How to Turn Public Speaking Anxiety into Your Superpower | Tim Newman Speaks

About this episode

Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of a high-pressure, time-limited public speaking presentation—and how a communication coach turns even his own missteps into teachable moments? In this special episode of Speaking with Confidence, I pull back the curtain on my recent experience presenting a Pecha Kucha at PodFest 2026, while offering you practical coaching advice you can apply to your own speaking journey.

As we celebrate the podcast’s two-year anniversary (with a special giveaway—don't miss the details!), I reflect on what it means to embrace confidence, resilience, and the power of vulnerability on stage. This episode is a bit different: using my own Pecha Kucha talk as a case study, I break down the presentation, highlight what worked, where I stumbled, and how you can learn from real-life examples. If you’ve ever let fear hold you back from speaking up, stepping onto a stage, or pressing “record” on a podcast, this one’s for you.

I’m joined at the top of the show by Roddy Galbra, who introduces me before I launch into my presentation breakdown. From that point, I take you step-by-step through everything: prepping the talk and building slides under a deadline, battling nerves, and the moment-by-moment coaching insights I’ve gained both from experience and good old-fashioned trial and error. Along the way, I share how tools like ChatGPT can be a feedback partner (and sometimes a brutal truth-teller!) when preparing for big moments.

Here’s what you’ll get in this episode:

• The inside story of my Pecha Kucha experience with only five minutes and 20 auto-advancing slides

• Candid reflections on starting too fast, handling nerves, embracing pauses, and managing mistakes as they happen

• Why humor, humility, and authenticity work better than perfection on stage

• Recognizing the importance of connecting your story to a clear call to action

• The value of critiquing your own performances—and the difference between authority and arrogance in public speaking

• Insights into how your fears might be tied up with your identity, and how to use that to fuel growth instead of hesitation

• Why your audience doesn’t connect with perfect—they connect with “messy,” real stories

• Actionable advice on what to improve in any talk: punching up your openings and closings, planting your feet, letting silence do the heavy lifting, and giving your audience a repeatable mental model they’ll remember

• Encouragement to step up, take action, and use your unique voice, regardless of nerves or previous stumbles

If you’re ready to move past fear and into progress—not perfection—this episode will encourage and challenge you to take your next speaking risk. Don’t forget, I’m running a special giveaway: leave a review for Speaking with Confidence, share it on social media and tag me, and you could win a free three-hour coaching package with me focused on communication and leadership skills.

Tune in, learn from my journey, and remember—your voice has the power to change your world.

Talk soon,Tim

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