Were You the Shy Kid?
Was there any sign as a child that you were going to be a speaker?
For me, it looked like I might not speak at all. At 3 years old, I was only speaking a handful of words, and I was sent to speech therapy. Turned out I was just a late developer. Funny how you can’t shut me up now!
Just as I was discovering my voice, my parents got divorced when I was 4. This event really shook me and I withdrew into my shell. I didn’t speak up for myself when other kids bullied me and I often played by myself. Maybe there was an event in your life that also shut down your voice?
The funny thing is, my school reports always said the same thing:
“David is an intelligent, hard working young man. He is generally well-behaved, however, he sometimes talks too much and too loudly when he should be working or listening”
Clearly there was a speaker inside of me desperate to get out. Are you the same?
Who Are You Speaking For?
Are you making the most of your opportunities?
When I think of opportunity, I think of my dad. Dad served in the British Army in Singapore and West Germany, becoming the youngest Warrant Officer in the history of the British Army at the time. When he left the forces, he became the top-selling insurance salesman in his company. In later life, he became a hypnotherapist, helping people overcome their fears and phobias. He was an avid reader and writer on subjects ranging from Physics to Psychology to Philosophy.
But Dad was born in the wrong era. There was no Amazon KDP to publish his essays. There was no YouTube for him to teach his hypnotherapy techniques. There was no Apple Podcasts for him to regal with his travel stories. He didn’t have the abundance of technology that we have now to share a message.
When Dad was given a terminal cancer diagnosis in December 2014, he hadn’t had the opportunity to leave his mark on the world. As I sat with Dad during the last 60 minutes of his life, I realised I didn’t want the same thing to happen to me. I didn’t want to feel there was something I could’ve shared with the world, but didn’t. And, although I didn’t realise it at the time, I didn’t want anyone else to leave their words unshared.
Don’t Feel Confident? Good.
After Dad’s death. I threw myself into learning how to share a message.
I’m sure that’s something you’re doing now. And it feels awkward as hell, right?
I sat in the bedroom of my student apartment, turned on the webcam, and just started speaking into it. Are you trying to get comfortable on camera?
I joined Toastmasters and realised most people there were twice my age and twice as good as me. Perhaps you’ve felt out of place in your industry?
I begged and negotiated for any free or cheap venue space I could get to hold my own workshops and events. The noisy basement of a bar, a side room in a coffee shop, or a draughty community centre. Are you trying to learn how to put together your own events?
It wasn’t glamourous, but it got me in the game. And I also got the bug for speaking. You’ve got to get in the game.
What Will Make the Difference For You?
Do you wish you’d learned how to speak on camera before March 2020?
When COVID-19 hit, I sure was glad that I’d spent five years practicing speaking on camera. When the big shift to virtual happened, I was ready for it. If you feel you missed the boat on this, then the second best time to start is RIGHT NOW.
In Toastmasters, I discovered competitive speaking. In my third-ever meeting in 2016, I entered the Table Topics (Improv Speaking) contest. I finished third out of five competitors in my club. By 2019, I won my first national title in the Speech Evaluation Contest. I’ve now won a further six national titles. If you are in Toastmasters but haven’t entered the contests seriously, I implore you to. It’s one of the most important things I’ve done for my speaking development.
After years of running events in both glamourous and not-so-glamorous locations, I was confident that I could start running events for a larger audience. The best room I’ve ever spoken in is the Zoom room, as it’s allowed me to reach thousands of people in dozens of countries on every inhabited continent in the world (I’m still working on reaching the penguins in Antarctica!). There are people across the world who need to hear your message too.
Where Will Your Speaking Take You?
What’s Your Important Message? And I mean really important?
I’ve helped clients develop and deliver speeches on anti-racism after the murder of George Floyd; suicide during Suicide Prevention Month; reproductive rights after Roe vs Wade was overturned; Trans Rights during Pride Month.
These are the big issues that need to be talked about. Because if we don’t talk about them, they don’t change.
I’m a TEDx coach for two events, and that red circle is one of the most powerful opportunities you have to share a message. If you want to make the most of that opportunity, let’s prepare you for it.
My clients have spoken for a variety of companies and organisations including the NHS, HMRC, HM Prison Services, and Russell Group Universities. Sometimes these large organisations can be slow to move. If you want your words to be a catalyst for change, let’s light the fire within you.
Are you ready to start your speaking adventure?
