Lewis Howes

And I was looking at a podium reading word for word my speech and I didn't look up one time because I was so nervous to look people in the eyes when I was talking to them.

That was my first speech.

And the feedback at the end, they have to be nice.

I was in a friendly environment.

This wasn't like at some corporate business meeting where they're going to laugh at you or whatever.

This is a friendly environment of Toastmasters where they want you to improve as a speaker.

And at the end of this, there's a few people that have to give feedback.

and they have to give encouraging feedback.

They have to say, you know, we acknowledge you for getting up there, Lewis.

We acknowledge you for standing up there and giving the speech.

There really wasn't anything good they could say, but you have to find something.

We acknowledge you for having the courage to be here today.

You know, it was just like anything they could do.

There was nothing good about the speech they could acknowledge me on, but just the fact that I was there, that's what they talked about.

And then the feedback on how it could improve was, you know, next time,

Just look up once and look around the room and take a pause.

Just try to have some vocal variety and don't just be monotone the whole time.

So they're giving me feedback.

And I did this every single week for the entire year.

And by the end of the year, I went from standing on a podium, reading, looking down word for word to the very end of the year, no notes written down, no podium in front of the audience.