Sunday, December 14, 2025

How She Turned a Worry of Public Talking Right into a Enterprise


Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.

This text is a part of the America’s Favourite Mother & Pop Retailers sequence. Learn extra tales

Key Takeaways

  • Smith’s “mind bully” methodology helps enterprise homeowners silence self-doubt and converse with readability.
  • From interviews to responding to buyer critiques, Smith teaches that presence, vitality and preparation are what construct belief.
  • Smith reveals that intentional communication at each touchpoint strengthens credibility.

Lynn Smith, former NBC and CNN anchor and founding father of Lynn Smith Media, by no means imagined her concern of public talking would sooner or later turn out to be the muse of her enterprise. However after mastering the artwork of public talking and overcoming her inside critic, Smith leveraged her skilled experience and private expertise to assist small enterprise homeowners and executives confidently join with their viewers and unlock development within the course of.

Regardless of spending over 15 years as a information anchor, Smith had a crippling concern of public talking and was always held again by what she calls the “mind bully”. “It’s that voice in your head that’s saying, No person desires to listen to from you, or You’re gonna screw this up,” Smith says.

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Utilizing this concept of beating your inside bully, she now teaches enterprise leaders the best way to quiet that self-doubt and talk with readability, confidence and presence.

Smith identified that many companies typically deal with product, advert placement and distribution however overlook articulating their message — and lose cash by doing so. Many enterprise homeowners fall into one in every of two traps: overpacking communications with scripted language that sounds robotic, or underpreparing and rambling.

The answer isn’t to memorize or improvise; it’s to develop the ability of being a magnetic communicator. To face out to your viewers, Smith suggests you want extra than simply readability. You want presence and visibility. Meaning displaying up with confidence and intention. She calls it being a “magnetic communicator.”

“It’s not nearly displaying up; it’s about ensuring while you do present up, that it’s magnetic,” she says. “And that’s 100% a discovered ability.”

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Presence extends past the stage or display screen. Smith emphasised that how enterprise homeowners reply to suggestions or deal with a model disaster could make or break buyer belief.

“Whenever you say no remark, within the viewer’s thoughts — whether or not that viewer is watching tv or on the web studying the overview — they’ve determined that clearly there’s guilt.”

Slightly than letting others form the story, Smith advised {that a} response to essential suggestions can truly flip a overview into a possibility to construct credibility and a cause somebody chooses to work with your enterprise.

“If a disaster occurs, acknowledge what it’s, acknowledge the suggestions,” she says. “Talk what you propose to do about that. Take any duty that you simply might need.”

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When it comes to branding, Smith additionally acknowledges the belief and worth that may be constructed by strategic decisions that align together with your target market. Smith not too long ago rebranded her personal firm, shifting from a pink-heavy shade palette to daring blue and yellow tones that higher interact her viewers of enterprise firms and entrepreneurs. She encourages different entrepreneurs to revisit their branding as they develop, and to not be afraid of strategic change.

She additionally supplied recommendation for small enterprise homeowners seeking to pitch themselves to the media: Tie your story to a related information subject, maintain your pitch quick and embrace video clips so producers can see the way you’ll come throughout on digicam.

“Discover a subject that’s already being talked about within the information, and supply the experience,” she says. “You turn out to be the subject material professional in it. And in that pitch, begin with a robust headline or topic line that will get their consideration and makes them wish to open it.”

Her latest enterprise, a kids’s ebook titled Simply Preserve Going, teaches youngsters the best way to handle concern and construct confidence.

“There are precise bodily strategies that we are able to educate kids to ease their anxieties round concern,” Smith says. “We are able to elevate the subsequent technology of assured and magnetic communicators and leaders as a result of they’re not hindered by these fears.”

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After turning a private concern right into a thriving enterprise, Smith’s recommendation for entrepreneurs is obvious:

  • Beat your mind bully. Worry, not lack of ability, is usually the wrongdoer of ineffective communication. Handle that concern to start increase your confidence and turning into a greater communicator.
  •  Presence builds belief. Whether or not on video or in particular person, the way you present up with confidence and readability issues greater than ever.
  • Reply with intention. Considerate replies to critiques and criticism can strengthen your model. A response to essential suggestions permits you to construct a story slightly than having the viewers form the story.
  • Let your model evolve. As your enterprise grows, your visible id and messaging ought to develop with it. Don’t be afraid to make strategic shifts to raised match your viewers.
  • Pitch with goal. When pitching your enterprise story to the media, tie your narrative to one thing well timed and be the voice of experience on that subject. Craft a brief and focused e mail and speak to the related press on to get print, digital or broadcast mentions.

Watch the episode above to listen to instantly from Smith, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise homeowners and reviewers each Wednesday.

Editorial contributions by Sweet Vorasadhit

This text is a part of our ongoing America’s Favourite Mother & Pop Retailers® sequence highlighting family-owned and operated companies.

Key Takeaways

  • Smith’s “mind bully” methodology helps enterprise homeowners silence self-doubt and converse with readability.
  • From interviews to responding to buyer critiques, Smith teaches that presence, vitality and preparation are what construct belief.
  • Smith reveals that intentional communication at each touchpoint strengthens credibility.

Lynn Smith, former NBC and CNN anchor and founding father of Lynn Smith Media, by no means imagined her concern of public talking would sooner or later turn out to be the muse of her enterprise. However after mastering the artwork of public talking and overcoming her inside critic, Smith leveraged her skilled experience and private expertise to assist small enterprise homeowners and executives confidently join with their viewers and unlock development within the course of.

Regardless of spending over 15 years as a information anchor, Smith had a crippling concern of public talking and was always held again by what she calls the “mind bully”. “It’s that voice in your head that’s saying, No person desires to listen to from you, or You’re gonna screw this up,” Smith says.

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