Do not get on the train to “I suck.” When fear rears its head, especially in regards to public speaking, it’s too easy to get lost in the mental story of, “I have nothing to say, and I'm not good at this and nobody wants to hear what I have to say.” That is the train to “I suck,” and it doesn’t go anywhere else.

Enter: Johanna Walker. 

As a speaking coach and storytelling expert, Johanna joins Little Bird Momma and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, on the Ponderings from the Perch podcast to discuss the stories that we tell ourselves, and how tapping into, owning and sharing your story can transform your business and can transform YOU.

One of Johanna’s mantras is: “Go before you’re ready.” While there are a thousand uncomfortable feelings and thoughts that can pop up when imagining getting on stage, being vulnerable and sharing your story, you have to embrace the sensations and drop the stories. If you wait until you’re ready, you may never feel ready. You have to go before you’re ready. When fear arises, “Drop out of the story and into your body, into your breath, into the sensation. Lose the story, connect with the sensation.”​​ 

Johanna is an artful speaker, and the power of her presence and voice translates beautifully in this episode. 

During Priscilla and Johanna’s conversation, they discuss:

Fear as a “battery pack”

Your voice as an expression of your human truth

Curiosity as the best teacher

Speaking as essential for business owners – especially those who want to step into thought leadership

The power of dropping into the sensations that arise in your body 

The process of preparing for a TEDx talk and how it has served her business

Johanna Walker is the fear-blasting, storytelling maven for coaches, consultants, leaders and change-makers (also known as a public speaking coach). As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, she’s presented for corporations, non-profits, start-ups, community organizations and the TEDx stage, helping audiences develop an authentic presence as speakers, find the ideas they want to be known for, and craft those ideas into compelling presentations. She’s the founder of Craft Your Talk, a transformational speaker coaching program for emerging speakers, and The Speaker’s Playground, an unconventional training program where entrepreneurs and community leaders become confident and memorable speakers. She is the founder and host of Boulder’s Story Slam, where audience members come to the stage to tell true stories about their lives.

Johanna’s TEDx talk: “The stories that live in our bodies”

Johanna’s TED-style talk: “A Long Drink of Water: How telling the story makes anything bearable”

Johanna’s FREE download “Ten tips for telling more spine-tingling stories:” www.johannawalker.com/betterstories  

Want more from Johanna? She’ll be speaking live at Insights Marketing Day brought to you by Little Bird Marketing and Fieldwork. Don’t miss your chance! 

Don’t let the learning stop here. Little Bird Marketing’s 12-week social selling course is a practical hands-on experience designed specifically to help you network effectively and at scale, build rapport with targeted audiences, expand your influence, and become the go-to authority in your area of expertise. So this is not a quick “tips and tricks” for LinkedIn's success flash in the pan. It's a commitment to changing the way you show up online and experience career-shifting breakthroughs. This is expert instruction in small cohorts with personalized one-on-one coaching. If you're interested, learn more at https://littlebirdmarketing.com/social-influence-course/