All the way WHERE for what? You Bet!

Friends, family, and clients keep asking me, “Really? You flew all the way to America just to learn how to talk?”

Picture this: I am standing in picturesque Lambertville, New Jersey, feeling like I’ve stepped into Hogwarts for speakers (minus the magic wands).

I’m at THE Heroic Public Speaking Academy, and let me tell you, it’s not your average “stand up straight and speak clearly” school.

Michael and Amy Port, our wizards-in-residence, aren’t just teaching us to speak. They’re showing us how to cast spells with our words and make an audience lean in, eyes wide, hanging on every word. It’s the craft behind the craft, the secret sauce of transformation.

Now, I’ll be honest. Day one? I was terrified—exhilarated but terrified. I’m talking sweaty palms, racing hearts, the works. But then something magical happened (and no, it wasn’t those ridiculously good chocolate cookies they serve at lunch, though they certainly helped! 🍪).

We started diving deep—think surgical-precision deep. Every gesture, inflection, and pause is dissected and reassembled for maximum impact. It’s rigorous, painstaking, and immersive.

But you know what? I’m loving every minute of it. Even when I’m fumbling through an exercise, feeling like I’ve suddenly forgotten how words work. I’m surrounded by this incredible community of kind, determined souls, all united in our mission to change the world, one speech at a time.

Here are three things I learnt:

• Embrace the mess as you work on your script and presentation. You iterate to great, but it never happens in your first or even your fifth draft.

• You have the most impact on stage when you are not speaking or moving. There is great power in silence and stillness. This is incredibly hard to do and takes practice.

• Hold on to your hat for this one. Every 1 minute of content takes 1 hour of rehearsal. So, a 45-minute speech takes 45 hours of rehearsal. I knoooowwwwww. That’s why professional speakers are so good at what they do. Humble brag:)

Thank you to @Steph Clarke for inspiring me to take this leap. And to my fellow voyagers on this wild ride, your support and shared wide-eyed wonder make even the toughest days feel like adventures. Thank you.

Here’s a clip of me in rehearsal – a peek behind the scenes. It’s raw, but that’s what rehearsals are for.