Speaking
The first 10 minutes matter
Your event starts long before the first speaker takes to the stage.
It’s already building as delegates collect their lanyard, clutch their emotional support coffee as they shake off the croissant crumbs, and look around the room for a face they know.
Talks that help people stop waiting and start participating
Honest stories. Practical ideas. Embarrassing social situations nobody admits to. These talks turn awkward moments into opportunities to connect.
I open conferences and events before the programme begins – when nobody’s quite chatting yet and the room needs that extra oomph.
There’s no pretending that confidence comes first. It all starts with us being ourselves.
What people say
Lorraine’s lightning talk couldn’t have come at a better time. I developed the confidence to talk to a lot more people than I expected – and even went on to ace my own stage talk and address the crowd at the beach party afterwards.
Sri, Product Marketing Associate / Zoho
Thank you for all your energy and giving me confidence to go into Thursday and talk to people!
Rhiannon, Online Orchestration Lead / John Lewis
Thank you for your talk at the start of the event, it helped as a nudge to go and meet people. Sharing your personal story made it relatable to a lot of people.
Ankit, Associate Director / HSBC
I found it refreshingly human. In a tech world talking AI everywhere, you reminded us to push boundaries, be ourselves, and lean into our knowledge and what makes us special. It was exactly what I needed before going on stage the next day and made me a better storyteller, so thank you.
Sam, Azure Solution Specialist / Grey Matter
What I speak about
These are the topics I love to chat about. They’re the things I’ve lived, cried over, learned, tested and now use to champion others.
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Conference confidence without the cold sweat.
A 10-minute opening talk that helps delegates stop waiting for confidence to arrive and start the conversations they came for.
The value of a conference isn’t just what happens on stage – there are the conversations, ideas and connections that happen around it too.
By acknowledging and normalising the awkwardness many delegates experience, Stop Outsourcing Your Comfort creates a more open and energised atmosphere before the main event programme begins. Conversations start sooner, joining in feels more natural and the energy carries through the rest of the day.
The talk helps delegates to:
▶ Start conversations instead of waiting for the right moment.
▶ Join discussions and ask questions.
▶ Feel part of the event from the beginning.
▶ Meet people beyond their usual circle.
▶ Leave with meaningful connections and memorable conversations.
The best events start when people feel empowered to be themselves.
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On its way!
The story behind the talks
I never planned to speak at events.
As a corporate proofreader, I get a juicy sense of satisfaction working behind the scenes on reports for some of the world’s biggest tech companies and research organisations.
My work has taken me to conferences, networking events and meetups. Now I’ve become just as interested in what happens around the hot drinks station as what happens on the stage.
I spent years feeling uncomfortable starting conversations with strangers over a carefully balanced plate from the buffet, yet they could turn into the best chats and unexpected moments of the event.
I started noticing patterns in those awkward moments. Soon I was telling people, “I’ve had an idea for a talk!” The next sentence was always, “But I’m not a speaker.”
When the tug in my gut became too strong to ignore, I gave in. I submitted a lightning talk pitch to a PyData event. That led to a lightning talk for Tech Cornwall. From there, I was invited to speak at the pre-event garden party for Agile on the Beach, the international product and engineering conference.
What started as a networking talk became something bigger: what happens when we stop waiting until we feel ready and start participating anyway.
We’ll never know where a conversation by the washroom sink, a little “Yeah... why not?” to an opportunity, or following the buzz of something that feels right (even when it makes zero sense on paper) might lead.
That’s what fires me up.
Want your delegates to stop overthinking and start talking?
I open events to open conversations.
Kick off your event with a talk that helps people feel more comfortable being themselves, join in and move beyond small talk into conversations with real energy.
I’d love to hear from you!