But at the same time – I wanted to add value to the audience, who were working hard to rise through the ranks and climb the corporate ladder, just as I had struggled throughout my career.

A week out, nothing was written. I reached out to Juanita with a plea for help. My exact words were something like – “at this point I’d rather quit my job than stand up and deliver this speech”.

Juanita laughed and let me know I wasn’t alone – she hears that all the time. As a mum and former corporate exec herself, she understood the time pressure, as well as my goals for the speech. She recommended I start with her bite-size online course, ‘How to Get the Gig’.

I wasn’t sure it would be the right fit. I was already booked for the gig, with no plans to do any more. But Juanita assured me it was the smartest, most time and cost-effective way to start my speech prep (before any one-on-one coaching) because it covered the essential topics of how to perfect my idea and how to make it authentically my own based on my own experiences and expertise, which audiences look for and appreciate. I watched the six concise, inspiring, how-to videos in a single day, each of them coming with their own workbook.

I then drafted the script, and secured just three hours of Juanita’s time. It wasn’t enough time for a total rewrite, but she took my script from good to great, from ho-hum to inspirational. She said everything I wanted to say using words, phrases and anecdotes it could have taken me days or weeks to find – if ever. When I read the script she sent back to me, I cried. She’d not only said everything I wanted to say, in my own voice, but by seeing my work, experience and insights through her eyes she showed me why I was worthy of that stage, and gave me a confidence I had not expected to receive in just a few hours. She was amazing.

When I first hired Juanita, I told her this was a once-off thing. I was done with public speaking, and I would be happy if I never did another speaking gig after this. Juanita laughed, saying that’s what a lot of her clients say, but 100% of her clients who say that have changed their minds – because once they learn how to do public speaking well – they can’t wait for the next gig.

I’m now one of them. As soon as I walked off the stage I was ready to turn around and walk back on. Just a few hours with Juanita made me realise that I have much wisdom and knowledge to share, that sharing it through public speaking is a gift to people who want and need to hear it, and that with a little help – speech scripts can go from good to exceptional in a matter of hours.

I thought I was just investing in a better script. What I actually invested in was a better script, a better gift to the audience, and a better, more confident me.