Sophie Thompson, co-founder of Virtual Speech, shares her inspiring journey of turning personal struggle into a global impact. After battling severe social anxiety, Sophie discovered a powerful way to push beyond her limits using virtual reality training. Since 2016, Virtual Speech has helped over 500,000 people in 130 countries tackle their own communication challenges. In this episode, Sophie opens up about how cognitive behavioral therapy and stepping outside her comfort zone led to profound personal growth. Hear how her unique blend of theology, international business, and a drive to connect with like-minded individuals fueled her mission. Then, choose which action will most likely help you reach your goal today.

Action Principles

Pick one to do this week:

1. Strengthen your skillset. With consistent practice, you can improve any skill. ACTION: Pick one skill you'd like to improve and take small, consistent steps toward getting better at it.

2. Surround yourself with the right people. The more time you spend around people with similar goals or high levels of success, the more you'll grow, too. ACTION: Find ways to spend more time with people who've achieved the result you aspire to reach.

3. Turn a weakness into a strength. Change your perspective on your weakness by finding a way to make it your strength. ACTION: Consider ways your weakness could be turned into a strength.

4. Step outside your comfort zone. Even the smallest change can open doors to new opportunities. ACTION: Choose one small action to do that it outside your comfort zone.

Guest Resources

Learn more about Sophie Thompson on LinkedIn or by visiting VirtualSpeech.com.

Suggested LinkedIn Learning Course

Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths

Dave Crenshaw develops productive leaders in Fortune 500 companies, universities, and organizations of every size. He has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, FastCompany, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have been viewed tens of millions of times. His five books have been published in eight languages, the most popular of which is The Myth of Multitasking—a time management bestseller. As an author, speaker, and online instructor, Dave has transformed the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands around the world. DaveCrenshaw.com