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Hey Subscriber First Name, I sat there … on the toilet … frozen. Sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, nervous twitch, and a feeling in my stomach that was riddling me with fear. I was on a lunch break at University, and in my next lesson I was due to present a summary of my project to a class of 25 students, all of which I knew. On the toilet, in the student union, I had a decision to make. So, what did I do? … The only thing I felt I could do in that moment … I left … and headed back to my halls of residence. I opened the door to my room, threw my bag to the floor, fell onto my bed, and cried. I was embarrassed, and felt that I had let myself down. I had allowed the fear of public speaking strike me to a point where I couldn’t even contemplate doing it, all I contemplated was to do everything I could to avoid it. Later that day, my good friend swung by on his way back from class to check in on me. He asked what had happened, and why I didn’t show up. When I explained, what came next changed me, and has positively impacted my life so far. He asked me who was the best public speaker I had ever seen, someone who I could take inspiration from and use this to find courage within myself. The answer came to me without any hesitation ….. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson As an 18 year old in the late 90’s I LOVED watching WWF, and it was here where I was amazed as to how this wrestling character “The Rock” would hold a microphone in front of 20,000 people and just engage them. It was his energy, his storytelling, his body language, his humour, his use of pauses … all of it just worked. My good friend looked at me, smiled, and said, “Well Jamie, you just need to find your inner rock”. And sure enough … I did. From that point on, every time I speak publicly I always tap into my “inner rock”. I did it in class the next day and presented my project, and I did it last week when I presented to over 300 people. My inner rock, along with a few other techniques, has turned what was my greatest fear, into now, my greatest enjoyment. The fear of public speakingWhen I say the words “public speaking", what comes to your mind? For many it is those moments where you are in front of people and you have to speak. It’s daunting … all eyes on you, listening to what you say. Fear can creep in, and that is natural. In my experience, and having coached and trained many people on this exact topic, anxiety is fuelled here by thoughts of: What if they don’t agree with me? What if they ask lots of questions? What if I lose my voice? What if I am just too overwhelmed with nerves and I panic? What if I get it all wrong? However, it doesn’t have to be like this, as speaking and sharing your voice presents such a wonderful opportunity to positively impact other people. The 5 Rocks to conquering public speakingPublic speaking is speaking in public, and that can be to one person in the canteen, to 500 people on a stage, or everything else in between. Here are the 5 rocks to to help you conquer your fears of public speaking: Reframe your fear Your body cannot differentiate between standing on the edge of a cliff or standing on the edge of a stage. The physical reactions you have are from adrenaline. In the moment, try to rationalise that and reframe the fear. The feelings are typically because you care … so use that energy! Find your “inner rock” We are surrounded by inspirations around us, that help us to see new perspective, learn and grow. It’s the same with public speaking. As I did with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, find your public speaking inspiration, and use them to help you. Prepare The bigger the audience, the bigger the preparation. If it’s a planned presentation, pitch, keynote, even an update, make sure you prepare. Give it some thought, think about the environment you are in, when it will be, ask others for advice and feedback, these small things all add up to making feel more prepared. Use Storytelling I talk about the 6 major storytelling principles (The Sprout Model) in my book 28 Bags of Sprouts. These are perfect for public speaking moments. It is about having a structure, knowing your audience, using emotion, applying context, being concise, being authentic. All of these and more will enrich how you deliver, and in turn, the impact that you will make. Momentum The worst thing I feel people can do, is to muster the courage to do it, be relieved, and then not do it again for a long time. Much like with other fears, the more you face them, the easier they get. So once you’ve got one the first out of the way, keep going. Put yourself out there to publicly speak more, and you never know, you might come to love it!
“ Your greatest fear, carries your greatest growth.” … Unknown
I love public speaking, and if I could wave a magic wand and make everyone else feel the same, I would! … But why? Because it presents the most wonderful opportunity to share your voice, your ideas, your perspective … all of which are such important aspects of a healthy culture in both the workplace and at home. From sitting on a toilet riddled with fear, to presenting to over 1,000 people on stage and very recently, being awarded Speaker of the Year 2026, my journey hasn’t been about becoming fearless, but more about managing and controlling that fear. Remember … Your voice is more powerful than your fear. Next Month in The Allotment…In a world of prompts and productivity, we’ll explore how storytelling becomes the anchor, helping us use AI without losing ourselves.
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