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In this episode of She’s Got the Mic, Lauren shares a powerful speaking lesson learned the hard way during a conference where she attempted to deliver a brand new talk after only two weeks of preparation. Instead of feeling grounded and connected, she found herself in her head, distracted by stage noises, lighting, and internal pressure to remember every word.

This experience sparked a deeper reflection on the difference between memorizing a talk and truly learning it. Lauren explores what happens when speakers rely on scripts instead of embodiment and how this can lead to moments of disconnection, anxiety, and even blanking on stage. She opens up about a real moment where she lost her place during a keynote and the surprising way she recovered, reinforcing that imperfect speaking experiences often become our greatest teachers.

Lauren introduces her current approach to talk preparation, a technique she calls the set list method. Rather than memorizing paragraphs of text, she practices using prompts and guiding questions that represent each moment of the story. This allows her to stay flexible, present, and responsive to audience energy while still delivering powerful content. The result is storytelling that feels authentic, dynamic, and alive rather than rehearsed and rigid.

Throughout the episode, Lauren discusses how speaking presence is deeply connected to being in the body rather than trapped in the mind. She shares how meditation, repetition, and speaking material out loud can help speakers develop muscle memory, strengthen confidence, and improve stage performance. Listeners will also hear examples of how stories evolve through practice and why the first written draft of a talk is rarely the final version delivered on stage.

This conversation is especially valuable for women speakers, coaches, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who want to grow their visibility, deliver transformational keynotes, and connect emotionally with audiences. Whether you are preparing your first talk or refining an established keynote, this episode offers practical guidance for building talks that feel natural, memorable, and impactful.

Lauren also invites listeners to reflect on their own speaking experiences, including moments of forgetting lines, bombing, or feeling disconnected on stage. Instead of viewing these moments as failures, she reframes them as opportunities for growth, refinement, and deeper self trust.

By the end of the episode, listeners will walk away with a simple but powerful shift. Stop memorizing your talk and start learning it through repetition, embodiment, and structure that supports flow rather than rigidity.

If you are working on a keynote, workshop, or signature talk and want a preparation method that helps you stay present, connect with your audience, and deliver value without sounding scripted, this episode will resonate deeply.

Lauren's "Set List" of most recent story:

• Opening
• Where are you?
• What do you feel?
• What do you hear?
• What do you smell?
• What do you see?
• What are you thinking?
• Why are you here?
• Who speaks first?
• Sum it up in 3 words.
• Trip home.
• #1 rule
• Following year?
• What did Rob say?
• How did it feel in your body?
• Vision?
• What did you ask yourself?
• What did other people think?

To be played at opening of all SGTM episodes, this is a promo for the Speakers Collective.

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