I’ve been a designer for a long time, and designing is the easiest part of my business. But as an entrepreneur, I realized that building a successful business requires more than just good design—it requires confidence in areas I wasn’t so comfortable with: networking, public speaking, and sharing my story with new people.

I knew I needed to find ways to get in front of people, to relate, to connect authentically, and to build meaningful relationships. So, I decided to challenge myself—public speaking.

Friends from college shared their empowering experiences with Toastmasters and encouraged me to give it a try. So recently, I found a local chapter that had a lunchtime meeting the next day.

The meeting was 20 minutes away, and as I drove there, my mind was in a tug-of-war: “Go. Don’t go. Go. Don’t go.” The “don’t go” voice told me no one was expecting me, and ghosting would be easy.

But I’d already dressed in business casual, styled my hair, touched up my makeup—I’d put in the effort, so what was another 30 steps out of the car and through the Egg Works restaurant doors?

Entering the room

I walked in and asked the restaurant hostess for the Toastmasters group. She directed me toward a private room in the back. My nerves intensified as I approached the room of strangers.

In my head, I imagined walking into a tight-knit group of confident professionals, all turning to stare at the newcomer.

When I finally stepped in, I was surprised. My first thought was, “Am I in the right room?” Most of the people there appeared to be in my dad’s age group, well into retirement. I felt out of place.

But then, a woman closer to my age greeted me, introduced herself, and explained how the meeting would go. I took a deep breath, sat down, and decided to lean into the experience.

When it was my turn to stand up and introduce myself, I scanned the room of a half a dozen men my dad’s age while speaking and thought, “What could I possibly share that they’d find engaging?”

Sort the Mail

Earlier that day, I’d had a call with my dad where he told me all about the latest college football scores, a topic I wasn’t particularly interested in, but listened and responded agreeable.

Then on the same call, I shared some highlights of a recent vacation, when he interjected, “I need to sort the mail now.”

It made me wonder, “Will this group react the same way? Will I start speaking, only for them to check out halfway through?”

But I reminded myself to stay open-minded. Was I being too judgmental? Maybe. Or maybe this just wasn’t the right fit, and that’s okay too.

Key Observations

The day wasn’t just about public speaking—it was about showing up. It’s easy to let fear or discomfort talk us out of new experiences, but showing up is half the battle.

Whether or not that group was my perfect fit, I did something important: I put myself out there. And in doing so, I took another step toward building the confidence I need to grow my business.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s that confidence doesn’t come all at once. It builds every time we push ourselves to show up, take a chance, and try something new.

So, if you’re like me and looking for ways to build your confidence, just remember: sometimes, the hardest part is walking through the door.

And hey, if you find yourself in a room full of people who’d rather sort their mail than listen to your stories—at least you’ll have a funny story to tell at your next networking event.