How to Overcome Public Speaking Nerves: Behind the Scenes of a Keynote (Vlog)

Dealing with nerves is part of the speaking journey. Even after 15 + years of delivering keynotes around the world, I still get butterflies before I step on stage.

In fact, I'm sometime a hot mess just before the talk. But, the key isn’t to eliminate nerves entirely, but to channel them into energy and focus. I always say that getting nervous means you care – and that is a good thing.

I cover more about nerves in my book, Zero to Keynote, which also includes the 11 Principles of Effective Communication. Following these 11 principles will absolutely help you reduce nerves – especially the one about practicing the talk!

I was recently in Oslo, Norway for a Keynote presentation – my first one back in-person for two years.

As usual, it was a nervous but rewarding journey. In this video I share some Behind The Scenes insights into deliver a talk.

I decompress in a DeLorean car! I share some ideas on preparing and I explain why decompressing after a talk is so important for me.

Watch the vlog here:

Final Thoughts

Nerves never fully disappear, and that’s okay. They mean you care. But with these principles—and with preparation—you can transform nervous energy into connection and impact.

If you’d like to take your communication skills further, I recommend exploring the Communication Superpower course, now available online.