In any field, if you haven’t done the work, don’t teach others how to do it.
I once met someone who started his own business. A few months in, he had no clients and was back job hunting. On his CV, he described himself as a business development consultant.
That raised a question: if you can help others grow their business, why couldn’t you grow yours?
I’ve seen it happen in many fields. People share advice on things they haven’t done themselves. Leadership coaches who’ve never led a team. Innovation experts who never build anything new. Presentation trainers who give boring talks. Time management coaches who are always late.
I once heard Adam Grant say that he doesn’t accept a perfect ten when asking for feedback.
Why?
Because there’s always room to improve.
Perfection doesn’t exist.
After every podcast appearance, he asks the host, “What’s one thing I could’ve done better?”
He wants to improve. Bit by bit. Episode by episode.
Now imagine doing the same after every presentation.
Instead of just hearing, “Well done,” try asking yourself: What’s one thing I could do differently next time?
I grew up Catholic, like many in Italy. But when I moved to London, I met people from all walks of life, each with different beliefs.
It made me wonder: “Am I really the only one who happened to be raised with the right beliefs?”
Over time, I drifted from religion and found myself drawn to science and the mysteries of the universe.
And when you start thinking about life’s big questions, you inevitably think about death too.
In the film Jaws, you don’t see the shark for most of the movie.
Director Steven Spielberg made that choice on purpose.
By keeping the creature hidden, he let the audience’s imagination do the work – building tension and fear better than any visual could.
When you present, think of your storyline like Spielberg’s shark.
You need a clear structure – but you don’t have to reveal it all at once.
People often say practice makes perfect.
It doesn’t.
Practice only reinforces whatever you repeat.
If you keep rehearsing the same habits, you’ll get better at those habits – even the unhelpful ones.
Repetition without feedback makes those flaws harder to shake off.
That’s why great presenters don’t rely on practice alone. They record themselves. They ask for honest input. They look for the small adjustments that make the biggest difference.
In Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck describes something she calls the trap of talent – the tendency for naturally skilled people to stop improving because things come easily to them.
When someone feels confident without trying, they often prepare less. They rely on instinct.
Over time, that comfort turns into complacency, and their growth slows.
If presenting doesn’t feel natural to you, don’t see it as a weakness. It means you’re more likely to prepare, practise and improve.
In this episode, breathing educator Jane Tarrant explains how breathing habits affect confidence, voice, posture, anxiety and presence when speaking in high-pressure business situations. We explore diaphragmatic breathing, the “D-spot,” storytelling, and practical ways to feel calmer and more connected when presenting.
Breathing affects far more than most business leaders realise.
It shapes how your voice sounds in a meeting. It affects how calm you feel before a presentation. It influences your posture, your pacing, and how connected you feel to the people listening to you.
In Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari writes that humans dominate the planet not because we’re the strongest or fastest, but because of our unique ability to tell shared stories.
Money, nations, laws – these are all imagined realities. They don’t exist in nature, but they exist in our minds because we collectively believe in them. That shared belief allows us to collaborate in large numbers, unlike any other species.
Words made this possible.
