Feel It, Don’t Live There:

BY DIANE ROSS
“The First Step After a Big Setback”

In my last article, I told you about an experience I had in Dallas. The short version: in the process of trying to be the best public speaker I could be, I lost sight of myself… and crashed epically in front of an audience and panel of judges.

If you missed the article, click here to read it.

Everyone Has Their Version of Dallas

Your version of Dallas, or “the crash” as I like to call it, doesn’t need a stage.

It might be the pitch that landed flat, putting yourself forward for something you really wanted and hearing no.

Or one of those family conversations where you and your sibling are arguing, your mother tells you both to be nice, and suddenly you’re twelve again.

When something like that happens, most of us want to do one of two things: suck it up, get over it and prove we’re fine, or disappear under the covers until further notice.

I’ve done both.

I Handed My Confidence to a Committee

BY DIANE ROSS
I walked onto a stage in Dallas looking like I had everything together.

The event was called North America’s Next Greatest Speaker. Ten finalists. Three minutes each. The top three would move on to the finals.

I had the outfit. The hair. Two coaches. Hours of TED Talks trying to reverse-engineer someone else’s magic until I’d completely lost track of my own.

I was ninth to go on, which meant nearly an hour backstage watching other speakers do the one thing I couldn’t seem to do.

Sound like themselves.

When Preparation Becomes a Disguise

One woman stood out. Sassy, fast, irreverent. She broke every professional speaking rule I’d been taught. The audience adored her, not because she was polished. Because she was present.

Standing backstage, I knew.

I had gone about this completely wrong.