In this episode, we are going to discuss and clarify exactly what “presence” is. Because we can’t have the discussion on how to improve it, or build it, unless you understand what it is.

When you venture off into the interworld to find a definition of presence, you’ll find a good mix. What I find interesting, and something I agree with, is that most people equate having presence with having confidence. And that makes sense, right? 

Having confidence means you’re comfortable in your own skin, with who you are, and what you bring to the table. When someone has presence, they have what some people refer to as having “it,” and it’s something that is innate within them and although sometimes difficult to define and articulate, you know it when you see it.

So to start off, although I do agree that it can be somewhat difficult to define, that’s only because it can mean something different to each one of you. There is also sometimes a fear, a doubt, that you’ll ever be at the same level as someone with “it,” with presence. I know this because I have had many a conversation with clients, friends, peers…that “some people just have it, and man, it would be so great to have ‘it’ too…”

Well, guess what. That presence you feel, that confidence that can be felt from across the room - it was learned. And if it’s learned…that means you can have it, too.

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