188 | How to Speak With More Confidence and Authority - with Sara Bagheri

You can know exactly what you want to say, then the moment you hit record, walk into a networking event or start speaking in front of a room, suddenly your voice changes. You speed up, forget to breathe, lose your words or simply don’t sound as confident as you know you can be.

Joanna is joined by Sara Bagheri, founder of Fluence Comms and a speech, language and voice therapist with over 20 years’ clinical experience. They explore what actually makes someone sound confident and authoritative, why nerves affect your voice and the small, practical changes you can make to how you speak - without trying to become someone you’re not.

In this episode:

01:20 – Slow Down and Pause

05:40 – What Nerves Do to Your Voice

10:30 – Release Tension Before Speaking

15:10 – Change Your Pace Naturally

19:00 – Stop Upspeak Undermining You

25:20 – Build Trust in 30 Seconds

30:20 – Practise Before the Big Moment

You don’t need to wait for the big presentation, webinar or networking event to practise. Start using your voice differently in the everyday conversations you’re already having.

Your next step: Record yourself speaking for just 30 seconds. Watch it back with curiosity rather than criticism and notice one thing that worked well and one thing you’d like to practise.