Cooper Camak's Linkedin Analytics

My Single Best Advice for Building Long Term Speaking Confidence

I don’t know your story… ⠀ but I know this about you. There's something in your life... where the fear is real, and the path isn’t clear. Maybe you’re staring down a career shift. Maybe it's a hard conversation you’ve been avoiding… I talk to countless people who fear public speaking because they're terrified of saying the wrong thing or fumbling they're words and looking stupid or having everyone stare at you. Whatever it is for you... I get it. Your chest feels tight. Your mind races. Your collar gets hot. I’ve seen it countless times. Heard it in your voices. And... I've felt it myself. In those moments… you think: “It's always been this way... nothing's going to change.” “Doing something about it only makes the anxiety worse.” “The reality is I'm just jacked up.” Let me say what maybe no one else has said to you: You have permission to feel afraid. You don’t have to pretend you’re fearless. It's ok to be scared. ACCEPT the feeling of being scared. And BE KIND to the scared person. Fear of the unknown is real. It also means there's a daring destination you desire. See what most people forget in the moment of fear is that... Courage isn't the absense of fear. Courage is taking the right next step, even when you’re afraid. So let me assure you... You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to feel brave. You just need... the first step. See... COURAGE always precedes CONFIDENCE. When you start walking forward in the fear... it starts losing its grip. You won’t see the whole journey today. But there is a path forward. There's a hope-filled hillside waiting on the other side. And the view... is breathtaking. So accept your fear and take the first next step. Cheering for you! I hope you'll 👍 this in order to cheer on others today who are walking through a hard time! +Follow if you want more encouragement and practical help to walk past your fears toward greater speaking confidence and credibility at work so you can keep your career moving forward.

A decade ago, I was CAPABLE but not CONFIDENT. ⠀ Here's the 4 Mental Shifts that changed everything... ⠀ I could build a deck... I could deliver like a pro... I could appear to have it together… But inside? I was wound tight. I was anxious inside. I barely slept the night before. I was short with my wife and kids. (I would just tell them "I'm really stressed.") That's actually what this picture represents. Before I presented, I was sweating profusely. The nerves before big meetings were overwhelming. See, I was capable, but not confident, especially in high-stakes moments. Over time, all that changed. So why would this matter to you? Because I want to save you the 10 years it took me... to reduce my speaking nerves and anxiety despite being 'pretty good at it'. Here are the 4 mindset shifts that changed everything for me: 👇 1️⃣ Audience Focus > Self Focus When I focused on helping them... and not protecting my reputation... the nerves LOST their grip on me. 2️⃣ Conversations > Performances Toastmasters taught me to perform... but the best business presentations are great conversations. (Connection happens in the conversations.) 3️⃣ Value Delivery > Perfect Slides Real confidence came from delivering VALUE… not spending endless hours perfecting my slides. 4️⃣ Repeatable Systems > Overpreparing Once I had a simple, repeatable system to prepare. I didn’t have to trust my over-preparedness. I trusted my key message and storyline. If you’re somewhere between terrified and capable today, but you'd say you're not confident... Good news: It doesn't have to be like this forever. It’s a system and mindset shift. You can build it with these 4 things: So, what mindset shift HAS or WOULD help you the most? ♻️ Repost this if you want to help others grow their confidence in speaking. - - - - - - Hey! I'm Cooper. I help busy professionals grow their confidence & credibility when speaking & presenting at work so their careers can keep advancing. 🔔 Follow me for more practical ways to grow your speaking confidence.

I used to think great slides = clarity when presenting. ⠀ I was wrong. Here's what matters more. 👇 Early in my Coca-Cola career, I believed more = better. And great slides would = clarity. More stats, graphs and bullet points. Right? Wrong. What I didn’t realize was... I was burying the key message. People left confused and unclear. I was also FORGETTABLE. Then I learned a better way… And it completely changed how I present. Why does this matter to you? Because speaking & presenting in the workplace is all about 1 thing... The VALUE you bring. Here's the 4 things you need... to boost your CLARITY & IMPACT when presenting in the workplace. ✅ These 4 simple shifts = MASSIVE improvement. Here’s a preview: 1️⃣ Answer their burning questions 2️⃣ Set the stage well 3️⃣ Focus on a clear storyline 4️⃣ Wrap up with clarity and action Check out the carousel for details. 👍 if this was helpful. ♻️ if you want to help others be more clear. - - - - If we haven't met, I'm Cooper, and I help business professionals grow their confidence & credibility when speaking and presenting at work so they can advance their careers. 👆 +Follow me for more actionable insights.

If you struggle with joy or confidence, do yourself a favor and watch this. (This is also our coaching philosophy.)

Systems drive a scaled business. They also drive scaled speaking confidence. Here's the key parts to scale yours: 👇 Most people who lack confidence think "I wasn't born with it." But you can learn it. You need all 8 elements in your speaking system... then you can have confidence in any situation... no matter the stakes. Here's the list: 1️⃣ Audience Clarity Know who you’re talking to. Know what THEY care about. 2️⃣ Defined Message Win What should they know, do, feel or decide by the end? Why is that a win for THEM? 3️⃣ Simple Structure Frameworks Use a framework that lets your ideas flow. "Problem -> Solution -> Benefit" is an easy one. 4️⃣ Value-Driven Mindset Focus on helping your audience not proving yourself. 5️⃣ Delivery Awareness Know your habits: pacing, filler words, body language. Minimize distractions. Maximize intentional elements. 6️⃣ Nerves Management Understand the ROOT of your nerves. Learn science back techniques to calm your body. 7️⃣ Strong Openings & Closings Start with context, state your purpose and the win. End with clarity on a next step or key takeaways 8️⃣ Practice Intentionally Know your opening lines, key takeaways and transitions. Practicing bits with transitions is key. Confidence doesn't have to be elusive. It comes from a PROCESS, which means... It comes from a SKILL anyone can learn and... It comes from a repeatable SYSTEM. Which element would help you scale your speaking confidence? ♻️ Repost this to help others scale their speaking confidence. 💡 If you found this insightful. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If we haven't met, my name's Cooper, and I help busy professionals scale their speaking confidence so you drive more value to your business. +Follow for more actionable tips on speaking with confidence and clarity.

Struggling with nerves before a big presentation? ⠀ Here’s how to fix it. A while back, I worked with this amazing senior leader who had a big presentation on the line to sell in a new idea. He knew the material. He knew the audience. He’d practiced his slides. I texted him "good luck", but before the presentation, the nerves hit HARD. His hands were shaking. His mind was racing. His body felt tight. We jumped on a call and did 3 simple things: (which you can do too). 1️⃣ Reconnected to his PURPOSE. Why does this presentation matter? Not just the revenue… but the why behind the work. That’s where conviction starts. 2️⃣ Anchored to the VALUE for the audience. Why will they care? What do they gain by doing this? Confidence grows when you realize you're bringing VALUE to the table. 3️⃣ Practice JUST the opening 3 times. Your nerves are highest in that first 60 seconds. So know your opening statement COLD. Practice it until it rolls out naturally. You know this... once you’re in motion, the rest gets easier. The outcome? He nailed it! And he said afterward: “That reset was everything!" That's what we talk about in our coaching... Having a plan for preparing well and for navigating the Game Day Nerves. If the nerves tend to get you before you speak, don’t focus on “presenting better.” Focus on grounding yourself to the VALUE and PURPOSE (And know your opening lines cold!) It changes everything. Hi, I'm Cooper, and I help business professionals accelerate their careers by growing the speaking and presenting confidence & impact. +Follow for more actionable tips on speaking with more clarity, confidence & impact.

Great leaders and great companies invest in their people. That's certainly true for Meadows & Ohly, LLC! Last week, I got to see their culture first hand... I'm always encouraged seeing great companies at work. Last week, I led one of our communication workshops with over 30 team members. The room was full of client-facing professionals… and like most high-performers, they’re juggling a lot: 💬 Leading productive meetings with lots to cover fast 💬 Answering succinctly on key client questions 💬 Staying relevant to the wide audiences in the room And here’s what they learned… ➡️ a framework to lead more productive meetings ➡️ navigating off-the-cuff questions concisely & effectively ➡️ a game plan to navigate their nerves in key moments. ➡️ how to increase engagement during presentations ➡️ the silent killers to your speaking credibility and... ➡️ how to change them Every time we do this workshop, I love seeing this… People walk in apprehensive. "Am I going to have to talk in front of all these people?!?" Then we breakdown how 90% of people deal with nerves... especially in key moments. ✅ Peers open up about 'that time I was really nervous'. ✅ Relationships build. ✅ Chemistry increases. ✅ Confidence grows. And culture thrives! My favorite quote of the day? “I have always struggled with 'everything I need to say' in these meetings, but this framework helps me boil it down. I really think my client's gonna love this!" That's what I love seeing. Practical tools leveraged to... 🟦 increase confidence 🟦 improve leadership 🟦 drive deeper value with clients. Shoutout to Meadows & Ohly, LLC for investing in their people. That's probably why they've been named them one of the Best Places to Work in 2024... by 3 different entities! - By GlobeSt - By the AJC - By the Atlanta Business Chronicle That's good people doing great work! Keep it up over there! - - - - - - - If we haven’t met, I’m Cooper. I help business teams win the communication game so they can serve clients better and grow their businesses. If you want to grow your confidence & credibility speaking and leading in the workplace... be sure to +Follow my content! 👆

Maintaining attention during a presentation is hard ⠀ But it’s easier when you incorporate these. 👇 Business audiences are busy and half-distracted. 📲 pinging 📩 dinging 💬 ringing We all feel it. It's non-stop. So how do you keep people engaged the RIGHT way? Here’s the 7 practical strategies to help you hold attention: 1️⃣ Lead with a strong, clear opening Don’t go thru an agenda. Connect to what matters to THEM. Tell them your topic, what they’ll get out of listening… …and how your topic connects to what matters to them. This #1 thing will have them put down their phone. 2️⃣ Get to your bottom line take away fast Don’t build toward your point — give it early. Say: “Here’s the main thing I want you to walk away with…” This gives the audience a hook to hang everything else on. Clarity up front makes everything else easier to follow. 3️⃣ Focus on one idea per slide Highly common issue - too much on one slide. This is a simple fix. It’s less clutter, more clarity. One idea, one message, one visual. 4️⃣ Use clear attention resets. Simple & effective. Use phrases like: “Here’s the takeaway…” “Let’s shift gears…” “The next idea is around…” These help re-engage attention fast. 5️⃣ Be conversational, but vary tone and pace The best presentations are great conversations.   You can speed up things they know. Slow down… your pace… when you want to anchor a key point. Variety = holding attention. 6️⃣ Build in checkpoints Ask: “What questions do you have so far?” Say: “Don’t miss this…” These reset attention and keep people with you. 7️⃣ End with what you want them to remember, takeaway or do Most presentations are forgettable. Your content becomes memorable with a good recap. Think in terms of 3–5 key talking points or one clear next step. Which one of these might help you hold attention better? - - - - -  If we haven't met… Hi, I’m Cooper, and I help business professionals grow their speaking confidence & credibility so their careers continue advancing by providing online training, virtual coaching and team workshops. +Follow for more actionable tips on speaking with clarity and confidence.

Ever been hit with a tricky question at work… Here's 2 quick tips to handle it smoothly. Yep. We’ve all been there. 😬 Someone asks a question and you're like... "What in the world?!?!" It could be at work, an acquaintance or your spouse. Here’s the short version of how to navigate it: 1️⃣ Ask for clarity. Don’t panic. You’re not a mind reader. People will respect the follow-up WHY IT MATTERS: you're engaging, and the audience will feel valued. 2️⃣ Frame your answer simply. Be as bottom line as possible. Give the "in most cases" answer. WHY IT MATTERS: people want the 'in most cases' answer. You don't prove anything by rambling all your it depends’ caveats. 3️⃣ Don’t make it about you. Instead of thinking "don’t look stupid." Think... “what would SERVE this person?” WHY IT MATTERS: it shifts your focus from how you look to adding value, which is always good for your confidence. BOTTOM LINE: Great answers to tricky questions isn't about being perfect… It's about engaging and replying simply, which is both kind and effective. Try this, and your next tricky question won’t be so daunting. If you're willing, how do you handle tricky questions on the spot? 👍 or 💡 if this gave you something to think about. – – – – – – – – – If we haven’t met, I’m Cooper. I help busy professionals confidently communicate with greater credibility at work. +Follow for more practical, actionable tips to Up Your Game.

Leading change is hard. If you're not getting the change you need as a leader, you're likely missing a critical element. 👇 During my time at Coke, I was leading an initiative to improve a sales team's performance. Our results were too widely varied. We needed more to improve our ROI on spend. We’d done the data work. We knew what would drive the business. We were ready to launch. I made the presentation… confidently presented it. Pushback. Resistance. Confusion. We went NOWHERE. 🤦‍♂️ A coworker said, “You were missing something.” And missing I was. As I tried to fix my blunder, she shared this framework: Knoster's Model for Complex Change. It was a gamechanger. It's the 5 critical elements to drive real change. We added what was missing. (Confession: it was a LOT!) We rolled it back out. Resistance dropped. Confusion went away. Adoption increased. Results improved. ROI achieved! Here are the 5 elements you need to drive REAL change: 1️⃣ Vision – the WHY Without it → ❌ Confusion 2️⃣ Skills – the HOW Without it → ❌ Anxiety 3️⃣ Incentives – the MOTIVATION Without it → ❌ Resistance 4️⃣ Resources – the SUPPORT Without it → ❌ Frustration 5️⃣ Action Plan – the STEP-BY-STEP Without it → ❌ False starts When I looked back at that failed rollout… We had a plan… but not a clear FRAMEWORK. No wonder it didn’t stick. Whether you’re leading change, rolling out a new idea, or helping someone step into something new, this model helps you deliver change OR pinpoint what’s missing BASED on their reaction. Which one do you need to add to your request for change? Hey, I'm Cooper, and I help business professionals communicate with more confidence & credibility. +Follow me for more practical tools and tips to grow your confidence and accelerate your career.

As a Data guy, I had certain beliefs about presenting. I feel icky admitting this, but I used to think... "Can I impress them with my charts and graphs?" If you've ever seen a data analyst present, you've seen this. Data Analysts love their charts and graphs. But the truth is... Pretty graphics don't win people over, especially Senior Leaders. My problem was... my ego. And it actually made me a ball of nerves. So why does this matter to you? Because when presenting is about YOU, it's all wrong. Being impressive isn't about great slides... being extra funny or sarcastic... or having a one line zinger... Business leaders aren't impressed by this. Here's the key that changed everything… Your Leaders want Team Members who know this: Great business presentations are about being RELEVANT for your audience. Here are 5 ways to be more RELEVANT when speaking... so you can engage your audience and win them over. (See if you see the common thread.) 1️⃣ Start with their priorities Don’t open with your outline. Start with what they care about. 2️⃣ Use their language and examples Skip buzzwords. Speak in terms they already use day-to-day. 3️⃣ Answer: what does this mean for them? After every key point, tie it to... what and why it matters to them. 4️⃣ Prioritize what impacts their world Cut anything that’s irrelevant... Oh, and don't think emotions don't matter Every leader makes decisions with some emotion. 5️⃣ Tailor your visuals and data to your audience Your examples and slides should reflect... their world, not yours. Did you see the common thread? Notice how being engaging & impressive is about THEM! Yes, great communicators know it's about the audience! Focus on SERVING them and you'll engage (and impress) them. Why? Because... Serving others reduces nerves (and your ego). Relevance to your audience earns attention. Speaking in their language builds credibility. Was there one of the 5 that stood out to you? - - - - - If we haven't met, I'm Cooper, and I help business professionals grow their confidence & credibility when speaking and presenting. +Follow me for more actionable tips.

Loved being with Convergint Georgia this week delivering our "Winning the Communication Game" workshop These guys are winning in the security, fire and safety arena. They have lots of great Project Managers. But their biggest challenges... 💬 leading meetings that meet customers where they are. 💬 handling tough questions when they come. 💬 navigating roadblocks with clients. The day was spent talking through key communication principles and practical tools to help them. Here were a few late day quotes: 👍 "Knowing WHY I get nervous... helps me calm down." 👍 “I’ve led countless meetings… but feel confident now.” 👍 "I've got LOTs of actionable takeaways from today." ⠀ That’s the power of giving business people real, practical tools to use in their everyday work. Not just tips they’ll forget tomorrow. My favorite moment of the day: Watching a group of grown men share with each other about their specific fears that make them nervous before they speak. 💪 It deepened relationships. It lowered walls. And it shows what I find in EVERY workshop: No one wants to admit it, but everyone deals with nerves when the pressure's on. Teaching a game plan to navigate them well... is LIFE CHANGING. Here’s what we covered: 🔹 What’s actually at the root of nerves 🔹 How to build confidence that lasts 🔹 How to lead impactful meetings that move business 🔹 Navigating questions well without blabbering on and on. 🔹 How your personality can have blindspots in communication As a leader… Have you asked your team what they wish they were more confident in? Because they have answers. You just have to make it safe to say them out loud. Shoutout to Convergint for investing in their people and making communication growth a priority. If we haven't met, I'm Cooper, and I help busy professionals grow their confidence with PRACTICAL wisdom to navigate nerves, communicate more effectively and bring more VALUE so you WIN in the marketplace. +Follow me for more actionable tips.