Public Speaking

I have always been terrified of Public Speaking. Being an introvert, going up on the stage and keeping the audience engaged is something that I have never been fond of, or even remotely inclined. So when I was in 8th grade, my English teacher forced me to participate in a debate where each side of the opposition has to go on stage and speak either for or against a topic. I remember the topic was TV, and I made notes (which I was good at), and when it was my turn, I went to the stage, took my notes and read through the entire thing without making even a single eye contact to anyone! That was my first experience!

When I got into college, there was a huge new auditorium with a nice big podium and I was wondering how it would be to stand here and give an inspiring speech, while confidently & comfortably knowing I would never have to do it! But I did end up on that podium in my final year to participate in another debate with a handful of audience, and, thank God the acoustics sucked(!) since many folks could not even hear what we were talking on the mic.

And then I used to see many actors/actresses going on the stage in front of hundreds of people and talking so effortlessly, fluently and even making jokes, and wondered how did they do it. Like in Oscars or Filmfare Awards or even talk shows like Ted Talk or Stand-up comedy. 

When I got into the corporate life, I used to see Account Managers, clients from US who were doing the same thing albeit it was more work-related. Although there were many opportunities for me to get into ToastMasters club, somehow I found excuses not to enrol! Few more years later, I distinctly remember one of my peers sharing a picture of herself giving a technical speech in a conference in US, and this moved me the most. It made me proud of her and even inspired me. I knew her very well that she was, like me, an introvert, public-shy, knew as much as I did technically - and yet, there she was, dressed immaculately and capturing the attention of the audience. 

While I tried to keep it at bay as much as possible, the opportunity came knocking on my door in May this year when I was asked to present at Informatica World 2023 conference at The Venetian, Las Vegas, on How Informatica helped Datawarehouse Modernization, a project which I had worked on for the last couple of years. I was confident about the topic, so the content was not a problem. Still, we underwent number of rehearsals, prepared for possible questions from the audience and finally I was ready!

Thanks to the umpteen practice sessions, I was surprised not to detect any butterflies in the stomach as I went up on the stage. I was glad that seemed as easy as conversing with someone else. All those mentorship during the last two decades helped - talk slowly, keep it light and not too technical, add humor, make it like a story - and I did the best I could. I guess I did not embarass myself (which I later understood is the single most factor for fear of Public Speaking), because at the end of it, there was an ovation.

So, finally I did it - Public Speaking! Check! ✅

I promptly came back home and messaged my 8th grade English Teacher and thanked her for helping me get onto the first stage (literally) of my life! 

And now, I can proudly share my picture too!