Public Speaking to Change the World
All the world is a stage. Here's how to not be terrified of it.
My palms are sweaty.
They never usually sweat, but man, today it’s buckets. My heart may be jumping out of my chest at any given moment, and I might need to sit down, actually, because my head is spinning so much.
It’s 2017 and I’m about to take part in my first panel discussion at VegFest London. I’m so scared I’m about to be sick. I feel a panic attack coming on and a part of me hopes that some sort of unforeseeable breakdown/blackout/other minor disaster will mean the whole thing is called off at the last minute.
Fast forward to 2024, and I’m stepping on the stage at Vegan Campout, in front of hundreds of people. On my own, no panel. My palms are dry. My heart is still. I’m having the time of my life and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
What changed?
Over the years, I’ve held hundreds of public talks and lectures, and been on countless panels. I’ve spoken in front of three people and in front of three hundred people. I’ve been keynote speaker at international Fashion Weeks, spoken at festivals in several countries, and guest-lectured to hundreds of university students. Two years ago, I spent most of the summer touring events and festivals in several countries with my Change the World With Your Wardrobe talk for PETA. It’s safe to say that today, I’m a seasoned public speaker who’s confident and happy on any kind of stage.
That, apparently, makes me a rarity: the fear of public speaking is estimated to affect 75% of people everywhere. Research tells us that people are more scared of public speaking than of heights, spiders (how?) and actual death. Leaving aside the fact that to me personally, spiders are worse than actual death, one thing is certain: we are terrified of standing up in front of other people and saying words. The experts at Harvard Business Review think it’s down to a fear of attention, being scared of having all eyes on us - which, to early-days humans, could mean being seen by predators. In modern times, this equals to a fear of embarrassment and judgement from our peers.
Why is public speaking important for activists? Well, few things elicit reactions and emotional responses like a well-delivered talk. As someone who has been working in the animal rights space for a decade, I’ve seen countless people go vegan after hearing a speech by activist powerhouses such as Earthling Ed, Gary Yourofsky, or my boss’ boss’ boss, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. Being able to convey a message through the spoken word is a skill that opens eyes and changes minds.
Besides, being a strong public speaker will also help you in other areas of your life. I personally am also a media spokesperson for PETA, which is marginally scarier than public speaking, but I’m slowly but surely improving in this area - much thanks to my years of holding talks. Public speaking can help you improve your persuasion skills, be a better communicator, and improve your leadership qualities. It also majorly boosts your confidence. All of these can prove very useful in activism.
So, what did I do to become the best speaker I could be? Firstly, let me be clear: I was never a big sufferer of the fear of public speaking. I loved giving presentations as a student, for example. But I was indeed majorly nervous before my first couple of public talks. Over the years, three main things helped me get over it:
Accepting that I could - and would - mess up. This is incredibly liberating. As soon as you make friends with the possibility (and likelihood) of failure, most fear dissipates. Visualise the worst happening, and realise that it probably won’t be half (or even one-tenth) as bad as you think.
Researching my topic like crazy. Today, there aren’t many questions about vegan fashion that someone might ask me that I don’t know how to handle (please note that “knowing how to handle” is different from “knowing the answer to”!). This is because for years, I read every word I could find on the subject, watched countless other talks, interviewed knowledgeable people, and more. This makes me confident in my talks and means nerves are less likely to hit.
Saying yes to every opportunity to speak. This is perhaps the number-one thing that helped me become a better public speaker. From tiny, obscure eco events in the upstairs lofts at pubs to international Fashion Weeks, I enthusiastically took on every chance to stand in front of a crowd. Nothing can replace learning from doing, and my number one piece of advice to any aspiring public speaker is to speak as often as you possibly can.
Here are my tips on how to go from “I’d rather jump off a cliff” to “I quite like being onstage.” This is personal advice, taken from personal lived experience. But I think it’s quite broadly applicable, whatever your field of speaking.
It’s okay to be nervous. You can even say it! I’ve heard speakers state their nervousness onstage, and they were only more endearing for it. Embrace the nerves.
You can use notes. I don’t use notes anymore, but I sure did in my first few years of public speaking. I loved, and was good at, giving presentations at school, and I always made a big fuss of learning everything by heart. But my school days are far in the past, and I realise now that this is completely unnecessary! Notes are fine.
If technology fails you, laugh it off. If you are a habitual public speaker, there will 100% be at least one occasion (in fact, you’re lucky if it’s just one) when technology will not cooperate. The PowerPoint will freeze. The video will not play. There will be something very noisy in the next room. Laugh at it, and keep going. On that note, be prepared to go ahead if your slides aren’t working. Sure, the presentation will be less interesting. But at that point, it’s the best you can do.
Do questions at the end - and don’t let it turn into a debate. During my talks, there will occasionally be someone in the audience who puts their hand up. I’d then say “we will get to questions after the presentation”, as taking questions during the talk can be disruptive and interrupt the flow of the presentation. Also, after you’ve answered a question, move on to the next one. I’m hesitant to let the original question asker return with follow-ups or rebuttals, as I’m not there to have a debate, and would like to give more people the opportunity to ask a question.
Talk slowly. Once, when giving a presentation as a teenager in school, I was asked by one of my peers to talk slower. After class, I found a note by that girl’s desk - a note shared between her and her friends, apparently. It said, “she talks so fast. Then you ask her to talk slower and it’s slow-motion for a minute or so, and then she talks too fast again.” It stuck with me, and in every one of my talks since, I’ve really paid attention to my pace. To determine this, it can be helpful to watch a video of your talks (so painful, I know. But helpful!) and adjust accordingly.
Embrace the “ummm”. You’ll often see the advice to public speakers to cut out the “umm”, “ah”, “so”, and the like. I hate that! It’s basically asking humans to speak like robots. You’re a live human being - it’s not an AI giving the presentation. I’ve been guilty of this myself: when my husband was interviewed on a music podcast, I coached him to cut out “ummms”. I wouldn’t do that today. Speak like you speak. If you misspeak, correct yourself calmly. If you need a pause, take one. Talk like a human. It’s real and relatable.
Statistics are like chili oil. A sprinkle is great - it makes for a more memorable experience. But overdo it and the result is wholly unpalatable. Keep your stats few and impactful. You wouldn’t cook a dish that’s 80% chili oil, so be equally wary of serving up a talk that’s mostly numbers.
Mistakes are okay. This is perhaps my most important lesson. I want to say it a hundred times. Mistakes are okay mistakes are okay mistakes are okay. In my most recent talk, I got a date wrong. I just went back and corrected myself: “no sorry, that was in 2004”. No one died. If someone points out a mistake, thank them - “Thanks for flagging that” - and if you aren’t certain they are correct, then say “Thanks, I’ll look into that.” And on that note…
It’s fine not to know stuff. If someone asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, just say so. “I’m not sure, but I’d love to take your details and get back to you after I look into it.” No one can know everything. There will be things you aren’t aware of, and occasions like this can be a prompt to do more research into your topic.
Remember your reason for being on that stage. Years ago, I was nervous ahead of a big action. My husband gave me a great pep talk, reminding me of why I was doing this. It helped me see outside my own perspective and remember that animals need us to speak out. Even today, when I am nervous about giving a TV or radio interview, I step out of myself and remember the animals. Returning to our why is what keeps us anchored to our message.
I’ll leave you with an unlikely success story.
I showed up to a talk at a rather high-profile event a couple of years ago. I set up my stuff, checked that my microphone worked and got ready to begin. Only…there was no one in the space. No one had come to the talk. Completely empty. Crickets.
My mind was racing. This had never happened before. I went through my options: should I just stand there, waiting for someone to show up? Should I leave? The thought of leaving made me feel deflated: I had taken a train there the previous day, and the organisers had also put me up in a rather nice hotel. Not delivering on the talk felt wrong, not to mention a disappointment. But here I was, staring at empty chairs.
This was, luckily, not a closed-off room but a corner in an open event space. People were constantly walking by. So, I picked up my microphone and just started speaking. That’s right, I just started. In front of a group of empty chairs.
As I was delivering my talk, a woman stopped. She stood for a while, then sat in one of the empty chairs. Two others followed. Then a couple more. Slowly, the space filled up. I’d love to tell you that I had a full house at the end, but that would be a lie. However, it was far from empty! Several people also had questions, and a couple of visitors posted about the talk on social media. I left feeling pleased. All’s well that ends well!
The lesson I learned here is the importance of adapting. Take whatever the occasion throws at you, and roll with it. It’s the challenges that make you stronger, whether it’s public speaking or life in general.
All photos by David Camilli, except the Northern Fashion Week one - that is courtesy of Northern Fashion Week.
The "I just started speaking" was powerful. When one has a story like this it’s easy to see how courage becomes unlimited! I’m inspired :D
Best bit is at the end. Well done for just going for it anyway and it's a brilliant piece of advice