Worst Public Speaking Advice Ever (And What to Do Instead)

The episode reviews the worst public speaking advice that Jenn has heard and offers alternatives: don’t wait to perfect a fully written, filmed speech before seeking gigs because events book 6–8 months out and perfectionism can stall opportunities; avoid opening with a joke or forced audience-energy questions like “How are you today?”; reject the idea that anyone is simply a “natural,” since strong speakers practice and can appear natural through preparation; “speak from the heart” shouldn’t mean being unprepared, overly dramatic, or oversharing private details; two unusual tips are discussed—eating salty potato chips to calm nerves (shared as an industry myth and used with caution) and squeezing butt cheeks as a grounding/tension-release idea; and instead of only listening to your videos for feedback, review visuals without audio, then audio without visuals to improve both.

Thanks to Eva Rose Daniel for inspiring tip #6.

Resources mentioned: Episode 4 on Speechcraft https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593278/episodes/18781840

00:00 Worst Advice Intro

00:23 Perfection Before Gigs

01:38 Skip Jokes Opener

03:19 Nobody Is Natural

04:51 Speak From Heart Myth

06:40 Potato Chips Nerves

07:56 Squeeze Butt Cheeks

09:16 Better Video Feedback

10:35 Wrap Up And Next

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me [email protected].

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