Last week, I messed up. Badly. After 6 months of working on my fear of public speaking and actually starting to enjoy it. But I got a bit too comfortable. Not long ago, giving a talk would turn me into a full-body tremble with a microphone. Deer in headlights… but the headlights are also judging you. Since then, I’ve been pushing myself to step up. Speaking at events. Hosting webinars. Even doing it without a script. Just me, the audience, and a bit of organised chaos in slide format. And it’s been working. I’ve been growing in confidence, finding a rhythm, and enjoying the process. But last week reminded me of something important: growth doesn’t mean you get to switch on auto-pilot. I didn’t prep properly. Usually, I mentally walk through my slides, spot the bits I waffle on, trim the fat, and sharpen my points. This time? I winged it. I got on stage, full of beans, and within minutes I could feel I wasn’t in the zone. My flow was off, my points got muddy, and then the worst bit… I ran out of time and had to live-edit my talk on stage, cutting 3 valuable slides that held the most value. Painful. But I needed that moment. It was a humbling reminder that confidence doesn’t replace preparation. It just means you now believe you’re capable… but capability still needs structure. So I’m dusting myself off, back to prepping properly and making sure that next time, I don’t just show up feeling confident, I show up ready to deliver. If you’re on your own journey with public speaking, or putting yourself out there more, I’m with you. Maybe… prep your slides first. #PublicSpeaking #PersonalGrowth #PropertyIndustry #PersonalBranding

Posted by Chris at 2025-07-08 11:27:11 UTC