Before You Speak: How We Prepare to Perform
By Lauren Shear
Whether preparing for a big presentation, navigating a tough conversation, or stepping on stage, we all have techniques that help us transition from preparation to performance. Inspired by a recent New York Times article, here’s what the Spoken with Authority team shared about how they warm up to show up at their best.
🎶 Amanda: Playlists and Planning
Amanda is all about music that matches the moment, from seasonal soundtracks to energizing playlists. She also finds power in preparation:
Knowing the physical setup
Visualizing how it will feel
Embracing flexibility once things start
📓 Amyah: Get Loud, Reframe, and Visualize Success
Amyah focuses on voice activation and mindset. She uses singing or even “screaming a song in the car” to transition from soft-spoken to presenter-ready. She also journals in the past tense, visualizing success: “That meeting went well. I exuded exactly the confidence I wanted.”
👅 Bjørn: Activate the Voice, Focus the Mind
Bjørn warms up with tongue twisters to get his voice and articulation ready. Check out Chapter 2, page 17 from Presenting Now to see what tongue twisters Bjørn turns to the most.
He also chooses a mantra or guiding theme for each presentation—whether a simple word like “clear” or a meaningful phrase like “You are providing something of value.” The mantra shifts based on context and mindset, but one rule always applies: good vibes only.
🙆♀️ Christine: From Toes to Nose
Christine recommends full-body grounding before speaking—what she calls “settling from your toes to your nose.” Her checklist:
Plant your feet wide and engage core muscles
Roll shoulders back and adjust your posture
Adjust the mic, breathe deeply, and smile
Wait for the audience to settle before starting
“It’s a moment to fully claim your space—physically, mentally, and vocally.”
📍 David: Own the Room by Owning the Moment
David has layered rituals, from private time and prayer to conversation. His key idea? “Bring the room to where you are—on your terms.” He shared how approaching public figures like Al Sharpton and Eddie Glaude helped shift his nerves to comfort before going live on MSNBC. “You don’t have to wait for the stage to set the tone. You can start shaping it before the spotlight turns on.”
📵 Jean: Power Down to Focus In
Rather than warming up the voice, Jean prioritizes preserving it. Her ritual includes:
A final sip of water
Powering down her phone completely to eliminate distractions and be fully present
It’s a quiet but powerful move toward presence.
🔒 Lauren: Lock In Physically and Mentally
Lauren draws from her sports background and uses the question: "What do you need to be at your best when your best is required?" She also uses a physical lock—a memento from her coaching days—to ground herself before high-stakes moments.
🗣️ Lisa: Sing for Joy and Step Away to Center
Lisa turns up the music on her commute—not just to warm up her voice, but to set a joyful tone. She also carves out alone time before speaking, even if it means “getting a drink of water you don’t need,” to mentally flip the switch and regain control before stepping on.
🧘♀️ Lynne: Breathe Inward, Project Outward
Lynne focuses on breath as intention. Her approach is to start by going inward—calming herself through breath—and then making a deliberate decision to project outward, with control and connection: “Let’s go inside first… You control how you breathe out and how you connect.”
💃🏻 Michele: Move to Regulate, Breathe to Center
Michele checks in with herself before any event to determine whether she needs to regulate up or down. For energy and focus, she walks, dances, or uses a treadmill—boosting both breath control and mental clarity. To calm her nerves, she turns to deep breathing and an intentional affirmation she’s developed for the moment, helping to quiet the nervous system and ground her presence.
🎤 Robert: Vocal Warm-Ups with Glee Club Roots
Robert draws from his Morehouse Glee Club experience. His go-to? Vocal warmups that include mouth and diaphragm exercises—like scale work and mouth-stretching sequences—to fully activate his instrument: “No, no, no, nah, no…”
What’s Your Warm-Up Ritual?
Ready to create a warm-up ritual that works for you? Our talented Spoken with Authority coaches are here to guide you. Schedule time with us to develop and practice techniques that build confidence and presence in a range of workplace speaking situations.
