From stuttering to speaking to 800 people
How did someone who stuttered when giving speeches in high school and college speak in front of over 800 people and made them cry?
Let’s back up a bit and give you more of the story. The year was 2008 and Ignite Portland was a popular event, loosely based on TED talk style. It was an event where it showcased a set of juried speakers. Each speaker was given 5 minutes and 15 slides to present.
During this time, I was very active in Toastmasters. If you aren’t familiar with Toastmasters, it’s a club where you are given guidelines on how to present different types of speeches and how to speak on your feet. I knew my fear of public speaking was holding me back in my business and my life in general. I had researched a few Toastmasters groups near me and found one I could commit to at 12pm every Tuesday.
The more I stood up and spoke in front of people, the edge and fear of public speaking reduced. The pounding heart beat and a bit of the shakes still came with every speech, that didn’t go away, but I grew confidence. The leaders of my Toastmaster group gave a lot of support to everyone and we learned from each other. There were lots of “Try breathing like this when you speak” or other great feedback that could help you improve.
I had attended the first Ignite event in Portland and thought it was so fun. Getting bite sized info in 5 minutes with someone talking about something they are passionate or excited about. I started seeing peers and people I knew getting up and speaking, it was inspiring. When I heard I could apply to speak at the next Ignite, I had a flood of emotions - total stomach flip-flops and an urge to run away AND a bit of excitement. I was now working on more advanced speeches in Toastmasters and getting more confident.
Finding a topic for Ignite was a bit tricky. They tended to be around pop-culture and tech, neither of which I could really add to. Funny enough at that time I was experiencing some stress and anxiety and started doing origami to try and relax. I was determined to learn how to fold a paper crane and could only get to step 5 before getting frustrated and throwing my paper across the table.
Luckily at that time, I was connected to a social platform called LiveJournal (way before Facebook, Twitter, etc) and I was part of a community called DamnPortlanders. You could ask for local recommendations and get a pulse on the city that wasn’t in a local paper - it was refreshing. Remember, this was 2008 and YouTube was still a small platform so I couldn’t find a video on how to make a paper crane so I finally asked for help on DamnPortlands. A nice lady who was happy to show me how to fold them. After learning to fold a few cranes, I decided to fold 1,000 cranes, I had done some research and learned about Sadako Sasaki and what 1,000 cranes symbolizes.
As I was deep into my 1,000 cranes project, I realized that THAT could be my topic for Ignite Portland. It wasn’t a typical funny, quirky presentation but it could give me an edge and help me stand out. I applied and shared my 1,000 crane story, along with the history of origami cranes and Sadako Sasaki. I was accepted.
I told my Toastmasters group and they helped me prepare - I was used to presenting speeches to a group of 20, now I was going to do a talk in front of an audience at the Bagdad Theatre (seats about 800 folks)! Holy crap, this was crazy.
With lots of practice and preparation, I got on stage and gave my presentation. You can see it here. I remember feeling like my heart was going to jump out of my body, however I wanted to tell my story and this audience wanted to hear it. I actually enjoyed it once I got about halfway through and felt a huge sense of accomplishment afterwards.
If I hadn’t been supported by Toastmasters and had acquired the skills to give a great speech, my story wouldn’t have been told.
Don’t let your fear and awkwardness stop you from telling your story!
It needs to be heard, find support and ways that can help you improve. (I can be one of your supporters!)