The self-doubt I experienced when preparing to speak about self-doubt.

There’s a reason many people rate public speaking as one of their biggest fears. It’s an intensely vulnerable position to put yourself in - all eyes on you, nowhere to hide. But most of us need to speak and present ourselves in some format - whether it’s speaking to an audience or pitching to potential investors.?

So, I loved sharing advice with Smart Company readers today on How to present with confidence (even if you feel like an imposter).?

But the truth is, even as an experienced professional speaker, I still experience self-doubt. Ironically, a few weeks ago my voice of self-doubt was speaking loudly as I prepared to present on the topic of imposter syndrome and self-doubt.?

It started with the client’s request to present the content in a ‘conversational style’ to make the presentation more engaging. It wasn’t a fireside chat or panel discussion, it required preparation, content and stories, but not in a typical keynote format. A ‘conversational keynote’ is the best way to describe it.?

Add to this unexpected technical and logistical hiccups along the way, and the pressure of presenting to a large international audience, and I was feeling unsettled in the lead-up to the event.

On the drive there I was still wondering if I could pull it off.?

I arrived at the venue early, and did a final run through with the moderator who would be asking me the questions for the conversational keynote. We finished setting up the tech side of things with the AV team in the US, and as people started filing into the room, something clicked.?

Having an audience in front of me, ready to hear me speak, made my self-doubt melt away. My focus shifted from me, to them.?

The rapport between myself and the moderator was warm, and the audience was engaged and interested. Afterwards, ?people came up to me to share their own experiences and challenges. Learning about the way my words have impacted people in the audience is always my favourite part of speaking.?

All this to say, it’s incredibly normal to experience self-doubt when we step into new arenas and put ourselves out of our comfort zone. It’s uncharted territory, but in doing so we’re building skills and collecting evidence of what we’re capable of.

By focusing on what’s important - the people hearing your message - you can clear away the self-doubt chatter, tune into your gut, and allow your brilliance to surface.?

Thanks for reading,

Warmly,

Danielle

While you’re here, you might also like to check out:

• Women’s Health Week is 2 - 6 September this year, and I still have limited availability if you’re looking for a speaker to present to your people.
• Have you had a look at my Lunch & Learn menu yet? It’s a series of bite-sized presentations on seriously juicy topics, designed to inspire change and upskill people at any level.
• This article about loneliness and gender is very enlightening. More evidence that gender stereotypes hold us ALL back and are detrimental to mental health.

I’d love to hear from you: get in touch