In this episode of the "This Moved Me" podcast, host Sally Koering Zimney addresses the pervasive myth of a perfect presentation, especially for those she calls "unspeakers"—people who feel insecure about public speaking. She recounts watching a speaker she coached deliver a talk that, while authentic and moving, was far from flawless, illustrating the emotional turbulence that precedes a live performance. Sally outlines the common technical and environmental hiccups that can derail a talk (e.g., faulty tech, unexpected questions, lighting issues) and argues that striving for perfection actually creates a barrier between speaker and audience. By embracing messiness, vulnerability, and the theatrical nature of live speaking, presenters can foster genuine connection and "presentation magic." Throughout, she offers encouragement, shares personal anecdotes (e.g., feeling like a mother bird watching fledglings), and provides community updates about upcoming guests, a website revamp, and future episodes. The episode serves as both a motivational pep talk and practical guide for anyone looking to step onto the stage without the weight of perfection.
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Hey everybody and welcome to This Moved Me, a podcast about creating talks that move the world. Episode 177 on speaking and perfection. I don't like the way I said that. I'm gonna do it again. With me, your host, Sally Koering Zimney, together with some fabulous guests, we will have a casual conversation about the art of public speaking, because a good talk can move the world, and it'll be fun. Yeah, I would think making alien cows meaningful, that's not a small task. I love your giggle. Wow. Oh my gosh, just waiting for everybody to figure out the alphabet. Hello, my unspeakers. It is great to be to be back with you. Last week, I hope that there are some of you out there who owned the term "unspeaker" in a new and powerful way, because that is what you are. So I want to tackle this week an idea that we unspeakers—well, everybody, really, but especially unspeakers—wrestle with, because we have this idea in our head about what a talk should look like, and it's usually not nearly as messy as what it actually is. And so I want to share with you some thoughts about the idea of perfection. Oh my gosh, like, as human beings, it's so hard. It was really inspired by a speaker of mine whose talk launched just this morning.. And I got to watch her via video from across the country as she was debuting this talk that we have worked really hard on together over the last month. And she has invested so much of herself really trying on a different approach. She really transformed her approach and walked with me on this journey to speak in a more authentic, connected way. I mean, she is an unspeaker in the best of ways. And as I was watching her today, I would like literally cheered out loud and got choked up because she nailed it, and it was so inspiring to watch, and I was transported to maybe a week ago or 10 days ago when she looked at me like, "What are we doing?" And it was that moment when I asked her to stand up and give the content a go, right? It's the first time that we're kind of trying it on for size, right? All the words that we've fussed over, the ideas that, you know, we've so thoughtfully and painstakingly clarified, really dug deep to get closer and closer to the truth of what it is that we want to say. And then we're at the moment, right, where we're like, "Okay, let's get this up on its feet." Taking it from theory to practice. And it can feel like a big and scary moment.. And in those moments, I hear things like, "I am feeling really vulnerable right now," and "I'm so nervous," and "Ugh, I hate this," and "What if I hate this talk?" And one time I heard, "I hate you, Sally Koering Zimney." And I know that the fear that's in the core of all of that is this: I am really putting myself into this, and what if it doesn't work? Or what if I look stupid? What if it doesn't live up to this idea I have in my head? I get it. I totally get it. And there is no way to get to the other side without going through. And to get through We have to get uncomfortable and messy. We have to, and I'm sure that you've heard this before, you have to let go of whatever perfect presentation you have in your head that we might imagine for ourselves that makes taking this step so hard. Because the perfect presentation does not exist. And I think we all know that in our heads, we know that, but it still haunts us. Aside from the fact that most presentations are full of potential and actual foibles, right? Here's just a few, right? Your tech doesn't work exactly right. Someone asks you a tough question you weren't expecting. The air conditioner is really loud. Your mic's uncomfortable and distracting you. The projector's color settings are off and your slides look weird. The light's coming in from the windows at the totally wrong angle, making it hard for people to see your video or making it hard for you to see people. They got there early, they came in late, you got lost, you ate something weird, the person who spoke before you was a real bore and you're left to deal with the aftermath. I mean, oh my gosh, I could go on and on and on. So we have got to put "perfect" out of our vocabulary when it comes to presentations, because it is live theater. And that's what makes speaking so incredibly powerful and engaging and interesting and, yes, scary. But if we can embrace our humanity in this live theater experience and just accept that it's gonna not be perfect. If we can be fully present and really embody our content, worry less about being perfect and more about being connected, well, that's when we can create presentation magic. Because honestly, if everything goes off without a hitch, if it's perfect, quote unquote, I find those tucks kind of untouchable, far off, like beyond the fourth wall. It misses something. Untouchable is a great way to think about it because I feel like I can't touch it. I feel like I can't interact with it. I can't feel it. It's hard to connect with. And it can make the audience feel almost like they're watching a movie. Movie rather than they're watching this real live human being up there who's doing this big profound thing. I mean, part of what makes it interesting is that we're watching another human being take a good risk, a kind of risk where you know they're pushing themselves in a good way. I mean, movies are great, but I feel like they just pale in comparison to watching someone bravely step into a space to commune with an audience because they feel compelled to, because the idea is pushing them forward, because you have something to say and you're willing to risk to say it. That's powerful. So In those moments, as I look to you in our practice and say, "Go for it whenever you're ready," know that I'm not saying, "Go for it whenever you're perfect," or, "Go for it as long as it's up to a certain standard." I mean, let's just step out there, right? Whenever you're ready to courageously start, and we will face whatever it is that's in front of you. Know that you are doing something really profound and important, and your bravery inspires me, and that I am here for you, cheering you on the entire way. Got that on speakers? I hope so, because And just this week, I've seen so many of my speakers launch incredible talks out into the world. And it— I feel like such a mama bird. I'm like, "Fly, little baby birds!" Even though they're not baby birds at all. These are like incredible human beings doing incredible things. But doing a talk can make you feel sort of like a baby bird. Like, "Oh my God, I hope my wings work." I hope this— I hope I can fly. And then you do. Then you do, and it's really cool to see. So, and I hope you guys enjoyed the outside noise of me sitting on my back patio. Actually, it's my mom's back patio. I am enjoying her gorgeous space out here off Irvine Park in St. Paul. You guys ever been there? So beautiful. It's a gorgeous day. Thanks for listening. So next week I've got an interview with the amazing Mel Burt Grasek. She's a good friend with Jason Freeman. And if you enjoyed the Jason Freeman episode, which if you listened to it, I hope that you did because I found it to be so inspiring and amazing. And Mel is one of those people where just the well runs really deep. And we had such a cool conversation. So I can't wait for you to hear it. That's next week. And I better update you on the website, because you might be wondering, "What's happening with the website, Sally?" It's coming along. It's looking so good, I can't wait. I can't wait. I think we're at T-minus 2 weeks. That's what I'm gonna say. But holy cow, that means I need to get my butt in gear, people. And it's like day 2 of summer in my house. Holy cow. Here we go. I'm getting it figured out. It's just a few things going on. But it's good. It's all good. Right? It's an adventure. Let's go for it, right? All right, unspeakers, to see you next week. We are creating talks that move the world. Let's go do it. Hey everybody, a final— mompalompompompom. Okay, bye-bye.
