Most of all presence is about looking and feeling comfortable in a space. It suggests readiness. This is not quite the same as happy high status, which suggests availability to lead or to command.

As the novelist Philip Roth said of his work: ‘Over the years what you develop is a tolerance for your own crudeness. And patience with your own crap, really. Belief in your crap, which is just “stay with your crap and it will get better, and come back every day and keep going”.’

This is not a time to be quiet, keep your head down and hope that someone might hear your modest, interesting whisper.

—Pace is often dictated by nerves, and nerves can also be controlled by the breath. If you’re gabbling, register that and take a moment. Feel the soles of your feet on the floor; let your brain drop into your stomach; breathe through your feet. Relax. Pick up your thought and start again.

‘There is zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.’

The main factors influencing successful public speaking are these: commitment, practice and guts.

If everyone listened to their inner critic, nothing good would ever happen.

accepting that nerves and anxiety are a part of life.

You can’t get around fear. You can only go through it.