That one time I got up in front of 1000 strangers...

I recently asked for public speaking tips in this LinkedIn post as I was preparing for a big community speech. I got so much great advice there and otherwise, and I'm happy to say it went extremely well!

With all the great advice I received, I thought I'd share how I prepared, what tips I used and what I learned from the experience in case any aspiring speakers might find it helpful in their own preparations.

Let me first say that while I've been told I have a gift for words and sharing my perspectives and stories, I am not a trained speaker and this was a unique speaking engagement. My speech was sharing some of the harder parts of my human experience for a nonprofit I've worked with for several years. While I've had plenty of times of speaking in front of employees as a People and Culture leader, the only other time I've spoke formally in front of a large crowd independently was for the same nonprofit in 2019 for about 400 people. This crowd was much larger.

Still, the advice I gathered would be helpful for anyone wanting to be in a public speaking forum and even better if it's not as vulnerable as the skill practice I was doing this time around!

My favorite advice:

• Expect nervousness. Turns out, public speaking fears are in our survival based DNA from prehistoric times. That's tough to overcome without preparation, practice, and the experience of being safe once you've found your stride - that might be on stage, or not until you're off the stage. Regardless, nerves are normal and accepting that helped me to realize if I didn't feel some level of flutters, I wouldn't be human and alive! I love the feeling of being alive, which means loving the nerves, too.
• Prepare, prepare, prepare. Preparation is an act of intelligence and respect to me. Given the task I had to accomplish for this engagement, that looked like writing my speech a few weeks before, fine tuning it a few times after sharing it with the team I was working with, and then practicing it aloud by myself and in front of others the week of the event. When I practiced it out loud, I was able to hear how my natural speech was different (read: more succinct) than my written word, which helped me to fine tune my stories further, and be more in my flow. And while I always see myself having some level of preparation because that makes me feel safest, I also know that my own preparation desires can easily push me into perfectionism. If this were a professional topic, my preparation would likely have looked like mastering an opening, having the 1-2 stories I really wanted to share, executing an amazing slide deck/visuals, and knowing my closure and offering to the crowd before sending them off on a high note.
• Remember that people are rooting for you. This advice helped me to ground myself in again knowing that people are good and everyone in that room wanted me to shine. If you're speaking, they want the same for you! They want to shine alongside you. While the vulnerability of any public speaking could put you on the defensive in self-protection, this is a share and partnership. Use it for connection and celebration.
• Breathe. Feel. Repeat. Once you've put in the work of preparing, so many tip-givers told me all you can do is show up and be along for the ride. And they were right! That morning, I walked the stage before everyone arrived. I practiced with the mic so it wouldn't jar me to hear my voice for the first time on stage in front of nearly 1000 people. While everyone else was eating lunch, I walked to move my energy and keep my nervous system regulated. And when it was my time to go on stage, I reminded myself that all I could do was my best.
• Shine bright. Having done the preparation and putting myself in the scenario before the crowd arrived made me feel confident when I took the stage - once I was in front of everyone, I breathed, smiled, felt the emotional impact of my own shares through active presence, and repeated that intentionally for my 10 minute speech.

A few other quick tips that helped me to feel my best that day were:

1. Wearing something I felt my best in and that showcased my personality. For me, that included a fantastic pair of showstopping shoes.
2. Having some important members of my tribe there. Being surrounded by people who love me helped to know I was safe no matter what happened.
3. One of my tribe members reminded me that even if it went terribly wrong, the worst experiences often make for the best stories. That gave me a big, relaxing "ah!" that this experience was just as much about learning and practicing being out of my comfort zone as the rest of life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
4. Asking people and my inner child for what I needed after the event. My best friend packed me lunch because I don't like to eat when I have high adrenaline, and I planned a remaining day at home doing fun things that make me happy for supporting any vulnerability hangover the came up.

Using these tips and being in the moment allowed me to feel confident as I came off the stage that day, leading to a standing ovation and several people complimenting my speaking skills. Many people mentioned that they thought I was trained and that I could've been the keynote. I felt really grateful and humbled by their perspectives and feedback.

In the end, I actually found myself enjoying the experience more than I expected and hope to keep speaking from here. I'd like to continue growing my skills and mastering the craft, which will take some time, but this experience was paramount to realizing the unrealized potential that lives in healthy discomfort. Whether it's speaking or another skill or goal you have, I hope you found your unrealized potential in whatever your heart desires, too.