I had a fear of public speaking, probably more than I had admitted to myself. It had a huge impact on me, but what was interesting is that after joining the program with Eric, I realized that my public speaking skills were not up to par for what I needed in my job and what I wanted to do. I saw Eric speak at a Mindvalley event, and when you see him speak, it’s not just a presentation—he’s talking to you personally. I was really impressed with his skills, not only with the content but also with the way he connects with the crowd. I wanted to learn that.
When I realized that Eric was teaching these courses, I had to sign up. I wanted to become comfortable on stage, be able to speak without preparation, and get up to speak at any time, without any anxiety or fear. My main objective was just to feel comfortable in that space.
The process Eric uses is something you don’t fully understand until you’re in it. You don’t get the full picture of everything that’s going to happen over the five days, and that’s on purpose. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I just knew that a lot of people I knew had gone through it and raved about it, so I had to trust the process.
I didn’t have one huge transformation. Instead, it was a series of little things. Slowly, I became more comfortable with speaking, using my voice, moving on stage, and just being present. By day five, I found myself on stage for the finals, actually performing a semi-improv stand-up routine. Not only was I not fearful or experiencing any negative emotions, but I was actually having fun. I realized, wow, I’m really enjoying this, and I wasn’t even nervous about the speech.
Several months later, I found myself in Europe, doing a speaking tour for about a month and a half across six cities. It was interesting because, within two or three days of completing the program, I updated my social media profile to include “speaker,” even though I hadn’t done any speaking yet. I felt confident, and that was a huge deal for me. Before, just being asked to speak in front of a big crowd would have made me nervous. Now, I was volunteering for it and even reaching out to ask people to book me for events.
The training had a huge impact. If someone is considering this, they probably feel a need to speak or have something calling them to develop a speaking skill, whether it’s overcoming nervousness or polishing certain aspects of their speaking. I would highly recommend it. It’s not only changed my business, as I’m now promoting my brand and speaking to potential customers and clients, but it has also boosted my self-confidence. I can now communicate more clearly, whether it’s in front of a small company luncheon or a larger audience. This training will improve your public speaking skills, but it will also boost your confidence and self-esteem.
