#352 From Stage Fright to Spotlight: The Science of Speaking Under Pressure

Guest: Dr Alexander McWilliam All Episodes can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podpage.com/speaking-podcast/⁠⁠⁠ All about Roy / Brain Gym & Virtual Assistants at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://roycoughlan.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bio of Alex McWilliam Dr Alexander McWilliam is founder and managing director of Improv4Business. It provides presentation and speaking training, including executive coaching, team sessions and bespoke programmes. It works primarily with B2B clients, from start-ups to multi-billion-pound organisations. These have included ITV, The Entertainer, Kenwood and Computacenter. Dr McWilliam has a background in professional acting and improvisation, and is the only UK PhD graduate in “public-speaking anxiety and performing under pressure”. What we Discussed: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 The Only UK PhD in Public Speaking Anxiety 02:37 Why Friends' Fear of Presenting Sparked His Research 04:22 The 3.5 Year Doctorate Journey 05:48 Brain Freeze: When Practice Meets Reality 07:15 The "Blank" Moment We All Experience 08:33 Being Selectively Shy 10:05 From Shy Kid to Door-to-Door Sales 11:42 How Stories We Tell Ourselves Hold Us Back 13:08 Why the Audience Isn't Your Enemy 14:35 Reading Faces Wrong: Crossed Arms Don't Mean Boredom 16:02 You Are Your Own Worst Critic 17:29 Why Audiences Want You to Succeed 19:03 The Power of Watching Yourself Back 20:38 Audiences Forgive Mistakes, Not Panic 22:04 Recovery Is What People Remember 23:41 When Speakers Freeze and Start Over 25:07 No One Has Your Script 26:34 Adapting When Time Gets Cut 28:01 Pressure Testing Your Presentations 29:38 Making Failure Fun in Safe Environments 31:05 The "Die" Exercise 32:42 Building Resilience Through Improv 34:09 Table Topics and Playfulness 35:46 Impromptu Speaking Builds Real Confidence 37:13 The Science of Self-Efficacy 38:40 Daily Impromptu Practice 40:07 Why Comedy Is Unforgiving 41:34 Group Failure Exercises 43:11 Surviving the Worst Case Scenario 44:38 Social Anxiety vs. Performance Anxiety 46:05 When Shyness Shows Up Selectively 47:32 Teenage Years and Peer Judgment 48:59 How School Experiences Shape Adult Fear 50:26 Domain-Specific Anxiety 51:53 The Public Speaking Threat Inventory 53:20 27 Items Across Three Domains 54:47 Finding Your Focus Area for Growth How to Contact Alex McWilliam https://www.improv4business.co.uk/ All about Roy / Brain Gym & Virtual Assistants at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://roycoughlan.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🤝 Join our Speaking Podcast Community ✦ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.podpage.com/speaking-podcast/⁠⁠⁠ ✦ YouTube: / ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@roycoughlan⁠⁠⁠ ✦ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/speakingpodcast/⁠⁠⁠ ✦ Facebook: / ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakingpodcast⁠⁠⁠ ✦ TikTok: / ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@roycoughlanpodcaster⁠⁠⁠ #PublicSpeaking #StageFright #PresentationSkills #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #SpeakingAnxiety #PerformanceAnxiety #ExecutiveCoaching #ImprovForBusiness #PresentationTraining #OvercomeFearOfPublicSpeaking #SpeakWithConfidence #BusinessCommunication #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceAnxiety #SpeakingPodcast #InterviewPodcast #PersonalDevelopmentPodcast