Public speaking lessons learned from other Red Angus breeders by Lisa Bryant
For many, the fear of public speaking ranks right up there with a fear of snakes or a fear of heights. Yet, it’s also a necessary skill needed in many walks of life. So, we’ve asked six people involved in the Red Angus breed how they learned to overcome fears and hone their public speaking skills in their daily life, whether it’s giving a youth speech, selling bulls, judging a show or conducting a podcast.
find the speaking style that worked the best for me,” she added. Callie said speaking in front of a crowd is no different than someone preparing for showmanship. You need to practice how you want to perform. “Practice is key for public speaking. Everyone’s style is different, so your practice may look different as well.” Her best advice to junior members is like the Nike slogan, “Just do it!” “The more you participate and engage, the more doors will open for you in the future.” Another tip that Callie shared was to pick a topic that you enjoy talking about and then tell a story.
CALLIE HICKS JRA member from Midway, Kentucky
Callie is the reigning champion of the senior division public speaking contest at the 2021 NAJRAE. She said she’s never had a fear of public speaking. Instead, she was always the kid who could make a friend with anyone in the room. “However, it took me until I was in high school to 14
KATIE MARTIN
RAAA Assistant Director of Field Services
In her role at RAAA, Katie is frequently called upon to speak to large
BUCKLE & BANNER | WINTER 2021-2022
groups at bull sales, a convention or a producer’s meeting. She says every time she gets in front of a crowd, she builds upon her public speaking skills. Attending a country school gave her the opportunity to develop her skills at a young age through community programs. She then enhanced her skills with 4-H speeches, FFA livestock judging contests and the FFA Creed Speaking and Prepared Public Speaking Contests. “Practice is key to gaining confidence in public speaking,” Katie said. She also recommends speaking as though you were talking to one person. “It will make your tone more conversational, and hopefully, will calm your nerves as well.” She said she learned a valuable lesson at a bull sale several years ago when she was on the auction block. A young boy was getting ready to speak, but was obviously nervous. The auctioneer then imparted some strong words of advice, “If you ever stop being nervous speaking to a crowd, you might as well just quit doing it.” Katie said this advice stuck with her. “Rather than beat yourself up about being nervous, you should know that your nerves are natural, and are a sign you are passionate about what you’re speaking about,” she added.
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