On My First Podcast Appearance

In which the writer speaks and experiences another opportunity for self-compassion.

Listen to Reclaiming Power Through Self-Compassion on Inner Light Here ☝️

In one of my favourite stand-up comedy bits, Jerry Seinfeld points out that people’s number one fear is public speaking. In second place? Death. So if you’re at a funeral, you’re better off being in the casket than giving the eulogy.

As with many, public speaking’s always been hard for me. When I was younger, my self-consciousness was often overwhelming.

I'd feel confident in the value of what I had to share. But when it came time to step to the front of the room and all eyes were on me, the pressure would make me second-guess myself. I'd stumble over my words and even blank out. At its worst, I could hardly distinguish faces in the room or even recall afterward what I’d said.

Over time, I've gotten more comfortable being in front of an audience. That happened through training in facilitation and practicing by teaching small groups on topics I'm confident with, like photography and meditation.

But public speaking remains a growth edge for me.

So, when my coach suggested podcasts as another way to share my voice, I felt more than a little nervous. I mean, on its face, it’s a dialogue between two people—which is my sweet spot. But that dialogue gets broadcast to many people.

That said, I also love conversations, especially on topics I’m passionate about. So I went for it. After all, during my past life as a journalist, radio reporters had interviewed me about stories I'd covered. So, why not give it a try?

Of course, when I sat down at the mic, that old nervousness was there. It was a voice-only interview, and the lack of a face to connect with made it harder. Also, having facilitated hundreds of conversations myself, I found that the dialogue didn’t flow very naturally.

I stumbled around with my words and made a couple of awkward pauses to process before responding to some questions and prompts. This helped me discover areas where I need to level up my knowledge, or stories that could be smoother.

Overall, though, I think it went reasonably well for a first attempt. Some moments in there felt pretty golden. I was clear, articulate and passionate.

But it was, undeniably, an imperfect interview. And, I’m OK with that.

It was my first try. I learned by doing and discovered some growth opportunities. I did my best and walked away with insights that will serve me in the future.

Feel free to give it a listen and drop me any thoughts you might have in the comments!

Listen to Reclaiming Power Through Self-Compassion on Inner Light Here ☝️