How Far Have You Come?

Twenty-five years ago, the mere thought of getting up and speaking in front of an audience would have sent shivers down my spine – in fact it did. Like many, I dreaded the thought of public speaking, I was happy to present sitting down to a small number but stand and with too many people? No, my heart would start racing, my palms starting to bead up with sweat and the overwhelming feeling of being judged. Yet today, I stand in front of corporate leaders, teams, HR professionals and executives, delivering high-impact training on presentation skills with confidence and enthusiasm. As well as large conference audiences.

This transformation didn’t happen overnight. It was a journey of growth, resilience, stepping out of my comfort zone REPEATEDLY and not listening to that inner voice telling me I was going to “mess up”.  I reflected on my path this week as I was in St James Square, central London,  in a Regus Building to deliver a Presentation Skills Masterclass for a client, I realised that this was where I had an interview for a job at Regus and all those memories came flooding back.

It is so important to look back to appreciate how far we’ve come—both in our professional and personal lives.

The Power of Reflection

In this world or work, we’re often so focused on the next goal, the next milestone, the next big THING, that we rarely take a moment to acknowledge our progress. Yet, reflection is a powerful tool, Amy Rowlinson has taught me this. It fuels our motivation, builds our confidence and reminds us that we are capable of far more than we believe in the here and now.

Looking back on my journey with public speaking, I can pinpoint several moments that led to where I am today. If you’re feeling stuck or doubting your abilities, take a moment to reflect on your own journey. Chances are, you’ve grown in ways you haven’t even recognised.

From Cringe-Worthy to Confidence

Twenty-five years ago, I was the person who avoided presenting in meetings, who dreaded having to speak at the Company’s “all staff” meetings and who would rather let someone else take the stage. So, how did I get from there to here? Let me some top tips”

1. The First Step – Facing the Fear

My journey started with a small yet terrifying step: saying yes. The first time I agreed to speak in front of a group, it was far from perfect. I stumbled over my words, my voice shook , I spoke to quickly (probably in a pitch higher than normal too) and I fmust have drunk the whole bottle of water on the podium. But here’s the thing, it didn’t kill me, I survived, I lived to tell the tale, share my journey and grow. And that was my first realisation that fear was just a hurdle to get over, something to be managed, it was NOT a barrier to success.

2. Learn From Others

After that initial exposure, I knew I needed to improve. I took every opportunity to observe great speakers, read books on communication and even attended presentation workshops. Each time I gained a new insight, I practiced (cringey in front of the mirror), refined how I spoke, talked, my body language and adjusted my complete approach. Over time, those small improvements had an impact and my confidence grew.

3. Feedback and Growth

One of the biggest game-changers for me was asking for feedback. Initially, I feared rejection, and criticism, I really don’t like being told what to do, but I knew I had to grow. I soon realised that constructive feedback was a gift. Each comment, whether from a mentor, a colleague, another speaker or even an audience member, helped me shape my skills and improve my delivery.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

There’s no substitute for delivery LIVE but before you do, make sure you practice, practice a bit more and then practice where ever you can. Now there are different view points on whether we should be scripted but I don’t believe we should – you need to know the order of your talk, the stories you are adding the links to the next story and spruce if you are ever going to quote statistics. The more I practiced, the more natural it became and I do in the style of Vicky O’Farrell, in the words attributed to Oscar Wilde “be yourself, everyone else is already taken”

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No matter what area of life or business you’re reflecting on, the same principles apply. Perhaps you once struggled with leadership and now you manage a successful team. Maybe you doubted your ability to switch careers, but now you’re thriving in a new industry. Growth often happens so gradually that we fail to acknowledge the transformation.

So start reflecting on your own progress:

Look Back at Where You Started – What were your biggest challenges 5, 10 or even 25 years ago? What skills did you lack back then, that now come naturally?

Identify Those Growth Moments  – What key experiences helped you evolve? Were there mentors, opportunities or did you take risks that paid off?

Recognise the Skills You’ve Gained – Which skills have you developed over time? Confidence, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, we can often overlooked these when we measure success.

Celebrate the Small Wins – Not every achievement has to be monumental. Even small steps, like overcoming self-doubt, delivering a difficult conversation with confidence or a presentation given to a larder than normal audience without any “ums and errs”

If you had told me 25 years ago that I’d be running programmes on presentation skills, behaviours, culture and leadership, I would have laughed in disbelief. Yet here I am doing it.

If I went back to my old careers teacher, who once said “Butcher, you’ll come to nothing because you talk to much” I think she’d turn in her grave – because “Speaking” wasn’t a box you could tick back then as a career.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: You are capable of far more than you realise. Keep pushing forward, but don’t forget to pause, reflect and acknowledge the incredible progress you’ve made.

Pat yourself on the back – you deserve it.