All Episodes

July 25, 2023 55 mins

Do you wish you were more confident when it comes to speaking? Whether we’re in front of a group or a single person, a lot of us struggle with feeling confident when we speak. And there might actually be things that we’re doing or saying if we speak that immediately undercut our credibility.

Maybe your voice shakes, or you sway a lot. Or if you’re like me your chest and neck start getting red and your throat starts tightening up. Or maybe you avoid any sort of speaking opportunity like the plague. If you’re listening you might be struggling with feeling comfortable and confident when you’re speaking or giving a presentation and that’s okay! We’ve all got to start somewhere and listening to this podcast episode is a great first step!

I am overjoyed to introduce you to my guest, Marianna Swallow. Marianna is The Speak Easy Coach. Her mission is to make public speaking easy and enjoyable for everyone – one speech at a time. Since 2014, she’s transformed thousands of individuals and teams by teaching them to develop and deliver clear and confident presentations while making the process fun. 

A lifelong performer, she’s a graduate of the Second City Conservatory. She currently performs stand-up and storytelling in Chicago. She holds a BA from Northern Illinois University and an MFA from Goucher College. She splits her time between Chicago and Charlotte.

Marianna goes above and beyond in this episode delving into how to identify some unconscious speaking that we have, how to work on them, create more speaking opportunities for yourself and so much more. Get ready to walk away from the episode challenged and inspired to tackle those speaking fears. 

In this episode of the Contagious Confidence Podcast, we talk about:

  • Unconscious speaking habits you need to break
  • Things that undercut your credibility as a speaker
  • How to stop apologizing 
  • How conditioning affects how we present ourselves
  • How practicing is important to gain confidence as a speaker
  • The difference between thinking and preparation 
  • Tips for practicing public speaking 
  • How to create more opportunities to practice presentation skills or public speaking 
  • Tips for getting over the fear of public speaking 

Resources: 


Where to Find Marianna:

Stay Connected:

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.