Everyone’s blagging it

Words by Brad Burton

In my early days as a motivational speaker, I’d be backstage absolutely sh**ting myself, like feeling sick, sick ahead of a 30 min seminar that I’d somehow talked myself into... best idea ever… now the WORST idea ever. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, you’re gonna absolutely love him, prepared to be inspired, fired up and motivated, it’s MR BRAD BURTON…”

Game face on, the curtain would come back and I’d bound onto stage, with seemingly limitless energy, supreme confidence and stage presence, pointing at imaginary people in the audience, just as you’d expect a motivational speaker to do!

And then a couple of tried and tested autopilot gags and I’d magically forget how terrified I was just minutes before. 

When I first started professional speaking over a decade ago this is how it was, is and this is how it had to be.

 I’ve honed and perfected my talent since then, and I’ve also learnt that no-one can see your nerves

Like no one. Yet you can absolutely feel them.

 I also used to think it was just me that was blagging it.

Just like you think it’s just you.

 Nope. Dragons from the Den. Blagging it.

Pop stars with #1 hits. Blagging it. 

Trust me I spoke privately to many people who seemingly you would have NO idea that they had any kind of self-doubt.

I remember being on a speaker line-up once with a World Champion boxer.

Backstage he told me his heart was always pounding before a title defence fight… but he just couldn’t show fear, after all 10’s of millions of people globally were tuned in watching, as was his opponent, in the opposite corner who had trained equally hard and truth be known, probably also had his heart pounding.

 In that world, show fear, you lose.

 Anything you want is probably on the other side of blagging it, other side of fear.

 We can’t all be Elon Musk, Jeff Bezozs or Brad Burton!

But we can be a better version of ourself, It’s about finding your level, and pushing just beyond the fear mode, into the learning zone, where we find our growth.

I’ve been motivating audiences for over 10 years now, and the nerves are not as ‘there’ like they once were, but on occasion, for no rhyme, nor reason, yet *ping* FEAR AND DREAD suddenly just*ping* into my brain

What if this is the time when I die on stage, what if they don’t like me, what if…

Unless of course, the reason for them *pings* is, because I’m human.

We all are.

 The first person you have to convince of your brilliance is you.

 No one is born an expert, and at some point, the expert you look up to, was blagging it.

 Everyone is, until of course, they reach the point when they are not!

Keep going, keep on doing it, whatever it is, I promise you this, IT does get easier, trust me I’m a motivational speaker, who I think it’s fair to say, is NO longer blagging it!

Brad Burton is a motivational speaker and the founder of 4Networking. He is also the author of four books: Get Off Your Arse; Get Off Your Arse Too; Life, Business Just Got Easier and Now What?

He mentors hundreds within his private members group as well as quarterly self-development events. He also runs his own speaker agency, Speaker Seeker to showcase the best business speakers in the UK.