My first proper dalliance with The Art of Brilliance was a handful of years ago, when I attended one of their first Wellbeing Workouts online.
I made some lasting connections on that programme and kept up to speed with what the team were doing from then on.
When I spotted that Suzie Lavington was running an open version of her Communications MasterCourse, The Art of Public Speaking, I was really keen to get myself on it. I have (in Art of Brilliance ‘speak’) a Huge Unbelievably Great Goal of becoming a speaker and had my first important event coming up in a matter of weeks. The agenda seemed to promise more than could be possible in a day (mindset and overcoming speaking nerves, preparation, creating content and delivery technique) but it genuinely surpassed all expectations.
Travelling to the venue, I was ruminating – and worrying – about how the day might go. Just the thought of sitting in a room with a group of people I didn’t know, waiting for someone to tell me it was my turn to stand up and speak in front of them, was enough to make me want to turn the car around several times!
But I needn’t have stressed. The day just wasn’t like that.
Suzie had such a lovely way of putting the room at ease. And she did it instantly. Within the first few minutes, I was made to feel at home.
I was surprised by how much I developed in a single day. When I first stepped up, I felt the need to hide the way I speak in a typical, day-to-day situation. To ‘perform’ over it somehow and show the room a different version of who I was. By the end, I felt so much more connected. And able to just speak as… me. That was the massive take-home; to not be afraid of showing my authentic self to the audience. Using my real voice, in the way that I would when I’m speaking at any time, to any one.
My favourite exercise was, without doubt, the one involving chocolates! And not just because I’m partial to them… but because it was the exercise that taught me to get out of my head, into the moment, and colour my words with genuine emotion.
And I loved the breathing techniques. We’re all told throughout our lives to ‘take deep breaths’ when we’re anxious or under pressure, but we’re not usually told how or why it matters. Suzie taught us techniques to use before speaking events to help ease anxiety, but also how to breathe while we’re speaking, which most people find infinitely harder. And she dug into the psychology behind it all and why breathing has such a knock-on effect on our mindset.
And it wasn’t just the breathing – I’d say I left the session having learnt how to use my body in a better way overall.
We were shown how to create stand-out content from scratch, and a simple formula we can use, whether we have 5 weeks to prepare… or 5 minutes! One of the most useful takeaways from that part of the day was ‘The Hot Air Balloon’ exercise, which helps you cut away all the unnecessary ‘fluff’ of a speech and get to the crux of what you want to say.
Suzie delivered instant feedback at the end of each exercise. Usually the bit that I’d dread, but she had such a lovely way of doing it. Truthful and constructive, but gentle and light-humoured. And she helped us work on our feedback as the day progressed.
One of the biggest pleasures of the day was the overall sense of camaraderie and mutual support among the delegates. There was a great energy in the room, lots of laughs, and a genuine feeling of togetherness; that we were all on a level, regardless of our individual experience. We felt safe, comfortable, and encouraged to give feedback to each other, which helped us in our own development. It felt more than OK to make mistakes and to open up to each other; the kind of environment you just don’t find yourself in very often, which was brilliantly refreshing.
Since the session, I’ve delivered a 17-minute presentation at an event in London. My speech was about your inner critic and inner cheerleader. I loved my time on stage and was bowled over by the feedback. People said they could connect with me because they sensed I was being completely myself. That my words came entirely from my heart, and I was just being ‘me’ on stage. And that was the goal. It’s given me the best boost of confidence as I take my first steps to becoming a professional speaker.
I’d encourage anyone to go on ‘The Art of Public Speaking’ MasterCourse. Wherever you feel you are on your own confidence scale, Suzie will put you entirely at ease, challenge you in precisely the right way and give you all the tools you need to shine when speaking in public.