2021: The Secret to Fixing Public Speaking Anxiety Instantly

Today we're talking about a kind of power most of us are terrified to claim: the power of our own voice.

My guest is Samara Bay, speech and speaking coach to CEOs, politicians, and tech founders, and author of Permission to Speak. She was last on the show talking about that book, and now she's back with something new: a viral TEDx talk about how to actually be human while you're speaking in public, whether that's on a stage, in a work meeting, or in a hard conversation at home.

Here's the thing. Most of us think great public speaking means sounding polished, authoritative, in control. Samara says the opposite. The speakers who actually move us are the ones who let us see that they care. Not perform it, reveal it. And when our words, our tone, and our body language are all telling the same story, that's when people lean in.

We get into why "public speaking" feels so loaded in the first place, what's actually happening in our bodies when fear takes over (hello, vocal fry and monotone), and the practical difference between practicing a talk and actually inhabiting it.

And yes, this is a money conversation. Because whether you're asking for a raise, pitching an idea, negotiating with a partner, or standing up at a town hall about your property taxes, your ability to speak with power and stay human while doing it is directly tied to the outcomes you get. How's midlife going? Fill out Farnoosh's survey and help shape the podcast in 2027.

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