6 minute read
VANESSA CUDDEFORD
from Pacesetter
POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:
VANESSA CUDDEFORD (VC)
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PGMAG: Vanessa, so good to have you on today’s interview with Lady Anita
VC: It’s great to be here with you Lady Anita - thank you for the opportunity.
PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
VC: I’m a journalist-turned-speaker-coach who helps professionals become the most confident speakers they can be, whether that’s in the corporate boardroom or on big stages such as TED. I’m also mum to a wonderful 8-year-old boy and wife to another reformed journalist. We live in sunny Brighton on the south coast of the UK.
PGMAG: You have had an incredible journey as a journalist and a TV personality with BBC. Please tell us a little bit about your transition to becoming a coach.
VC: I’ve been lucky to work as a TV news anchor and reporter for some of the world’s most respected broadcasters, from BBC News in the UK to NBC news in the USA. When I was at the height of my presenting career - anchoring my own news show five nights a week - I was suddenly hit by stage fright. It felt like it came on very suddenly, but in retrospect I see my nerves had been building for years. My fear became so acute that I would panic every day before going on air. I considered giving up my career to save my sanity, though I knew I didn’t want to. Maternity leave gave me the break I needed and happily I found a way to manage my nerves and speak confidently. In doing so, I realised lots of other people felt like I did - nervous about speaking up in public - and it limits them. I resolved to return to TV news anchoring and combine it with coaching, to help professional women speak confidently so they can advance their careers. I set up my company Present, Perform, Persuade, in 2018 and we’ve now helped hundreds of clients learn to speak persuasively and confidently - no matter the audience.
PGMAG: How would you describe your style of leadership?
VC: I like to say ‘I go first’… When I lead people to do things that they haven’t done before, which often scare them, I want to do it first - to show it can be done.
PGMAG: A lot of people struggle with low self-esteem. As a coach, what are some of the steps to becoming a confident person?
VC: I work with brilliant women who are high-achieving and yet often don’t realise just how capable they are - it’s the classic imposter syndrome. To a certain extent it’s human nature to focus on what you haven’t achieved yet. I think it’s why we’re so successful as a species. It’s the fuel that allows us to improve and achieve. But if you don’t take the time to notice what you’ve already achieved, then over time that can lead to low self-esteem.
One of the first things I do with new clients is form a clear perspective on how WELL they’re doing in their careers, how capable they are. Even just writing down every day what’s gone well can be a really powerful way to shift focus. I ask them to keep a daily record of their achievements (no matter how small) which we call their Brag Book. Then, from that empowered position, they start to make technical changes to improve their communication. Confidence comes from within. If you’re always waiting for external validation, you’ll never feel truly confident.
PGMAG: Please tell us more about your business and how it benefits your clients?
VC: I’m convinced the single most important thing you can do for your career is become a strong communicator. You can have all the best ideas, the best intentions, you can be hard working … but if you can’t communicate confidently, clearly and persuasively, you’re always be in the shadow of someone who can. Anyone can speak confidently, even shy introverts. I work with clients on their mindset and their speaking technique so they can present brilliantly, handle questions and challenge, speak up in meetings and interviews and put across their points persuasively and concisely. Ultimately, they position themselves as thought-leaders so they can advance their career. Clarity and confidence have been the key for so many of my clients.
Some clients have gone on to address bigger audiences - the UN or a TED stage - but for most, the benefits have been more personal. They’ve been promoted, started to enjoy work more, felt less stressed because speaking isn’t frightening any more - and freed up valuable time because preparation is quicker.
PGMAG: If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently?
VC: I don’t know that I’d change anything. My struggle with speaking nerves is what enabled me to build a business that I love. However, what I’ve learned is that we usually overestimate the “disaster” and underestimate our ability to cope - that lies at the heart of most fears… It’s something I try to remember every day.
PGMAG: What were the top three books that changed your life?
VC: Recently I’ve really enjoyed The Source by Dr Tara Swart. She’s a neuroscientist and the book explores how we can harness our brain’s powers to attract what we want in our life. It’s basically The Law Of Attraction for people who like their self-help to be evidence- based. I recommend it to clients.
My favourite book when I was little was an anthology of Greek myths. That set me on the path to reading archaeology and anthropology at Oxford University. It’s the only book I can point to that had a direct impact on my life. I still love reading anything to do with Ancient Greece. Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and Circe are both great.
Finally I love Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing. She captures human nature in all its messiness. Prep is a fantastic coming-of-age novel.
PGMAG: Please touch more light on ‘Crippling stage fright’ and how to deal with such challenge.
VC: Surveys always put public speaking - glossophobia - among the top 5 most common fears, right up here with snakes and spiders! They say it affects up 70% of people to varying degrees. Some just don’t like it much, others go to bits just thinking about it. It’s a kind of social phobia - we worry what others will think of us; that they’ll judge us negatively. The roots for this go back a long way. Our ancestors survived because they cooperated and belonged to a group - safety in numbers. The fear of social exclusion was a survival instinct - and we still feel it. Of course today, being excluded or looking silly isn’t truly dangerous as it was in the Stone Age!
You also have to put the perceived threat into perspective, and I work on techniques to help my clients be objective about that.
PGMAG: What would you say to your younger self?
VC: Be more daring.
PGMAG: Finally, what makes you laugh?
VC: My eight-year-old son… every day. He’s the funniest person I know. I can be sitting at my desk with my serious head on and suddenly he comes in to tell me about his latest plan to become a ninja, or recycle all the plastic in the oceans, or how to breed dragons. Being with him, seeing the world through his innocent eyes, is always a great perspective-shifter.
PGMAG: Thank you for your time – much appreciated.
VC: It’s been so much fun. Thank you!
PGMAG: Please share your links with us.
VC: https://www.presentperformpersuade.com/
https://www.vanessacuddeford.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/presentingwithpurpose/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessacuddeford-35739072/
