Latest news with #publicspeaking
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
How to Conquer Your Public Speaking Fears
Public speaking — and I'm going to say something radical here — is just talking. It's something everyone is doing all the time, they just worry about it when they're put in front of an audience. Whenever there's a survey done about phobias, public speaking is often listed higher than death. What we actually fear is exposure. We view public speaking, particularly in a professional sense, as a testament to our ability and we have very binary mindsets about it. Either we do this business update brilliantly and it goes down the same way a TED Talk would, or it's a complete disaster.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
With Paid Speakers In Demand, A Theater Pro Builds A Fast-Growing Business Coaching Them
When a cancer surgeon asked public speaking coach Tricia Brouk to help him develop a signature talk, his work in robotics seemed like an obvious topic. But when Brouk inquired about what he cared about most, it was keeping patients from needing surgery in the first place. 'He has women coming into his office who have not taken care of themselves, and now they have a diagnosis—sometimes a life sentence,' she says. He wanted to talk about prioritizing their own wellness. 'They come to me when it's mostly too late,' he told her. 'And if I can prevent them from coming into my office, that's what I would love to do.' He's now speaking about self-care and meditation. Brouk, based in New York City, is the executive producer of TEDxLincolnSquare and the founder of the Big Talk MasterClass and The Big Talk Academy, a 12-week, by-application-only program. She trains CEOs, business owners, professionals and other leaders who want to position themselves to speak on big stages, whether via TED Talks, paid corporate speaking gigs, or other professional events. Big Talk Academy culminates in graduates delivering their speeches live on stage in New York City. Many students come to Brouk terrified of public speaking, but end up being paid to get on stage. 'Massively successful people still have a fear around how to use their voice for impact,' she says. 'I teach our speakers to honor the stage with the great responsibility that comes with it. We can use our voice for good, for evil, for love, or hate—and I teach our speakers how to use their voices for good and for love.' Demand for professional speakers has been growing around the world, with the market expected to grow from $2.1 billion to $4.5 billion by 2025, according to Market Research Future, a market research firm that is predicting compound annual growth of 7.1% To guide students hoping to make the most of the trend, Brouk has built her offerings around the Art of the Big Talk process. In this copyrighted platform, she teaches speakers how to find a topic they truly care about, master the art of speaking, and incorporate music, sound effects, video and other theatrical elements. The Big Talk Academy has recently introduced a year-round online option, allowing more students to participate. As more companies seek speakers to bring energy to their meetings, Brouk has grown her team to 15 people. 'If you want to speak on the biggest stages (and make great money doing it), you need to work with Tricia Brouk,' 'So Money' podcast host Farnoosh Toorabi said in a published testimonial. An unexpected coaching practice Brouk never expected to build a business around coaching speakers when a friend asked her to direct a TED Talk seven years ago. Raised in Missouri, Brouk moved to New York City in 1991 to pursue a career as a professional dancer. She performed around the world with post-modern dancer Lucinda Childs and ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov and appeared at venues such as Lincoln Center and the Paris Opera. Eventually, Brouk became a choreographer. The first film she choreographed was John Turturro's 'Romance & Cigarettes,' which included actors James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, and Bobby Cannavale. 'It was the most incredible first movie anybody could ever have,' she says. 'Working with John Turturro, who is an incredible director, was like being in a master's program for directing.' This experience led to more work in film, television and theater as a choreographer, as well as directing Broadway musicals, writing her own shows, and producing her own work. Brouk recently wrote a new play called 'Mothers and Daughters' and continues to make documentary films. 'I'm very much in both worlds,' she says. Drawing on her background in the creative arts, Brouk trains speakers as if they are professional actors. 'I still apply the exact same principles and art form to the speakers and to their process that I do with my actors and all of my theatrical presentations,' she says. 'A good director will create a safe space for an actor to explore, to find out who they are, and how they can contribute to a character and a role, and how to expand on that and to be creative inside of that.' To spread her ideas further, Brouk is preparing to release her third book, 'Being Smart Is Stupid: Why Embracing the Wisdom of Your Buddha Nature Is The Secret To Great Leadership, in October. She is also the author of 'Saying What You Mean for Lasting Impact.' Uncovering what speakers have left unspoken Brouk began expanding her visibility as a speaker by founding 'The Big Talk' podcast, on the suggestion of her friend John Lee Dumas, a well-known podcaster. Since its launch in 2016, she's recorded more than 500 episodes. Many of the speakers who learn about her through the podcast or referrals show up with plans to speak about a particular topic, but end up delivering a talk they never intended to give. 'When I start to ask them questions, and we uncover what it is they really want to talk about or what's really in their hearts, then they say, 'Well, nobody wants to hear about that,' says Brouk. 'And I say, 'They do want to hear about that.'' One recent client was a neuroscientist who could have easily discussed the brain and what can go wrong with its wiring. 'What she really wanted to talk about was human trafficking—because she was human sex trafficked by her parents,' says Brouk. 'That is not easy to talk about. But she knows that if she does talk about it, she can change lives, save lives, change policy. She can potentially uncover the systemic issue of human trafficking in this country, which is real.' Although Brouk encourages speakers to go deep and be vulnerable, she isn't a fan of gratuitous emotion. She advises strongly against discussing unhealed trauma. 'Share from the scar, not the wound, so when you're sharing vulnerably, it's in service of the audience, not because you are trying to work out your healing process in real-time like you're in therapy,' she says. Going behind the curtain Building a speaking business is not an easy task. 'You cannot just say you're a speaker and tomorrow get paid $30,000 for a keynote,' says Brouk. 'You have to do the work. You have to make personal connections. You have to build relationships. You have to go on podcasts. You need to be featured in the media—talking about what you do and saying you're a speaker.' To help clients win business, she assists them in creating a comprehensive platform that includes a website and social media posts, such as Instagram Reels. 'I teach them how to show up online, how to make sure their website is in order, how to lead with 'speaker,'' she says. However, a new speaker's website or social media page may not be readily visible to meeting professionals who book keynotes. So, another key area of the training is outreach. Brouk sometimes refers speakers to conferences that seek speakers and encourages them to conduct further research on their own. 'You have to email conferences,' says Brouk. 'You have to be constantly doing outreach and offering your services in service of their audience. And when you do it methodically, and you do it consistently, and you do it right, there is a payoff. There is an ROI.' Once speakers gain experience through their first gigs, they have opportunities to win more business by not only performing well on stage but also behaving professionally, according to Brouk. 'They know how to show up early,' she says. 'They know how to end their talk on time.' Looking to get into paid speaking, but wonder if you have what it takes? Brouk's advice to any speaker with stage fright is to focus on service to the audience. 'Then your fear goes away,' she says. 'It eliminates your self-consciousness.' Ultimately, what's important to keep in mind is delivering an authentic message in your unique voice, according to Brouk. 'You can start to identify what is important to you if you simply ask yourself, 'What am I good at?' 'What am I terrible at?' and 'What do I care about?' ' she says. Once you choose a topic that truly matters to you, you'll draw confidence from tapping into that purpose, she says. 'When you are clear on that, you truly know your voice matters,' Brouk says.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Feeling stuck in life? A simple guide to getting back on track
We can all be overly critical of ourselves, telling ourselves we aren't good enough, that we are rubbish or we are going to make a fool of ourselves if we do something new. It's part of being human. But when we let that critical voice take over it means our lives can be less fulfilled. We stop ourselves from taking risks and can miss out on exciting opportunities, leaving us feeling stuck and unhappy in it doesn't have to be like that. I'm going to share one of my favourite psychology lessons, which I have used to help hundreds of clients in the nine years I've worked in clinical psychology. It's a simple metaphor which worked for me too. Let me explain. 'Think of yourself as a bus' Firstly, think of yourself as a bus - both the vehicle and its passengers. The bus represents our physical body and mind. The passengers represent our thoughts, emotions, sensations and of our passengers are kind and helpful, encouraging us to try new things or improve our lives. However, others can be overly harsh and harmful. For example, for many of my clients, public speaking can trigger thoughts like: "I'll sound stupid and therefore be humiliated and rejected", causing them to feel anxious and scared, and say no to opportunities. For me, such thoughts and feelings come up more often in my romantic cope, we might try to push negative passengers off our bus (e.g., "I shouldn't feel scared, it makes me weak"). We might also distract ourselves with work, drugs or alcohol, or just scrolling endlessly on our phones. Sometimes we bargain ourselves out of the things that we want ("I'll go to the party or meeting, but won't speak to anyone", "I'll apply for the job, but not the one I really want"), causing us to stay on a comfortable and familiar road, even if it feels other words, we avoid by trying to ignore or remove parts of ourselves that we feel are unacceptable. Getting into the driver's seat The problem is that we take ourselves everywhere we go. Which is why most of my clients are exhausted by the time they come to me, often feeling depressed and anxious. They've been pushing hard, but are pushing against works much better is realising that rather than spend our limited energy trying to avoid parts of who we are, we are better off learning to accept and help ourselves with compassion. We're human and our passengers – the positive and the negative ones - are here to good news is that we can learn to drive our bus where we want it to go. For a better life, you have to get into the driver's seat of your own bus. Lead the way, and your passengers have no choice but to follow how do you do that? Here's a step-by-step guide: 1) Accept your passengers Even though emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming, they last minutes at a time, peaking and then reducing to a baseline. If your emotion is triggered by an activity - such as speaking in public or going on a first date - the next time you do the same thing, the peak will be that little bit lower, until eventually you get a flat line and no longer feel anxious. For me personally, setting boundaries - communicating my needs in order to protect my well-being - used to feel scary - "what if I'm too much for others?" Such thoughts still worry me, depending on the situation, but it's become easier with practice. 2) We only get one life Work out what your values are and what you'd like out of your life. Use the following questions to help you decide where to take your bus and how you want to get there. What matters to you? What do you want, and what do you need? What are you committed to, even if it might not feel easy or pleasant? Personally, I'm committed to personal growth. I want to continuously develop self-awareness and learn new skills, whether at work or through my hobbies. I accept that learning and growing can take effort and sacrifice and I remind myself regularly that what's important is that I tried, even if I haven't always got what I wanted. 3) Accept what you can and can't have I still don't have the family I dreamt of as a child. I was separated for many years from both my parents at different points in my childhood, and I promised myself that I'd have my own family one day, one that couldn't leave me. But in this unpredictable world, of course people can leave, voluntarily or otherwise. The pain of losing my parents (plus a bunch of other things) made it hard for me to tolerate uncertainty in my romantic relationships. I'd hold on too tightly and then push people away. But I believe in change and I continue to grow. Ultimately, I won't give up on my dreams and neither should you. 4) Mistakes are part of the deal If you're not making mistakes, it's probably because you're playing it too safe, and you'll know it, even if others don't. 5) Value the journey as much as the destination You can either be on your bus counting the seconds until you get there, or you can try to make the most of the journey too. Look out the window - ask for directions if you need to. If we appreciate the journey itself, life will be smoother and more this journey called life, consider others, seek support and guidance, but remember that ultimately it's your life and you get to be in the driving more stories and tips on how to support your mental health and wellbeing, visit
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suffolk businesswoman shortlisted for award
A Suffolk businesswoman has been shortlisted for an award. Erika Clegg has been recognised in the Storyteller category at The Speaker Awards 2025. The awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate the talents of speakers who engage and inspire audiences. This year saw the highest number of entries on record from more than 20 countries. The shortlist was unveiled on May 9, with entries evaluated by a panel of judges, including professional speakers, speaker bookers, trainers and media personalities. Judges assessed a range of elements, including content, delivery and bookability. A first-time and last-minute entrant to the award scheme, Ms Clegg submitted a sample of her keynote, A Very Human Leader. She has spoken at conferences, leadership groups and training courses on subjects including principled leadership, the importance of personal values and developing trust. Ms Clegg said: "Hearing that I had been shortlisted for Storytelling was a delightful surprise. "It's fair to say that everyone else in this category is exceptional, and I am honoured that the panel judged that I merit a place amongst them." Elliot Kay, one of the co-founders of The Speaker Awards and The Speaker Summit, said: "We were blown away with the quality of applications this year, from some incredibly inspiring speakers. "The judging process was tough, so we'd like to congratulate Erika for achieving this remarkable milestone. "Everyone who entered should be extremely proud of the mark they are making on the world and we invite them all to join us in London at The Speaker Awards Ceremony on Friday, July 11." To find out more about Ms Clegg, visit and for more information about the awards, visit
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Grade 9 student from southern Alberta competes in world debating and public speaking championship
Grade 9 Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School student Thiren Sockanathan talks to speech coach Jill Anderson about his time at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship.
