On Leading Truffle Crusades & Speaking Fearlessly

28 Jan 2015, by Susan Alexander Truffles in Company News

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Whoever said that speaking in public is terrifying certainly wasn’t lying. And I would know because, heaps of speaking events later, I still melt into a puddle of quivering nerves whenever I have to talk in front a crowd—big or small.

Isn’t it everyone’s biggest fear, though? There’s so much that can go wrong—from mispronouncing easy words, down to blanking out. You get up there and you feel your stomach doing a 360, and adrenaline rush just hitting you hard. You plaster on a smile, then talk, but holy macaroni, those butterflies just won’t stop! It’s an entirely different story, though, when you’re on a crusade to change global gourmet with truffles: you put your #GirlBoss pants on and #hustle.

Little Steps to Fearless Speaking

Trust me when I say that I’ve tried different tricks to overcome this fear. Joke about my nervousness? Yup. Imagine the audience as friends I haven’t seen for a decade? Uhuh. Do power poses? Oh, yes! But reading Gary Genard’s Fearless Speaking was my favorite! Okay, not exactly a “trick”—books are learning tools, after all!—but it sure helped me unleash my vocal power. It’s this life-changing book filled with “Aha!” moments; a courage-builder that will, for sure, last a lifetime! And I say this because it offers a clear picture of how to make our voices heard to others exactly as we intended. The book cuts to the heart of what speakers of all sorts deal with, and it does that without resorting to picture-your-audience-naked type of clichés.

… those butterflies just won’t stop! It’s an entirely different story, though, when you’re on a crusade to change global gourmet with truffles: you put your #GirlBoss pants on and #hustle.

Now fast-forward to when more and more people were learning about the orchard. Many stories, interviews, and inquiries were being scheduled for me as president for media/press. All was good, as I felt like I was merely speaking with friends. They were like hosting a party, so it was a lot of fun—until Fox News called for a live TV interview for prime time showing. Dun, dun, dun!

Susan Alexander on Fox News

That One Time With Fox News

A remote camera crew came to the orchard and, man, oh, man, I was LIVE! I was nervous then excited then back to nervous. I really had to prepare in a different way—we’re talking about millions of viewers! And being in the CEO position, I also had to follow securities exchange laws. I practiced speaking clearly, had no single clue as to what questions I’d be asked—so much studying of all the possibilities! It was a very hot day, and many bees were swarming the area we were filming in, but hey, it was LIVE, so I had to ignore everything around me and answer the commentator.

It’s this life-changing book filled with “Aha!” moments; a courage-builder that will, for sure, last a lifetime! And I say this because it offers a clear picture of how to make our voices heard to others exactly as we intended.

It was light and easy once I got into the conversation of the interview. As Gary tells us, be yourself, and “on” it is a different place where you find your true voice. The interview was a total success, and I was nervous to begin with an adrenaline rush, anticipating the interview.

So does my stomach still do a 360? For sure! Do adrenaline rushes still hit me hard? Absolutely! But I’ve also come to understand how, whenever I get up in front of a crowd—regardless of how many times I’ve done it, I’m always going to be nervous. And that’s okay. Equipped with the wisdom I acquired from reading Fearless Speaking, I can now face any audience with confidence and ease.