How I overcame my fear of public speaking and now I love it!

For 20 years, public speaking filled me with dread. Today it’s one of my favourite things to do. Here’s exactly what changed and how you can overcome public speaking anxiety too.

My body used to betray me when it came to public speaking. The sweats. The shaking. A voice that didn’t sound like it belonged to me. And then afterwards, the crippling doubt. I also had the worst inner talk possible, when I would reflect on the experience…

“Surely they thought that was as rubbish as I did?” “I’ll never get asked back.” “I’ve let my team down.”

This was my on-and-off relationship with public speaking for 20 years, across business development and marketing roles.

The fear of public speaking clinically known as glossophobia is one of the most common anxieties in the world. Around 75% of people experience some degree of it. So if you recognise that spiral of nerves, sweaty palms, and negative self-talk, you are absolutely not alone.

Now half of my time is spent doing talks, delivering training, and running workshops and I absolutely love it.

So what changed? Here’s exactly how I overcame my public speaking fear step by step.

We all have unconscious strategies — patterns our brain runs on autopilot. Mine went like this: get asked to do a talk (decline if at all possible), and if I couldn’t avoid it, immediately associate the request with the worst experiences of my past. My body would flood with cortisol, the panic would set in, and I’d be back at square one before I’d even said a word. The first step in overcoming public speaking fear is simply becoming aware of the pattern. You can’t change what you can’t see.

Imposter syndrome and public speaking anxiety are best friends. Because I believed I was a “rubbish” speaker, I would over-prepare for weeks, cram too much text onto slides, and never fully trust myself in the room.

The shift came when I made a decision: I am worthy of being here. I have knowledge worth sharing.

Overcoming imposter syndrome isn’t a one-time event, t’s a daily practice of choosing to back yourself, even when the old voice pipes up.

This was the biggest shift. I set myself a challenge: in one year, I would deliver 10 workshops, talks, and trainings. I started online, then moved to small groups, then to larger trainings. Each one built evidence that I could do this. I started to trust myself and to discover things I hadn’t allowed myself to see before.

I can hold space for people to feel safe. I’m great at building rapport. I love working with people in person. I ended up delivering 20 that year – double the target.

If you want to overcome a fear of public speaking, start small and start now. Confidence is built through action, not waiting until you feel ready.

“Because I changed my thoughts, my behaviours changed, my brain caught up, and so did my identity.”

Before every talk, I visualise the end result in vivid detail: the sounds in the room, the laughter, the applause when someone shares a brilliant insight, the sun through the window, the smell of coffee, what I’m wearing, the group photo at the end. This isn’t just a relaxation technique it’s a way of telling your brain and body “we’ve been here before, this is safe.”

I use visualisation with my clients through hypnotherapy and it is so powerful in changing the subconcious mind so that you feel more relaxed and embody the identity of a person who is amazing at public speaking.

The moment I stopped focusing on my nerves and started focusing on the people in the room, everything changed. I am simply there to hold the space, share what I know, and encourage.

When you shift from “what do they think of me?” to “how can I help them?”, the fear loses its grip. This mindset shift is one of the most powerful public speaking tips I can offer and it costs nothing.

Since making these changes, I’ve had the pleasure of delivering talks, workshops, and trainings for so many incredible organisations and enterprise projects.

Now, most of my work comes from the people I meet through talks, events, and workshops. The thing I feared most became my most powerful business tool.

If you’re reading this thinking “that sounds like me”  whether you shake, go blank, spiral into negative self-talk, or simply avoid it altogether I want you to know that you can change this. You are not stuck with it. The brain is remarkably adaptable, and with the right mindset tools, you can genuinely learn to enjoy using your voice.

Have you always wanted to master public speaking anxiety? Book a free 30 minute call with me- https://crystaljukes.com/discovery-call/