Jaimie Abbott: Hi and welcome to today's episode. I'm Jaimie Abbott and this one is all about unlocking the secret weapon of every great speaker. Not flashy slides, not a killer outfit, not even the speech itself, but the mindset behind the mic. We're talking about mental preparation, performance, psychology, and how to step into the version of yourself that owns the stage, whether you're in front of five people or 5,000. So if you ever struggled with imposter syndrome, fear, or even just feeling me just before a talk, this episode is going to reframe the way that you prepare forever. Let's get into it. What is a speaker's mindset? Let's kick off with the basics. What do I mean by a speaker's mindset? It's not just about positive thinking. It's a set of beliefs, habits and inner dialogue that supports you in delivering with confidence, clarity and charisma. It's how you respond to nerves, how you recover from mistakes, how you lead an audience. The speaker's mindset is built on trust. Trust in your message, your voice, your value. Great speakers don't just perform well, they prepare mentally like athletes. Some common mindset blocks that hold speakers back. Let's name the gremlins that love to sneak in before we speak. Number one, imposter syndrome. Who am I to be up here? Number two, perfectionism. This has to go exactly right. And fear of judgement. What if they don't like me? And number four, comparisonitis. You know, she's so much better than me. Here's the truth. Every speaker deals with this at some point, but mindset work allows you to acknowledge those fears and move anyway. We don't need to get rid of nerves, we need to reframe them. Mental prep strategies before a talk. Alright, now let's talk about what to do before you get on stage to prepare your mind. Number one, visualisation. Picture the entire talk, start to finish. Imagine walking on stage, connecting with the audience. Hearing the applause, create a mental highlight reel. Two power poses. Before stepping up, try standing tall with your arms raised, feet grounded. This shifts your physiology and sends confidence signals to your brain. Number three, breath work. Try box breathing. So you inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four and hold for four. This is a great tip and it really calms your nervous system and helps you to stay grounded. Number four, affirmations. Speak to yourself like a coach, not a critic. So you want to say something to yourself like, I'm here to serve. My voice matters. I'm ready. Number five. And the final one. Is anchor statements. Pick one mantra that you want to say to yourself before every talk. So for me, mine is this is not about me, it's about my message. How to build a speaking mindset daily. Your mindset isn't just shaped before a talk, it's shaped every single day. Here's how to build it Like a habit. Morning rituals. Start the day with something that centreers you. Gratitude. Journaling movement or a podcast that really pumps you up. Voice practise. Speak out loud daily. Even if it's just reading a news article, get used to hearing your voice and using it intentionally. Content consumption. Surround yourself with inspiring speakers, books or training that elevates your belief in what's possible and mindset journaling. Each week ask yourself, what did I do well? What did I learn? What am I proud of? Reframing failure and feedback. Let's talk about flops. Every speaker has a not so great moment. What separates the pros is how they recover and grow. Mindset Reframe. Failure isn't final, it's feedback. Every mistake is just material for your next talk. And every talk makes you stronger. Collect stories, collect lessons. Don't collect shame. Start asking yourself, what did I gain from this experience instead of what went wrong? When you start thinking like a speaker, you know you've adopted the speaker's mindset. When you show up fully, even when you're nervous, you speak to serve, not to impress. You bounce back quickly from off days. You believe that one talk can change someone's life. Because it can. And often it's yours that gets changed the most. Creating your personal mindset toolkit. Let's build your personal pre talk ritual. Here's a template that you can steal. Number one on the morning of the talk walk, hydrate and listen to your go to Spotify playlist or any playlist. Two hours before, review your notes and do a light rehearsal. 30 minutes before, breathe, stretch and visualise. 5 minutes before, have an anchor statement and then smile at yourself in the mirror and then post. Talk is where you want to celebrate. So write down at least one win. Alright my friend, we have covered a fair bit today. Some quick tips there. From visualisation to power poses to daily mindset habits, you now have the tools to show up with a speaker's mindset every single time. Remember, confidence isn't a personality trait, it's a skill that you can build. And your voice, it's a tool for impact. If you love this episode of Pitch Perfect, let me know. Tag me Jaimie Abbott and share your biggest mindset shift from today. And if you want even more support developing your voice and presence, my speaker'toolkit is free and waiting for [email protected] Speakerguide until next time, keep speaking boldly and showing up powerfully. You've got this.
