Ever found yourself second-guessing everything before a big meeting or presentation—even though you know your stuff?
That is something I’ve struggled with and today’s guest helps you silence that inner critic once and for all.
I’m joined by Julie Campbell, also known as The Confidence Whisperer. She’s an Off-Broadway actor turned communication coach and the founder of Center Stage Connections, where she helps professionals speak like the expert they already are—and the leader they’re becoming.
In this conversation, Julie shares:
- The #1 mistake even smart, experienced experts make when presenting
- How to shift from shrinking in high-stakes moments to showing up with confidence
- Her deeply personal journey—from surviving domestic violence to empowering others through her signature Talk and Be You™ method
Let’s Recap: Why Confidence Isn’t the Starting Line
We spend so much energy chasing confidence as if it’s a finish line we’ll eventually cross. But the secret to speaking that truly moves people isn’t confidence at all. It’s choosing courage and building a structure that supports you when nerves try to knock you off course. That truth came alive in our conversation with Julie Campbell, an off-Broadway actor turned communication coach known as “The Confidence Whisperer.” Her core message is refreshingly simple: you already know your material, and your audience wants what you have to say. Your job is to focus on who you serve, design a path through your talk, and manage your mind and body so you can show up as yourself. When you stop performing confidence and start practicing presence, real authority emerges.
Start With the Audience, Not Your Anxiety
Julie flips one of the most common mistakes smart professionals make: centering their talk on what they want to say instead of what the audience needs first. Anxiety pulls your attention inward—toward your heartbeat, your breathing, your own self-judgment. The antidote is to redirect that attention outward. Begin with a moment your listeners recognize, name their problem in their language, and anchor the promise of your talk.
She emphasizes simple tools that regulate your physiology: a five-song pump-up playlist reserved only for big moments, two minutes of movement to discharge stress hormones, and a short self-talk script that uses your first name in the voice of your most supportive friend. The science behind this is tight and practical: novelty plus rhythm disrupts rumination, movement burns off cortisol, and third-person self-talk creates healthy emotional distance from spiraling thoughts.
Courage Before Confidence
From there, Julie draws a clear line between confidence and courage. Confidence is something people often assign to you after they’ve seen you speak. Courage is the choice you make before you open your mouth. Courage says: do it nervous, do it with shaky hands, do it anyway.
This matters even more when your toughest audience isn’t strangers but people you know—family, colleagues, mentors—whose opinions feel weightier than a room full of strangers. Instead of pretending those people aren’t there, Julie borrows the improv “yes-and” principle: acknowledge the pressure and expand your focus to the larger group you’re there to serve. You’re not eliminating nerves; you’re redirecting your attention back to the mission behind your message.
The Tightrope Story Walk Strategy
At the center of Julie’s method is her Tightrope Story Walk Strategy. Imagine one clear objective at the end of a tightrope, defined in a single sentence. By the end of your talk, what will your audience understand, feel, or do?
Then divide your talk into intentional, named chunks that move in a straight line toward that objective. Each chunk earns its spot by delivering value and setting up the next step. This structure solves two problems at once: it prevents rambling and it soothes nerves because clarity creates calm. When the path is visible, your brain stops grasping for the next point and starts focusing on the moment you’re in. Even unexpected Q&A questions become simple detours you can guide back to the rope.
Let Story Carry the Weight
Story is the fuel that keeps you steady on the wire. Julie encourages experts to bring their personal why into the room—not for self-indulgence but as a bridge. When you share a real turning point, a doubt, or a hard-earned lesson, the audience sees themselves in your experience. That is presence: not perfection, but connection.
Julie’s own shift from the stage to coaching began with colleagues asking how she could break down onstage with such honesty. She realized most workplaces train people for data, not presence, and that presence is a teachable skill. Techniques from theater—breath, focus, stakes, stillness—translate beautifully to presentations and boardrooms, turning your delivery into something felt instead of recited.
How to Build the Habit
If you want to lead bigger rooms, start small and intentional. Build your pump-up playlist and use it only for high-stakes moments. Script a 20-second opener that names your audience’s problem and the outcome you’ll deliver. Draft your tightrope objective and three to five content chunks that guide listeners forward.
Practice in progressively larger settings—team meeting, webinar, local event—and debrief every rep: where did the rope wobble, where did you feel flow, what question exposed a gap you can strengthen? Add a short best-friend-style self-talk line before you go live. You’re not chasing a feeling; you’re developing a repeatable habit of courage, clarity, and service.
The Real Payoff
The reward isn’t just applause. When you can move an audience, you can move a room. And when you can move a room, you can move your business: better conversions, clearer offers, and deeper trust. Your voice becomes one of your strongest assets because it signals steadiness and leadership in every environment.
That’s the power of Julie’s approach—a system for structure and presence that lets your expertise breathe. Choose courage, step onto the tightrope, and take the next sure step. Confidence will meet you along the way.
Connect with Julie Campbell
Julie Campbell, known as “The Confidence Whisperer,” is an Off-Broadway actor turned communication coach and CEO of Center Stage Connections. She’s helped hundreds of professionals and business owners learn to command the room using her Talk and Be You™ method—a simple, therapeutic-feeling approach that removes the dread from keynotes, meetings, and high-stakes moments. With her repeatable storytelling framework, Julie helps you speak like the expert you are and the leader you’re becoming.
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Book a free clarity call and talk about what working together could look like 1:1, with your team, or even Julie speaking at your next event.
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