How to stop rambling is SUCH a common challenge, I wrote an ebook about it! When I ask the question, ‘what’s your biggest challenge, frustration or issue when it comes to speaking’, ‘rambling is up there in the top 5 responses.

So, in this episode, I’m sharing how to STOP RAMBLING and get to your point.

Listen in to hear:

• Why we ramble and how it’s actually a sign of intelligence, knowledge and expertise

• How thinking in pictures often leads to rambling, and how to translate those pictures into key messages

• My simple process for collecting your thoughts and identifying your messages BEFORE you open your mouth

• How to recover when you do start rambling

• Why it’s not the rambling that you really need to stop (after all, it’s how you process information), it’s how to manage it to be an effective communicator

Join my 7-day Speaking with Impact Practice series and discover how to deliver a memorable message, in any environment, so people listen and take note.

Other episodes mentioned

Episode 181 - Why Your Mind Goes Blank (it’s the episode immediately before this one)

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I’ve asked more than 2,000 people ‘what’s your biggest challenge, frustration or issue’ when it comes to speaking, and the answers are the same, over and over again.

‘My mind goes blank when all eyes are on me’ is one of the most common responses, so today I’m talking about WHY this happens, how it’s NOT a sign of incompetence or lack of smarts, and how to stop it happening to you.

Listen in to hear:

• Why having a mental blank is SO normal and is NOT a sign of not knowing your stuff

• How you can reframe, instantly, that sense of pressure, to alleviate the normal nervous system response

• How to stop the mental scramble or verbal diarrhoea that happens when we feel pressure to perform (or be right)

• Why ‘just backing yourself’ isn’t a strategy that will work

• A short practice to relieve the pressure you’re feeling in these situations

Join my FREE 7 Day Speaking with Impact Practice series here - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-7daypracticeseries/register

Other episodes mentioned:

83 - How To Stop Imposter Syndrome in it’s tracks

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6lQtEPyaIMPf4GlA1nTOC4?si=prBSs_wIRyGH46jMhTD1Qw

Enjoyed this episode? Please rate, review, or subscribe.

In this summer season episode I’m revisiting the most popular episode of the year - How to Get The Right Words to Come Out ….

Does it ever feel like your brain and mouth are out-of-sync? You know what you want to say but your mouth just doesn’t play along?

That’s exactly the experience that’s been described by a regular listener

This is SUCH a common challenge!

Listen in to hear:

• The biggest mistake we make when this happens, and what to do instead
• Why it’s actually not about the words
• How to shift your focus to what your audience needs and wants from you, rather than obsessing over the perfect words
• Why you don’t want to ‘correct’ yourself, instead, focus on connection (don’t correct, connect)
• Why you can trust that you know your stuff

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If you’d like me to answer your question on a future episode, chat with me on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

In the summer season of Speaking with Confidence I’m revisiting some of my, and your, favourite episodes.

And this one is one of my all time favourites.

In this conversation with Kate Toon, digital marketing expert extraordinaire, author and most recently, bookshop owner, we unpack how to build the confidence to be DISLIKED.

Yes … how to get comfortable with rejection so we can go and do our thing, anyway. Because really, when we say we’re ‘scared’ of public speaking … it’s not the fear of speaking, it’s the fear of judgement and rejection.

Kate Toon has over 15 years of business experience sitting snugly in her gym tights, once completed 40 speaking events in just one year, and has been a resident expert on Kochie’s Business Builders - she has confronted this fear over and over again. And, as she explains in our chat, while she’s not necessarily ‘confident’ in being disliked, she’s got some great strategies to get herself on stages, on TV and on billboards anyway.

Listen in to hear Kate’s thoughts on :

• Getting comfortable with being disliked
• Dealing with random, rude emails that are explicit in their dislike
• Being contrarian and authentic to stand out in the crowd
• The value of the mundane in building a business
• The role of hormones in fear, and how to manage them

If you want to know about my new program, Unshakeable: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, message me here (I had to remove my email address because of the overwhelming spam emails!)

To get my weekly musings on all things confidence, impact and authenticity, subscribe here

To learn more about the fabulousness that is Kate Toon, visit her website - https://www.katetoon.com/

Welcome to the summer season of Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson, where I’m sharing some of my favourite and most popular episodes.

This week I’m revisiting my interview with Denise Duffield-Thomas, a Money Mindset Mentor, author and host of the wildly popular and successful Money Bootcamp, where she has supported more than 10,000 people overcome their money mindset gremlins.

Denise epitomises what it means to make an impact at scale, while still maintaining your authenticity. She is delightfully down-to-earth, honest and, well, ‘normal’ 😉

I invited her onto the show to talk about how she’s built a business using speaking - on stages and on her podcast - despite the fact that she doesn’t really like public speaking! And, we had such a delicious conversation talking about all sorts of things.

In this gorgeously real, insightful and authentic chat, we explore how Denise chooses to use her voice, her way, so that it works with her current phase of life and business and leans into her strengths

Listen in to hear:

• Denise’s preparation rituals for calming her nerves before a big presentation
• Why Denise doesn’t like keynotes and how instead she reframes those invitations invitations into a style that works for her
• Denise’s journey in moving from delivering free presentations to paid ones
• How Denise stays on track in presentations, and avoids those ADHD rabbit holes
• Why Denise enjoys spontaneous presentations and discussions over prepped, rehearsed ones
• How to trust the spontaneous presentation style will deliver value for your audience AND be safe for you
• Why public speaking, in whatever format you choose, is a powerful way to share your voice and why we’re both such advocates for women finding theirs
• The lessons Denise took away from our conversation

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

If you’re keen to know more about Unshakeable: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, email me at cat[@]catmatson.com.au

If you're new to this podcast, and want to the quick start guide to Speaking with Confidence, listen to this 'Start Here' playlist

Connect with Denise Duffield-Thomas on

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/denisedt/

Website - https://www.denisedt.com/

Chill & Prosper Podcast -

Connect with me on

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catmatson/

Website - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/

Sales conversations tend to trip up even the most confident of communicators - we don’t want to feel salesy or pushy, we don’t want to be rejected and of course, we still have our sales targets to reach.

Rather than just talk about this in theory, today’s episode you’re getting to listen in on a real confident communication coaching call that I had with a small business owner.

Caitlin runs a successful pet photography business; she now has a team of photographers capturing beautiful photos of families and their furry friends. And, like many small business owners, Caitlin was uncomfortable with her sales process and conversations.

Listen in to hear:

• How to shift your mindset from sales is ‘icky’ and ‘pushy’ to sales is a form of service
• How to use other communication techniques, like beginning with the end in mind, to reduce confusion and take your clients on a sales journey that feels good
• Different ways to respond to objections, and anticipate objections so they can be incorporated into the conversation
• How to package up your offers, and options, so they feel natural and easy for your clients to buyWhy speaking to your full stops, in full, complete sentences, rather than filling the silence with more words, is far more powerful than we realise

If you’d like a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session, book here.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review, or share it with your friends and colleagues.

To ask me a question, connect with me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

To have a look at Caitlin’s gorgeous pet portraits, visit her website - https://ragamuffinpetphotography.com.au/

"I want to stop rambling" is the number one 'problem' people come to me to solve.

But what if your 'rambling' is actually how you process information, make sense of things and form your opinions.

If you're a verbal processor like me, it's not a flaw that needs to be fixed, in fact, it's the very thing that helps you see what others don't. The issue isn't the rambling - that's part of your process - the issue is not confusing your audience as you think aloud.

Listen in to hear:

• how I discovered I was a verbal processor (and how it's different to people who AREN'T out-loud thinkers)
• why verbal processing shows up as rambling
• how you can still 'ramble' in professional settings without losing your audience

Also in this episode I have a little chat about my refreshed approach to content creation as I move away from algorithm-focused techniques and back to human-focused techniques.

Mentioned in this episode

My substack - https://catmatson.substack.com/

My email newsletter - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling

If want to chat with me - best way is via substack (above), Instagram or LinkedIn

Concerned your umms and ahhs are undermining your credibility?

In this week’s episode I’m answering a listener question about training yourself OUT OF saying ‘ummmm’ and ‘ahhhh’, and also providing my thoughts on whether umms and ahhs are really as bad as we think.

Listen in to hear:

• Why you might want to ‘chill out’ when it comes to your use of umms and ahhs

• How silence, and ‘speaking to your full stops’ can be a useful way to stop using filler words

• Some alternative filler words or phrases that will engage your audience and give your mind time to ‘catch up’

• My controversial take on another key question that some speaking coaches says undermines your credibility

• Why being on message is more important than any umm or ahh you might use

Want my full lesson on how to stop umming and ahhhing? Visit -

Want to ask a question for a future podcast - connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram here.

Join my Impact Club for high touch support, guidance, coaching and community for humble leaders.