8-Umms, 2-Ands...

Hello everyone, my name is Lauri and today I'm going to be talking about my best-selling book release, The Playbook for Raising Girls, why I wrote it and what I hope everyone that reads it will get from it. Just joking! I'm actually going to write about my fear of presenting. Also, called Glossophobia. It's the medical term for the fear of public speaking.

Today, I officially joined Toastmasters to once and for all end my fear of public speaking! Anyone that knows me personally knows that I have zero problems with approaching anyone and sparking conversation about anything. Anyone that knows me on an even more personal level knows that I'm not that great of a "public speaker." Fear takes over me like nothing else in life when it's "my turn" to present or speak, no matter where I am. My heart races, I feel dizzy, palms sweat, the whole nine-yards. The ironic part of this fear that I have is that I've put on events in the past where I was the guest speaker and I've been part of several speaking panels! Go figure.

I went into today's meeting with a jump right in attitude and volunteered to do a table topic. My topic was handed to me by a woman I've watched at WM over the years give great presentations and lead great group discussions, Stacey Rivers. I braced myself for the random topic and she said, "Lauri, your topic is, you just released a best-selling book, talk about why you wrote it and what do you hope to accomplish by it" (maybe not in those EXACT words but very similar). I immediately thought to myself, I got this! After all, I am an author, not of a best selling book, but of a published book, close right? You got this Lauri!!!! Well, I flopped! With only 6 pairs of eyes looking back at me through the computer screen and me sitting comfortably in my She-Room, in my comfortable She-Chair, I flopped! Ugh!

I know what you're thinking, I didn't flop because I tried. And while I do believe that as well, I was upset for a minute, ok, maybe two minutes. In that very moment I made it my mission to once and for all get over this fear of speaking! Today's grammarian (who also is my Toastmaster Sponsor, a WarnerMedia colleague/mentor/friend for the past 17+ years), Leslie Tookes, handed down my grammarian faux pas...8 "umms" and 2 "ands". I wasn't surprised. Umm is my most overused word. I was expecting more corrective feedback from her and the others on the team but instead I received 100% encouragement and positive words from everyone, so guess what? I'm going back! (Insert a big laugh here).

I'm on a mission now, and that's to be the Beyonce of Speakers before it's all said and done! Unlike Bey, I can't afford a Public Speaking Coach so my new team members will continue to hold me accountable for speaking in a way that will allow others to fully hear and understand the words that are coming out of my mouth, as Chris Tucker so eloquently asked Jackie Chan in Rush Hour.

What about you, what's your most overused word? Also, could you benefit from joining Toastmasters as well? If so, here's a link to their site https://www.toastmasters.org/ and don't forget WarnerMedia offers it as well.