I arrived at Speaking Mastery with a mix of curiosity and caution. I had just come off a rather disappointing experience with the Social Media course – nothing to do with the team, simply a feeling that the format wasn’t for me at that moment. So I stepped into this programme with some trepidation, not entirely sure what I was looking for, but very aware that something in my speaking practice needed to shift.
For years I had spoken in academic settings with ease, yet I knew I wanted to grow beyond that world. I wanted to shape talks that could reach wider audiences, from TEDx to corporate stages, and I wanted to do it with authenticity rather than performance anxiety.
This course changed the way I see myself as a speaker. Eric and the other students created a space where I could take risks, experiment, and discover a different kind of voice – one that thinks on its feet, stays open, and trusts that what I have to say is both unique and worth hearing. That, for me, has been transformative.
Four months into the course I delivered my TEDx talk on AI intimacy and the human need for love. It remains one of the achievements I am most proud of, not only because of the talk itself but because of who I had to become in order to deliver it.
One lesson I will carry with me always is surprisingly simple: when things go wrong, or you are asked to adapt at the last moment, just breathe and say, “No problem.” It sounds tiny, yet it changes everything. It shifts you from panic to presence.
I leave this programme with a renewed sense of confidence and clarity. I know there are still a few blocks to clear – isn’t that always the case? – but I am moving forward with far more joy, courage and trust in my own voice. Speaking Mastery didn’t just make me a better speaker. It made me a braver one. It has been such fun too! And here is the link to my TEDx https://youtu.be/uqPce6DG3Ok
