How to Speak So People Actually Listen
The mindset, rituals and shifts that turn nerves into clarity.
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I have been following Nausheen for quite a while and I knew from the start that I wanted to speak with her. But at the same time, I was a bit afraid. Imagine speaking with someone so experienced, not only as a public speaker, speaking coach and someone with real presence, but also as a podcaster. There is something about the way she shows up online that just makes you stop and listen. And I had that same experience during our recording. She speaks clearly, calmly, and with a quiet confidence that you cannot help but admire. She dropped some pieces of wisdom that will stay with me for a long time. Believe me when I say I could have asked her questions all day.
How to Own the Room: Presence, Energy, and Speaking With Intent | #107: Nausheen I. Chen
Nausheen I. Chen is a public speaking coach, TEDx speaker, ex-filmmaker, and former Fortune 50 manager who’s helped over 500 leaders speak with clarity and confidence on stage and on camera. She’s trained execs at Google, Amazon and SAP, coached LinkedIn creators like Sophie Miller and Ruben Hassid, and teaches public speaking at Central European University and on LinkedIn Learning. From film sets in China to TEDx stages across the world, Nausheen brings a rare mix of storytelling, improv, and leadership to her work.
In this episode, she shares how to build unshakable confidence, even if you’ve always feared public speaking. We talk stage presence, nerves, pre-talk rituals, and what it really takes to connect with an audience, whether it’s a packed theatre or a laptop webcam. Nausheen also opens up about her filmmaking years, her first TEDx talk, and why confidence has nothing to do with personality and everything to do with preparation.
TEDx Talks:
Lessons:
Confidence Is Not a Trait. It’s a Skill.
Rituals Beat Raw Talent Every Time
Your Energy Is the Message
Forget the Niche. Just Start.
You’re More in Control Than You Think
Lesson 1: Confidence Is Not a Personality Trait
We often think confident people are just built differently. Outgoing. Loud. Naturally sure of themselves. But Nausheen has coached hundreds of leaders, and what she sees over and over again is this: confidence is a skill. It is not something you are born with. It is something you practise. The people who speak with power are not always the boldest or the most extroverted. They are the ones who prepare, who rehearse, and who decide to show up even when their voice shakes.
What really stood out to me is that your body reacts the same way when you are nervous as it does when you are excited. Same sweaty palms. Same racing heart. Same overthinking. The difference is what story you tell yourself about those symptoms. So the next time you are about to go live, step on stage or hit record, try this small shift: I am not nervous. I am excited. That one mindset tweak can change how you carry yourself. And over time, it helps you build real confidence that lasts.
Lesson 2: Rituals Matter More Than Talent
Most people think great speakers are just naturally good at it. But when Nausheen broke down what actually makes the difference, it had nothing to do with talent. It came down to preparation. Specifically, having a ritual. A consistent, intentional process to calm the nerves and get into the zone. Nausheen’s worked with TEDx speakers, CEOs and creators across industries, and the one thing they have in common is that they do not wing it. They create space to get ready before the spotlight hits.
Her own ritual starts ten minutes before speaking. She removes herself from the room. No small talk. No distractions. Just time to run through her intro, check how she looks, and do vocal and facial warmups. It is not about perfection. It is about getting present. And it works. Most people wait to feel confident. But what Nausheen teaches is that rituals create that confidence. They give your mind and body something to rely on. When things feel uncertain, your ritual reminds you that you are ready.
Lesson 3: Your Energy Sets the Tone
If you are bored, distracted or unsure when you speak, your audience will feel the same. This is something Nausheen sees all the time. Speakers who sound flat on camera. Leaders who lose the room without even realising it. The reason? When you are speaking, you set the emotional tone. You are the ceiling and the floor. People will not bring more energy than what you are giving them. And if you show up like you would rather be anywhere else, they will too.
But the good news is that it works in the other direction as well. If you show up with intention, warmth and clarity, people mirror that back. It does not mean you need to be loud or overly animated. It just means showing that you care. Bringing real presence. The best speakers do not just deliver strong content. They bring strong energy. And that energy, even through a screen, makes people pay attention.
Lesson 4: You Do Not Need a Niche to Begin
We are constantly told to niche down. To get more specific. To pick one clear path. But Nausheen never did that. She loved the stage just as much as the camera. She had a background in improv, a career in filmmaking, and a passion for helping people communicate. Instead of choosing one lane, she created her own. One that made space for all of it. And over time, that blend became her positioning.
It is a good reminder that clarity does not always come at the start. Sometimes you have to begin with what you are curious about and let the clarity emerge later. When Nausheen first started coaching, she did not have a polished message or a clear brand. But she had experience. She had insight. And most importantly, she had something useful to share. That was enough to get going. And that is usually the case for most of us too.
Lesson 5: You Have More Control Than You Think
If you have ever told yourself you are just not a confident speaker, you are not alone. Nausheen has worked with people in their fifties and sixties who avoided public speaking their whole lives. People who had built careers around staying behind the scenes. But here is what she teaches: confidence is not fixed. Speaking is a skill. And you have more control than you think. How you speak, how you show up, how you respond to fear, all of it can be trained.
We often assume we need to change our personality to become more confident. But what we really need is practice. Support. A few tools that help us speak with intention. And the decision to stop waiting. Nausheen’s story is proof that it is never too late to change how you show up. It starts with recognising that confidence is not something you either have or do not have. It is something you build one rep at a time.
We talked about public speaking, but honestly, the whole conversation felt bigger than that. It was about showing up, overcoming fear, believing in yourself and most importantly, having fun. Getting your energy right so that your audience can feel it. Preparing properly. Learning to stop waiting until you feel ready. She shared stories that really stuck with me, including a few funny ones, and how she learned from those moments and figured things out along the way. I left this one with a bunch of ideas I want to try myself. I have no doubt you will find it helpful, inspiring, and probably end up wanting to discover more. Luckily, she creates a lot of great content, so make sure to check it out and enjoy.
Keep producing,
Tommen
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