In today’s episode of the Transformational Pathways episode, Anu Senan talks to Kimberly Tanksley. Kimberly first joined Toastmasters over 25 years ago to build her self-confidence and skills as a public speaker. Three years ago, Kimberly rejoined the organization and even volunteered as an officer to keep herself accountable to her goals. Kimberly understands that to be a good public speaker, one needs to put in the necessary hours of learning and practice. As a seasoned public speaker in her own right, she shares a lot of practical tips for people who struggle with speaking to crowds. She also reminds us that it's okay to make mistakes sometimes, because this is what makes us human.
HIGHLIGHTS
QUOTES
Kimberly: "I really want to speak from authenticity. I want to speak like me. I want to take all of the great people that I think speak so well, and make it my own. I don't have to talk exactly like them, because I am not them. And so I want to speak from a place where it's me."
Kimberly: “Be confident in the material that you have in its most basic form. You want to know what you're talking about. Anytime before I have a prepared speech, I will just listen to a podcast, or do my research and look at different angles of it, just so I have a holistic picture of it."
Kimberly: "If I stumble on a word, just get past it and don't make a big deal out of it. Like when you dance, you're doing choreography and you know that you've missed a step, other people aren't going to notice it as much as you do. You just have to keep going.”
Kimberly: "I prepare myself to think: this might not be perfect, relax, if you make a mistake, it's okay. I think people will also be a little bit more comfortable if you make some mistakes sometimes because it shows that you're human."
Kimberly: "Don't think too much of the future, don't think of anything that's happened in the past. Just be there with your audience because they're taking the time to listen to you and so you should make sure that you're speaking to them and that you're paying attention to them."
Connect with Kimberly in the links below:
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