How I got over my fear of public speaking
Alright girls! First of all, I am glad you are here! I designed Recruitment Ready (back in 2019) with the desire and hope that it would help girls navigate the high-school and college years! We specialize in happy bid days, but it’s a happy bid day + SO MUCH MORE here at RR!
I hope you read this blog post and realize that you are capable of amazing things. I also hope you realize that to accomplish amazing things, you have to win the small things first.
I love Luke 6:10 because it reminds me how I must do my best with the small things first! “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…”
I find this verse so encouraging as it reminds me to do my vert best no matter the audience!! I have taken this mindset and applied it to my public speaking ventures…it really helps combat the nerves!
If you have been following along with Recruitment Ready on Instagram for a while, you know I travel the country for public speaking! I have recently been to Palm Beach, Savannah, San Antonio, Nashville, Knoxville + Winston-Salem to talk to girls and moms (just like you)!
Nashville, Tennessee | Speaking at our collaborative event with Dillard’s
While I no longer get nervous speaking in front of crowds…that was not always the case! Here are a few tips you can copy from my experience in getting over my nerves!
1.) Make a PowerPoint for the topic you are speaking on! Even if the assignment does not requite a full on presentation, it helps putting your words into a project so that you can start to get familiar with the material.
2.) Practice the presentation a minimum of 35 times. YES THIRTY-FIVE!!! I practice my presentations so many times leading up to the event that I could tell you what was on slide 21 without looking at it. In my experience, the more I study the material the more confident I feel relaying the information.
3.) START EACH PRESENTATION WITH A QUESTION. As soon as you possibly can, address the audience with a fun question so that it lightens the mood and makes the experience more interactive.
4.) No matter what happens, keep going! Let’s say you mess up a word or phrase…KEEP GOING. Let’s say the AV goes out…KEEP GOING. Let’s say you start sweating through your dress…KEEP GOING. No matter how you feel up there, keep moving forward with the material. You might “mess up” and the audience may never know if you just KEEP GOING.
5.) Wear an outfit you feel super confident in. I always wear blue or white and I always take 10 extra minutes for my hair and make-up. I know I am going to feel more confident when I am wearing an outfit I love. You don’t have to spend $5,000 dollars on a total new fit, but do take time to curate an outfit you are truly excited to wear. Outfit inspo linked here!
6) Practice with a purpose! Segment the material you are sharing into three sections! Be very purposeful with the time you spend practicing each section and allow yourself breaks in-between. I always feel more confident when I have three smaller tasks to tackle rather than one huge overwhelming task at hand.
7.) Remember your “why” !! Adjust your mindset heading into an upcoming engagement. Remember that you have bigger goals than just this speaking event. You might not love the idea of speaking for a school assignment, but you might LOVE the idea of getting the grade you need to then graduate from high-school, go to your dream college and then get into a sorority and land your dream job one day! Focus on a positive mindset which will help you all the more!
Here is what I wore to speak to 300 people in Texas recently!
