At the end of last year Brand Strategist, Podcast Host, and Founder of Brand Compass, Shelley Röstlund asked me to help her prepare for a talk she’d been asked to give on stage to an audience of 200 peers for You Are the Media Creator Day in Poole, Dorset in April. She’d been on stage before but found it uncomfortable, so much so she couldn’t even remember the experience. She explained during a conversation we had for this podcast in February how she was terrified of the ‘bobbing’ heads beyond the lights! Well, she did it! I was there and can report, that in fact - she smashed it! Even better than that, she remembers the whole experience and she had some amazing feedback (she got mobbed in the ladies after!) This conversation was our first chance to have a full debrief about the day, the talk and the aftermath. We discuss the process I took her through. From ‘pulling out’ the stories that were relevant and would resonate with the audience to getting her past ‘uncanny valley’. Shelley underlines the importance of storytelling for your personal brand. It was also something that she took away from our work together. The quality of conversations she had after the event surprised her. In our conversation she tells me she’s learnt not to edit those stories because you don’t know what will ultimately resonate with the audience. She says, ‘tell your story, in your voice and in a way that’s comfortable for you’. I couldn’t has said it better myself.   If you're about to give a talk or presentation and want to speak with confidence. Or if speaking to your audience is something you want to do more of, but fear is holding you back, then my conversation with Shelley is a must!   Find Shelley at: https://shelleyrostlund.com/ To find out more about Power To Speak coaching follow Jackie Goddard on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiegoddardpowertospeak/ Or message her through the website: www.powertospeak.co.uk For tips and techniques on improving your public speaking and getting in front of your audience, sign up for the fortnightly Power To Speak newsletter: https://powertospeak.co.uk/newsletter/ And subscribe to the channel for more tips and techniques on how to get excited to speak to your audience.