October 15, 2025

EP66: Speaking At My First Big Conference with Felicity Nyan

40 minutes

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast, Ben Pearce speak to Felicity Nyan, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft. She shares her journey from being a hesitant public speaker to successfully presenting at SQLBits, one of the largest data conferences in the UK. Felicity discusses why she wanted to speak at a conference, the challenges she faced, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

Show Links

Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/

Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com

Felicity Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/

Oxford Microsoft Data Platform Group - https://www.meetup.com/oxford-microsoft-data-platform-group/

SQLBits - https://sqlbits.com/

Takeaways

Felicity Nyan shares her journey from a hesitant speaker to presenting at SQL Bits.

SQL Bits is a community-led conference that offers opportunities for all levels.

Preparation is key, but life can often get in the way.

Having a co-presenter can ease the pressure of presenting.

Start early on proposals and keep a record of ideas.

Practice makes perfect, but balance is important to avoid sounding scripted.

User groups are great platforms for practicing public speaking.

Engaging the audience is crucial for a successful presentation.

Technical issues can arise, so have backup plans in place.

Confidence can be built through small challenges outside of public speaking.

Keywords

public speaking, SQL Bits, data platform, conference presentation, Felicity Nyan, Microsoft, user groups, tech conferences, presentation tips, career growth

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By Ben Pearce

11 ratings