How did I become a public speaker?

Many people have asked me this question over the years, and my "stock" answer is - “I was lucky! - I had an inspiring English teacher at school who encouraged me to join an after-school club called the "Lit" - short for the Literary and Debating Society. The first time I stood up in front of a sea of unfamiliar faces, I was petrified. My mouth dried up, and my mind went blank. But. with the encouragement of my teacher, I persevered, and it got easier, and eventually even enjoyable, and now I am an accomplished speaker.”

BUT...

That brief explanation, though factually correct, is not the whole story. It answers the "how" at least partially, but not the "why." So, what drove me to overcome my natural shyness and learn to speak out?

Looking back, it’s clear to me now that several things in my childhood conspired to create a burning desire to be heard that later turned into a passion for public speaking.

I was left to my own devices a lot as a child. Not because my parents deliberately neglected me, but because,

a) I was an only child.

b) My parents ran a pub, in Scotland, in the 1960s, and we lived above it. Inevitably, the day to day challenges of building a successful business consumed much of their time and energy, and I learned to be independent at an early age.

c) I lost my mum to lung cancer when I was just twelve, leaving my Dad to look after me on his own whilst still running the pub.

As a result, I spent much of my childhood on my own. I learned to enjoy my own company and turned to books for stimulation, entertainment, and, I suppose, escape.

Much to my good fortune, the local public library was just a short walk away, and I made the most of its proximity by voraciously devouring books at a rate of knots.  

In so doing, I learned to love language and quickly developed a prodigious vocabulary way beyond my years and a vivid imagination.

All this new information led, in turn, to a need to discuss it with others. So, when I joined the "Lit,” I found the perfect place to share my thoughts.

As school gave way to university, a corporate career and then self-employment, I explored many different and distinct ways to indulge my passion for presenting. Over 40 years, I have listened to and studied some outstanding communicators and influencers (and way too many mediocre ones!) Always seeking to discover “the difference that makes the difference.” I also embraced as many opportunities as I could to test out my observations. I have been a debater, a salesman, a manager, a leader, a trainer. I’ve spoken to groups varying in size from two to over two thousand. Of course, I made countless mistakes, but thankfully I was able to learn from them.

As a result, people see me today as a confident, outgoing, extroverted speaker, but inside I still see the small, sometimes lonely boy who just wanted to be heard.

I suppose that's why I get so much fulfilment from helping others transform their fears around public speaking into a passion for better communication.