Public Speaking Tips Archives - JOHANNA WALKERJOHANNA WALKER

Is Self-Doubt Your Final Answer?

May 5th, 2023

Recently I went backpacking in the canyons of Southern Utah. Although I remember the first time I drove through that land when I moved to Colorado from Massachusetts 15 years ago, it did nothing to stop my jaw from dropping open as we turned west off of 191 to head into Canyonlands. I’m not speaking…

Small stuff? Back away!

March 4th, 2021

Do you ever get caught up in the small stuff? You know when the small stuff keeps you from the big stuff? And you don’t do the Big Vision thing you said you were gonna do? You don’t have the impact you know you can have? Yeah me too. I hate that. What if you…

Lessons (re)Learned in 2020 (or How to Make 2021 Soar!)

December 28th, 2020

I’m not a big goal setter, but I do like to reflect on the last year. Usually I do it at my birthday time, which is in early December, but I’m doing it now, as 2021 approaches. I’m sharing the top 10 lessons I learned in 2020. (There were more. Lots more. But I’m limiting…

Getting negative feedback isn’t the end

May 1st, 2020

One of the biggest reasons people don’t take the leap and get on stage to speak is because they’re afraid of negative feedback. What will people think of me? Will they judge me if I mess up? What if people laugh at me? Or discover what an imposter I am? What if I fall flat on my face…

To PowerPoint or not to PowerPoint?

October 22nd, 2019

Here’s a little pop quiz: You have a presentation to give. The date is on the calendar and getting closer. You sit down to work on your talk. What’s the first thing you do? A. Go to the kitchen and eat some potato chips, then see that the garbage needs to be taken out but…

When Public Speaking Fear Gets the Best of You

October 7th, 2019

At the National Speakers Association “Influence 2019” conference for professional speakers this July, I discovered a t-shirt that read: “Your greatest fear is how I make a living.” I knew I had to buy one. I wore it the next time I flew and was amazed by what a conversation starter it was. Everyone wants…

How to Make Your Big Vision a Reality

September 3rd, 2019

Last week in Speaker’s Playground, we shared what the big vision was for each of us. If you got that speaking thing totally dialed in, and the nerves or the fear or the heebie jeebies or the running & hiding was more like a little fly you got to flick off your shoulder rather than…

Be Yourself?

April 16th, 2019

One of the things I talk about with my clients all the time, and you probably hear often from business coaches (and speaking coaches and life coaches and inspirational leaders and middle school teachers and self-help books and best friends and anyone who has anything to say to anyone about how to make sense of…

How to be authentically YOU on stage AND grow as a speaker

December 6th, 2018

“But it doesn’t feel natural! It doesn’t feel like me. It feels awkward, inauthentic, yucky. NOT ME!!” I hear that all the time from my clients. When I ask them to do something that they haven’t done before, or try something different with their arms, or their focus, or their body language, or their voice….

You ARE being judged

August 20th, 2018

One of the most common concerns I hear from people who are on the path to speaking is “I’m afraid I’m being judged!” I hear it all the time. The same fear comes in all shapes and sizes. They’ll say I’m not an expert. They’ll roll their eyes. They’ll ridicule me. They’ll be bored. If…