In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, guest Terry Beard, an experienced entrepreneur and co-founder of the Speakers Alliance, shares his inspiring journey of overcoming his fear of public speaking. After years of avoiding the spotlight, Terry’s decision to confront this challenge transformed his life, leading him to become a leader in the speaking community. He reflects on how he learned to hone his skills, build his confidence, and ultimately, guide others on the same path to finding their “voice.”
GUEST AT A GLANCE
Terry Beard is an experienced entrepreneur with a diverse background in building and leading successful ventures across retail, manufacturing, and internet-based businesses. Co-founder of organizations like The Portland Rotary Toastmaster Club and The Speakers Alliance, Terry is also the author of We Owe Each Other Two Minutes: Transform Your Life Through Public Speaking.
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FROM FEAR TO BOLDNESS
Recent guest Terry Beard reflects on his transformative journey from avoiding public speaking to becoming an accomplished speaker and leader in the speaking community. Years ago, Terry ran a company in Portland, Oregon, but whenever speaking opportunities arose, he would delegate them rather than confront his fear of public speaking. It wasn’t until he recognized the importance of “finding his voice” that he decided to face this challenge head-on.
Terry credits a pivotal moment when a mentor introduced him to Dale Carnegie seminars. From there, his passion for public speaking grew, leading him to join Toastmasters, where he honed his skills over many years. Most recently, Terry co-founded the Speakers Alliance, a group that offers a platform for individuals to overcome their speech anxiety and grow as speakers. Terry’s story is one of personal growth and leadership, inspiring others to overcome their own fears of public speaking.
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
The Power of a Story
“Four or five years ago, I went with my wife, Pascal, to a celebration of life. This gentleman was well into his 80s — Daryl — and he passed away. There were 200 people in the church, and it was time for people to get up and have a few words to say about Daryl and what he contributed to life, and nobody got up. My wife looked at me, and she said, ‘I’m going up — you’re number two.’ […] So she got up, and she’s a great speaker — had everybody laughing. So it’s my turn to get up. I said, ‘I met Daryl — didn’t know him very well, but the one thing I know about Daryl is how well he made my wife feel.’ Because my wife’s from Paris, and she likes to make chocolate mousse. And Daryl would always call on Easter Sunday and say, ‘Pascal, we want you to come over, I know that you’ve been invited, but please bring me some chocolate mousse that’s a big bowl just for me.’ And I said, ‘Daryl was always delighted to have Pascal come over and present her with the chocolate mousse.’ So I told that story, and then all of a sudden there was a lineup of people behind me. ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ And everybody in the place got up and started telling me their stories.”
Letting it Flow
“When I was in the second grade, I was the leader — the MC, if you will — for K-8 for several weeks over in Vancouver, Washington. And I would lead the group, and I really, really enjoyed it. But the Mother Superior came over and said, ‘Terry, we’re going to relieve you of this job because you’re not a good boy on the playground.’ And […] the message I got was I’m not good enough, so I sat down and never got up to speak until I was in my late 40s, early 50s. So I was squelched. That’s the title of the book. A lot of us have been squelched, and we don’t know that we’ve been squelched. But what that does is it tears up our self-esteem and our self-confidence, so any little residue that’s left is what comes through in public speaking. So when I get up, I want to do a good job, but I’m not going to worry about what somebody’s thinking about me or the judgment. So I’m not judging others, and I’m not caring if somebody’s judging me. By letting all that judgment go away, I just let it flow.”
Moving Beyond the Fear
“I was fortunate. I had somebody take me by the hand and introduce me to Toastmasters, and then we started this other group that I mentioned a little bit ago.
But we don’t have judgment. We don’t have constructive criticism. We have 25-35 people in our group and people come from all over the place. Some people come in from Germany and Mexico on hybrid just to watch us and participate. And when you go into a safe harbor, a safe environment, people get up. We have people from 16 to 87 who belong to our group. And what happens when people come in, and they feel it’s a safe environment, they get up, and they talk, and we clap. Everybody is validated.”
Using Your Voice
“I see this all the time. Leadership courses are being given, directed by HR people who don’t have their voices, so they have an expectation that they don’t even have of themselves. And if you want your kids to do it, you do it first. As my two sons found their voices, it was because they were watching me. I didn’t say, ‘You must do this,’ but they saw me having more and more fun with it, so of course, they wanted to try it too. But I think in corporations, it’s no different than any organization or any community. When people feel good about themselves, they feel good about other people.”
Taboo Topics
“There’s another thing that really adds to this safe harbor environment. There is no discussion of politics, religion, or fundraising. We’re not setting the group up for an argument. So somebody’s coming in trying to find their voice, and then somebody says, ‘Well, what do you think about this, or what do you think about that politically? Yeah. You’ve just invited an argument. And somebody who’s already squelched and shut down is not going to want to raise a hand, and they’re not going to want to find their voice. And the other thing worth noting — they probably won’t be back to another meeting.”
Focusing on You
“I think we need to get over capital comparison — who’s got which car, who’s got what house, who’s got the biggest swimming pool, who’s got the second or third home. That’s the stuff I call it. I’m finding out that my own biggest project to work on is to grow myself, and I find that the root of that is public speaking and being able to get up and present.”
LEARN MORE
Reach out to Terry Beard directly at https://www.terrybeard.com. You can also check out speakersalliance.org or FYVcommunications.com to learn how to find your voice.