Imagine this. You’re on stage. 2.000 eyes watch every move You Make.

Twenty years ago, I held my final graduation speech in high school.

I was fearless. It was fun and exciting.

Public speaking wasn’t a big deal. I enjoyed it very much.

But a single encounter changed everything.

During college, we had a public speaking class. The teacher was an external coach hired solely for this day.
The first time I saw her was right before class when the elevator doors opened on our floor.

It was like in a movie.

A character in slow motion showed up.

She was the turning-head type of woman.

Her whole appearance and her powerful intro speech were breathtaking.

I looked up to her.
And I was intimidated by her.

The task was simple: Present a topic of interest on stage, under the scrutiny of a camera, so that she could analyze everything piece by piece afterwards.

As my turn approached, I felt an anxiety I'd never felt before.

My stomach killed me. I started to sweat like hell. My hands were shaking. In my mind, I was already racing into the sunset.

Somehow I wanted to impress and be liked by her.

I was so nervous that I forgot what I wanted to talk about. Out of shame about the failure I knew was coming, my eyes filled with tears.

I could barely hold it together.

The presentation was a disaster, and her feedback: Brutal.

She didn't hold back. There wasn't a single note of empathy on her face.

No kindness. No understanding. Nothing.

Instead, she went through everything I did wrong in the meanest possible way.

I presented the perfect example of "how not to do it".
And she provided the perfect example of "how not to give feedback that helps people improve". She enjoyed the ride like hell.

I felt humiliated and ripped into pieces in front of the whole class. I was left shattered, my love for public speaking replaced with a paralyzing fear.

This was 20 years ago.

Since that day, I tried to stay off any stages and avoided more attention in groups than necessary.

Why? My thoughts become like a train that is either unstoppable or not leaving the station at all.

Years passed, and the fear remained. It held me back in my career, forcing me to hide behind others to avoid the Spotlight.

I tend to overthink what I should say to come across as bright as possible.
It's a burden I could only hide until a certain point in my career.

But here's the thing:
If you want to become successful, you need to understand people's problems.

How do you do that? Exactly. You.must.talk.to.people.

And when you did that. You need to sell your offer. You need to speak in front of people. Storytelling and persuasive presentations are must-have skills, esp. in times like these.

This is one of the main reasons I never made that next step in my corporate career. I wasn’t visible enough.

Writing online helps you become visible. You create a brand. You're finding your voice. That's great.

But now, with AI, we can continue to hide behind tools that

• Think [Link]

• Write [Link]

• Invest [Link]

• Present [Link]

• Research [Link]

• Take meeting notes [Link], and

• Keep eye contact [Link] for us. 👀

It's all fun and games until you realize how counterproductive this is for our personal development.

We shouldn't be hiding behind tools. We should use tools that help us to thrive. To make us better, not only more productive.

Today, it’s about the tools that make You better. 

Let’s dive in.

🤘

💡Spotlight:
Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety With AI

👌🏼1 Thing To Do

👌🏼 Links I Love

That’s all I have for you today. This was the most personal experience I've ever shared. It took me a while, and I would appreciate you, if you’d share it with one person who could benefit from it.

Thanks for reading The W3bpreneur!

Until next week legends,
Karolyne

PS. Remember to connect on Twitter or Linkedin 🙋🏻‍♀️

Catch up on earlier editions

• 🦾 Try this shortcut to write an eBook with ChatGPT

• 🤯 How to be less busy and get more done with AI, today.

• 🤔 What has questioning the status quo to do with Blockchain Technology?

• 🤖 Generative AI: Does AI scare you sometimes, too? Uncover fake news & create a book cover with Midjourney

_{DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell assets or make financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.
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