For the speaker who’s been doubting their voice lately

I get to see people present material all the time.

I get to see them stand up and talk about the things they’re passionate about: the tools they’ve created, the solutions they’ve built to help others. Sometimes it’s entrepreneurs sharing what they’ve learned building their business. Other times it’s someone telling a personal story that gives someone else the courage to move forward, or even begin their healing journey.

And something I often pause at is this:

There are some speakers who are really well-tuned in. They’ve got their shtick down. They know it’s canned, and they’re confident. You can see it. Their presentations are tight. They’ve got their soundbites. Their motivational quotes. Their go-to material that’s been working for them.

And while they’re making eye contact with me and hitting all the “right” marks, I still feel a disconnect. A lack of engagement. A lack of real knowledge about who I am and why, I and the rest of the audience, are even there.

And this gets tricky. Because these are the people who often look like what a great speaker is supposed to be.

But then, there’s the other side.

There’s the speaker who’s newer to all of this. Maybe even a little apologetic. I’ll hear them debrief after their talk and say, “I don’t feel like I’m a great presenter,” or “I think I overwhelmed the audience,” or “I want to work on my speaking, but I’ve just got so much going on in my business right now.”

And I think to myself, wait a hot second, I actually really resonated with you.

You were human. You shared your tools and ideas in a way that made me feel like, okay, that I’m on the right track or I hadn’t thought of that before. And yeah, maybe the message could be shaped a little more clearly, so we know what the next step is. But you had something that can’t be faked.

You were real. You connected.

So here’s my invitation to you:

If you’re the confident speaker, the one who’s delivered this talk a hundred times, take a step back. Ask yourself where you can grow, where you can refresh and reconnect. Don’t let confidence turn into autopilot. Stay human. Stay curious.

And if you’re the speaker who doesn’t have all the reps yet, but your heart is in it, start noticing what is working. What ideas landed? What moments felt alive? That’s the beginning of a message that moves people. Don’t ignore it. Give yourself time, space and grace to shape it.

You’ve got this.