Recently, I was the luncheon keynote speaker at a large conference. It was a big room. A big audience. And a brand-new topic I’d been developing for months.
I hired a speaking coach to help me sharpen it and make sure I was truly ready, and I practiced that speech more than any other I’ve ever given. I wanted to show up as my best self.
I even bought a new outfit. I felt amazing.
Then, every speaker’s worst nightmare happened.
Living Through the Worst-Case Scenario
About 30 minutes into the talk, my mind went completely blank. Not “a little fuzzy.” Not “give me a second.” Completely blank. I had no idea what came next.
I took a deep breath and walked to the other side of the stage. Nothing.
After what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few seconds (or so I’m told), I explained to the audience exactly what was happening — that my mind went blank. I took another deep breath.
Still nothing.
Somehow, I had the presence of mind to say that I had turned 50 that year and must be having a senior moment. The audience laughed. They were back with me. And after a few more deep breaths, it all came rushing back.
I finished the speech. And the audience hung on every word.
Was it perfect? No.
Was it inspiring? Absolutely.
It was personal. It was real. I was human and relatable, and people felt that.
And Surviving to Tell the Tale
You might think that going blank on stage would be every speaker’s ultimate nightmare.
I’ll be honest — it wasn’t great. But I survived.
And more than that, I’m stronger for it. It didn’t kill me. And I’m looking forward to my next keynote.
People came up to me in droves afterward to tell me how powerful the talk was. The attendee surveys were glowing.
Go ahead — stretch yourself beyond your fear.
I’m sharing this story because in leadership, and in life, it’s essential to try new things. To take risks. To step into situations that stretch you.
Most of the time, your biggest fear won’t come true — and even if it does, it won’t be the end of the world.
Sometimes, you live through the worst-case scenario… and discover you’re more resilient than you ever imagined.
You know the expression:
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
It’s absolutely true.
So what will you do this year? What new step will you take — even if it scares you?
You just might surprise yourself!
Planning a conference?
I’d love to be the keynote. Here are my topics for this year:
- Happiness, Habits, and Leadership: Strategies to Survive and Thrive
- Anyone Can Raise $1M or More, in Any Economy — Even You!
- Leading with Purpose: Creating Meaningful Change That Lasts
I am sorry you experienced that but then again, I am not because you and I know, that you learned something from it. I experienced this some years back. In my case, I had not adequately prepared. I thought that because I am a pretty good public speaker, I could “wing it”. Never again. The next time that I was asked to speak, I practiced, practiced, practiced. It built my confidence to such an extent that I was able to knock my presentation out of the park. Messing up some time, is just part of being human. It’s what we do next, that matters. I am pretty sure that I am preaching to the choir. Thank you for all that you do, to keep us thinking.