When I first started out as a speaker, I thought it was all about the content – having the right words, the perfect slides, the perfect script. I spent hours memorizing every line and trying to get every gesture just right.

But what I didn’t realize was that true impact doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from authenticity – from finding your own voice, owning your story, and connecting with your audience in a real way.

Do you feel a flutter of nerves before stepping onto the stage or speaking in front of a crowd? What, you are human?? Even the most seasoned speakers experience pre-speech jitters. While we may think that those butterflies are a bad thing, they may, in fact, just be reminding us how excited we are to share our message. The trick is getting those butterflies in formation, to work for us rather than against us.

Last night I saw the movie, “Civil War,” with some friends. To say the movie was disturbing would be a huge understatement. This dystopic movie showed us what a second Civil War would look like in a third term under a fascist dictator.