Raele Altano says knowing how to speak isn't enough without practice. Talking aloud alone desensitizes you to your own voice and builds mental pathways for real-time performance. Use a mirror, record yourself, make content, or have someone flag filler words.
Listen, you can get all the tips you want on public speaking, speaking well, articulating your points clearly, knowing what you want to say and how to say it. But if you don't actually practice and talk out loud and prepare, it's going to be very hard for you to make real improvement. You have to practice. I know it might feel cringe to talk out loud, especially when there's no one around you, but the more you talk, the more you get used to talking, hearing yourself speak, how you say things, how your brain functions as you're speaking, the better you will get at speaking when it actually counts in real time. So talk in the mirror a little bit before an event or before a meeting. Record yourself speaking and listen back to that recording. Listen to how you sound. Make content, film yourself talking about whatever. Pick a topic and just talk about it. See how your face looks when you talk, the expressions that you make. Get to know yourself and how you present and how you speak. You don't have to post it. Keep it in your drafts if you want. Find a partner, have them listen to you talk and call you out when you use too many filler words. But bottom line, you have to practice. You have to get comfortable so you're not a total deer in headlights when you face the moment in real time. And this goes for self-advocacy and speaking up for yourself too. The more you practice, the quicker you'll be able to think on your feet and have responses banked when you need them. So practice. I promise you it will pay off.
