Public speaking goes well with a blog or YouTube channel

“One time I presented to a room of around 100 senior leaders, and my mouth was so dry that I felt like I had a speech impediment. I am not sure how noticeable it was, but it worried me. Even speaking up at a meeting could be enough to bring on that wave of panic. Sometimes I was okay. But it was unpredictable. I felt like I could not trust myself. [...] I had not had time to prepare, and I remember blurting something out. I start sweating, and I turned bright red. Then the opposite happened. All the blood drained from my face, I felt cold and clammy and fixed to the spot. I remember looking at the door and thinking that if I could move, I would run out!”

“As I stood backstage, my heart was pounding in my chest. Today was a significant day — my first public speaking engagement. I had been invited to speak at a prominent industry conference about a topic I was deeply passionate about: “The pivotal role of data in propelling digital evolution within the banking sector.” Despite my extensive experience and numerous accomplishments, the thought of addressing a live audience for the first time filled me with a mix of excitement and trepidation. [...] As my name was announced, I took a deep breath and walked onto the stage. The bright lights obscured the audience momentarily, but I could sense the hundreds of eyes fixed on me. I opened with a smile, introducing myself and outlining the significance of the topic at hand. My voice wavered slightly at first, but as I began to dive into the content, I felt a gradual shift in my confidence.”

“But now, 24 years after I started writing, I finally achieved what I consider to be my capstone accomplishment as a writer: I gave a keynote speech about writing to 150 bloggers. It wasn’t the books I’ve written that I consider my crowning achievement. It wasn’t the newspaper columns, plays, speeches, or even the blog posts I’ve written. It was the speech itself. Because even after 24 years of being a writer, there was still a small part of me that questioned whether I was really a writer. [...] I had never felt more like a writer than I did when I was finished.”