future exciting interviews and resources available for advancing communication skills. Take the Speaker Strengths Archetype Assessment HERE Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Embracing the Scary Things 00:42 Facing Fears: The Open Mic Challenge 02:07 The Importance of Stage Time 03:10 Leveraging Storytelling and Comedy 04:57 Professional Speaking Tips 08:02 Consistency and Personal Growth 09:08 Upcoming Events and Guest Highlights 11:47 Conclusion and Contact Information Go to presentinfluence.com to get your copy of my guide to building authority through podcast guesting and for speaking enquiries or connect with me on LinkedIn Thanks for listening and please give the show a 5* review if you enjoyed it. Mentioned in this episode: Take the Speaker Strengths Archetype Assessment Want to know if you're a sage or an entertainer? You might even have more than one archetype. Learn your strengths so that you can lean into them and your potential weaknesses so that you can shore them up. Go to https://present-keynote.scoreapp.com to find your archetype today Go from competent to captivating Progressing professionally as a speaker isn't just about doing the reps; it's about outperforming. We need to outperform our competition, but more than anything, we need to keep outperforming ourselves so that we rise up and over all obstacles and plateaus and fill your speaking calendar with repeat bookings and new referrals. Visit presentInfluence.com to find out how John can help you take your speaking career to the next level. With years of speaker coaching and working alongside some of the biggest name speaker training businesses, you can be sure you're in good hands.