43. How to Overcome The Fear of Public Speaking

In today’s episode, Brendan has an inspirational chat with his very own Toastmasters club president Kate Purcell. She shares her story of, from a young age, always finding herself getting tripped up by her debilitating fear of public speaking (or, in fact, even the slightest possibility of public embarrassment). So much so, that she often avoided doing things she enjoyed, for fear of being put in a position that would put her in the spotlight.

However, she has made it her goal to overcome this fear and enjoy the freedom that comes with it. She admits that she is still not 100% “cured” of this fear of speaking impromptu and she is working on speaking without her notes in front of her, but, since joining Toastmasters, Kate has learned the importance of having a “just do it” attitude – which she now tries to apply whenever she feels apprehension creeping in. She even went as far as saying “just do it” to becoming her Toastmasters’ Club President – a role that would stretch her in many ways – including of course being “forced” to speak in front of others on a more regular basis. However, she has found her passion in this role and she is able to apply her incredible leadership skills behind the scenes as well, and helping the club organise and set up processes that they are really benefiting from.

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