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