The Presentation That Changed Her Confidence

Public speaking is daunting for many. However, over the years I have found being very prepared with what you want to say is vital. Equally important is focusing on what you need to communicate and to whom. The more you do these two things, the less you are thinking about yourself and giving in to your nervous self-consciousness.

One of the biggest shifts for me was realizing that public speaking isn't about having all the answers or being the most polished person in the room, it's about having something meaningful to give while being my genuine self. Whether I'm speaking to a team, mentoring a leader, or sharing stories of growth, I've learned to focus less on myself and more on how I can serve the people in front of me.

Speaking about Darfur to thousands in 2004 reshaped my relationship with public speaking; watching an entire stadium shift from unaware to activated showed me that courage behind a microphone isn't about being seen, but about helping people see what's at stake and what they can do next.

I walked into an interview prepared to present my vision for a new employee wellness counseling program. I had done the work, prepared extensively, and believed the opportunity aligned with the direction my career was taking. During that presentation, something shifted. I stopped worrying about whether I was saying everything perfectly and began trusting my experience, my preparation, and my voice. I left that room feeling confident that I had shown up as my authentic self. I wasn't selected for the position, but surprisingly, that became an even greater turning point. Instead of allowing the "no" to make me question my value, it gave me clarity. I realized I had been so focused on what I thought the next opportunity should look like that I could have missed the path God had already been preparing for me. What initially looked like a disappointment began to feel more like a redirection. That experience reminded me that every opportunity isn't necessarily our opportunity. Sometimes what feels like a closed door is simply removing a distraction so we can give our full attention to what we're actually being called to build. I left that experience with more than confidence. I left with the freedom to stop chasing what wasn't mine and focus on the purpose that was already unfolding in front of me. Sometimes the "no" isn't rejection. It's the clarity you need to recognize the path God has already prepared for you.

One experience that really changed my relationship with public speaking happened in Washington, D.C., when I attended the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses conference with about 2,500 other small business owners. I was asked to arrive early and speak to the 100 participants who had been selected to help lead the group. Standing in that room, surrounded by people from across the country who were building and growing their own businesses, was both intimidating and incredibly exciting. Being trusted to speak to that group gave me a new confidence in my own voice. I realized that I didn't have to be the most polished person in the room I simply needed to share what I knew, tell my story, and be authentic. After that experience, I stopped seeing public speaking as something to be nervous about and started seeing it as an opportunity to connect, encourage, and make a difference.