I check the map on my phone and I’m still 8 minutes away. 

“Well, I’ve gotten this far, might as well keep going.”

I’m in Brussels to give a TEDx talk. I still have hours to go, but I decided to pop out of the hotel to get the largest coffee I could find, then spend some time reading my book. 

I just needed to take my mind off the talk before I worked myself into an anxious mess. I’m ready as I’ll ever be, no point fretting about it now. 

After walking around a little, I couldn’t find any coffee shop that looked particularly promising, so I looked for the closest Starbucks and made my way there. 

But I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, because I’ve been walking for ages and I’m still not there. When I finally arrive, I realise why the map looked familiar: 

It’s in the central train station I passed through coming from the airport the day before. Not the most inspiring place to spend time in. But I’m here now, so I get the largest coffee they have and settle down to read. 

***

Back to the hotel, I look into the lobby, and that’s when I see it: 

A coffee machine. One of those old ones, with buttons for black coffee, cappuccino or hot water. There’s no coin slot, or card machine for payment, so it must be free for guests. 

I’m feeling like a right idiot: why did I trek 30 mins into town to drink an overpriced burned coffee at a train station, when I could’ve been chilling here, drinking free coffee? 

I still have time to kill, so I get myself another coffee, sit down, and get back to my book. 

Two coffees later, I’m ready to go back to my room, when the guy from reception walks in, sees me there with an empty cup, and does a double-take: 

“Sir, you can’t just get coffee like that, it’s only for breakfast. You’ll have to pay for that.”

“Oh. Ok. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise…”

So I pay for my three overpriced bad coffees, and feel like even more of an idiot. 

On the other hand, though… 

I haven’t been thinking about my talk at all, so… mission accomplished? 😅

It’s never chill…

Here’s a lie about speaking I wish was true: there are some people who feel 100% comfortable doing it. 

While most are a bag of nervous, there are these rare unicorns who just stroll on stage, sound like they were born to speak, and enjoy every second of it. 

That sounds lovely, but it’s just not true. At least it’s not for almost any speaker I’ve ever met. It’s surely not true for me. Every time I speak, my mouth goes dry, my stomach gets unsettled, and I feel all sorts of nervous energy that turns into weird ticks just before I get on stage. 

(If you ever see me live, try to spot me while I’m standing on the sidelines before being called up on stage: I guarantee you’ll see me adjusting my glasses and pulling my socks up an unjustifiable number of times 😂). 

…But it doesn’t need to be terrible

There’s a big difference between pro speakers and everyone else: although there isn’t a great deal we can do about the physical nerves (which are normal, and caused by adrenaline), there’s plenty we can do about the mental side of it. And it all boils down to one thing: prep. 

My body may feel uncomfortable but, in my head, I’m not anxious at all. Because I know I’ve done everything I could. 

Which is why, on the day I’m giving the most important talk of my life, I can waste time (and money!) chasing terrible coffee around Brussels and not thinking about what I’ll do on stage.

Next time you have to speak, prep like a pro…

Then you can do that too 🤘

-Francisco 

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