Tim Newman Speaks: Five Hacks to Show Up Confidently on Camera Every Single Time

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That awkward tension you feel when the camera turns on? It’s not a sign you’re bad at speaking, it’s your body trying to help. In this solo episode, Tim Newman breaks down one of the most common confidence killers in modern communication: camera anxiety. Whether you’re recording a 60-second update or giving a virtual keynote, your nervous system is along for the ride. But with a few mindset shifts and setup tweaks, you can turn those nerves into powerful communication tools.

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up consistently with presence, purpose, and a message worth listening to.

What You'll Learn:

• Why your brain mixes up fear and excitement, and how to use that to boost your public speaking confidence
• How poor lighting and audio sabotage your message (and how to fix it without buying a studio)
• Box breathing and the “power pause” in calming nerves and commanding attention
• How body language and strategic gestures silently build trust and credibility
• Why consistent, imperfect action beats waiting for the “perfect” take every single time
• The 21-Day Video Challenge that will take your presentation skills to the next level

Tim’s Take:
Being a powerful communicator isn’t about flawless delivery. It’s about authentic presence, consistent practice, and learning to lead even when your hands are shaking. Stop waiting to feel ready, just press record.

Visit TimNewmanSpeaks.com to grab your free resource, The Top 21 Challenges for Public Speakers and How to Overcome Them, and start building the confidence you deserve.

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Speaking With Confidence? Send Tim Newman a message on PodMatch
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Episode Transcript

Tim (00:08):
Welcome back to Speaking with Confidence, the podcast
that helps you build the softskills that lead to real results
Communication, storytelling,public speaking and showing up
with confidence in everyconversation that counts.
I'm Tim Newman, a recoveringcollege professor turned
communication coach, and I'mthrilled to guide you on a
journey to become a powerfulcommunicator.
Make sure you hit the subscribebutton so you never miss an

(00:32):
episode.
Today, I will take theconversation about being
confident on camera with ShirleyEngel a little bit deeper and
give you five practical tips tobuild your on-camera confidence
that you can start using today.
If you missed the episode withShirley Engel, make sure you
check it out.
Let's go ahead and get started.
I want you to try something.

(00:53):
Imagine pulling out your phone,opening the camera app and
recording a 30-secondintroduction of yourself.
Sounds simple, right, but formany it's anything, but Maybe
you froze, stumbled over yourwords or cringed watching it
back.
That discomfort it's incrediblycommon and it's exactly why I

(01:18):
made this video.
Today, I'm sharing three easysteps that have helped countless
professionals overcome cameraanxiety and build real
confidence on video.
So, whether you're a totalbeginner or just looking to
improve, these tips will make adifference.
So let's just dive right in andget started.

(01:38):
Everybody knows that weird surgeof nerves when the camera turns
on right.
It's not sabotaging you, it'senergy that hasn't been told
where to go.
Yet Most people feel thattension and think, well, I'm a
suck at this.
But no, that's not it.
What you're feeling is yourbody doing what it's supposed to

(01:58):
do when something matters.
The problem isn't the nerves,it's how you handle them matters
.
The problem isn't the nerves,it's how you handle them.
Think about it like this yourbrain doesn't automatically know
the difference between fear andexcitement.
Both feel the same physically aracing heart, sweaty palms and

(02:19):
that buzz of adrenaline.
The key is what you tellyourself about it.
Neuroscience shows thatnegative self-talk on camera
triggers the same threat signalsas if you were being chased by
a bear.
Then what happens is thatstress response spirals, nerves
hurt your delivery and thatshaky delivery convinces you

(02:41):
that you're terrible and thencue even more nerves.
Here's where it gets interesting.
One study split people into twogroups giving recorded speeches
.
Group 1 tried to calm down.
Group 2 reframed their nervesas excitement.
And the result?
Group 2 outperformed by a mile.

(03:03):
78% showed real improvement inconfidence and delivery.
Why, you ask?
Because nervous energy is likean untamed river.
Left unchecked, it floodseverything, but when you channel
it, it becomes a powerfulcurrent that you can actually
use.
So how do we break the stressloop?

(03:24):
Here's one technique.
Try box breathing.
This is where you inhale forfour seconds, you hold that
breath for four seconds, youexhale for four seconds and then
you hold it again for four moreseconds.
Picture this Before you do yourbox breathing, your chest feels

(03:44):
tight, your thoughts are racing, but afterwards your shoulders
drop, your mind clears and youfeel steady.
What it does is it actuallyactivates your parasympathetic
system, the part of your bodythat says look, dude, we're cool
and we can move on.
One TEDx speaker swore by this,along with a mindset tweak.

(04:07):
Instead of saying I'm nervous,she told herself my body's
gearing up to do somethingimportant.
Her engagement score has jumpedby about 40%.
Here's the truth 67% ofprofessionals hate recording
themselves.
So think about it like thisit's not about talent, it's

(04:29):
about seeing adrenaline asrocket fuel, not a red flag.
And guess what?
Audiences trust people who showa little nervousness more than
those who seem too polished.
So don't erase the jitters.
Channel them.
Next step let's fix the lighting, the mic and the frame so your

(04:50):
setup works for you and notagainst you.
You can be the most confidentperson in the world, but if your
lighting is garbage, you'llstill come across like you're
unsure of yourself.
Harsh overhead lights, like theones in your office or kitchen,
cast shadows on your eyes andchin, making you look tired or
even untrustworthy.
Uneven lighting, like when oneside of your face is darker than

(05:14):
the other, has the same effect.
Research shows that a speakerlit from above looks harsher and
less competent than one litwith soft, even light from the
sides.
The message doesn't change, butthe vibe does.
Good lighting sets the stagefor your message to shine
through, helping people focus onwhat you're saying instead of

(05:38):
how you look.
So here's a quick lighting hack.
Grab two lamps with whiteshades, put one at 10 o'clock
and the other at 2 o'clock,about three feet from your face,
angled slightly down.
Drape a white t-shirt orparchment paper over them to
soften the light.
Boom, no shadows, no glare, nononsense.

(06:04):
Now let's talk about audio.
What most people don'tunderstand is audio actually
matters more than video.
People will forgive a grainypicture, but inconsistent sound.
They're gone in seconds.
Why?
Because bad audio makes yourbrain work harder to understand

(06:24):
what's being said, and no onewants that.
But here's the thing.
You don't need a fancy micsetup.
Either Move your phone closeror spend 20 bucks on a clip-on
mic Problem solved.
Third, if you want people totake you more seriously, clean
up your background.
Use the rule of three.
Keep just three things behindyou, like a plant, a frame print

(06:48):
.
Keep just three things behindyou like a plant, a frame print,
maybe a shelf.
Odd numbers are more visuallybalanced and a minimalist setup
helps viewers focus on you andnot the clutter.
But again, here's the thingDeclutter, but don't overstage.
Leave your coffee mug ornotebook to keep it human.

(07:09):
Here's the point.
Most awkward on-camera momentsaren't about nerves.
They're about bad setups.
Fix your lighting and audio andsuddenly you can focus on
delivering your message, notdamage control.
Confidence looks likepreparation.
Sometimes it's just a lamp anda mic away.

(07:33):
Now let's talk about bodylanguage.
Crossing your arms on camera islike slamming a door shut.
It blocks connection before youeven say a word.
Even with perfect lighting andsound, your body language is
what truly sets the tone.
Most people freeze up whenthey're nervous, unaware that
their posture is working againstthem faster than any verbal
stumble ever could.
Research shows that it takesjust one-tenth of a second for

(07:58):
viewers to judge you based onyour posture and movement.
I think it's more like threeseconds, but the point is people
make judgments pretty quickly,so the translation is your body
speaks first and it doesn't lie.
Picture two politiciansdelivering the same speech.
One stands stiff, hands gluedto his sides.
The other uses calm,open-handed gestures to

(08:21):
emphasize points.
Viewers trust the second guy42% more, even when the words
are identical.
Open palms signal transparency.
Smooth, natural motion conveysconfidence.
You don't need to flail like amotivational speaker, just look
engaged, not locked up.

(08:42):
Here's another one.
Try the power pause Next timeyou record.
Sit or stand tall, take a deepbreath and hold still for two
full seconds before speaking.
You can feel your shouldersdrop, your chest open and your
mind clear.
This simple reset sends apowerful nonverbal message that

(09:04):
I'm in control.
Most shaky starts happen becausepeople rush, adjusting their
seat or grasping for air likethey're about to sprint.
One sales team made no changesto their script, but transformed
their video pitches by fixingtheir body language.
They stopped crossing theirarms, relaxed their shoulders

(09:25):
and leaned in slightly at keymoments.
The result A 23% jump inconversion rates.
Prospects said they felt moreconnected.
Posture matters more thanbuzzwords.
So if you're prone to nervoushabits like fidgeting or swaying
, give your hands a job Jester.

(09:46):
Naturally Hold a pen if you'resitting.
Don't let your hands becomeyour awkward extras in your own
show Studies.
Show 3 to 5 deliberate gesturesper minute boost viewer
attention far more than standingstiff as a statue.
Here's your baseline cameraposture Shoulders back, chin
level.
Raise your camera slightlyabove eye level.

(10:08):
Looking down makes you seemunsure and oddly sad.
Bottom line physical controlbeats nerves.
Viewers only know what you showthem.
The most effective cameraconfidence comes from
redirecting nervous energy intoengaging delivery.
Those physical reactions,adrenaline and quick impulse are

(10:32):
tools top speakers actually use.
Here's a 21-day challenge foryou Record one imperfect
60-second video daily.
Focus on one technique each day.
For example, better lighting onMonday, posture on Tuesday, box
breathing on Wednesday, etc.
Remember every professional youadmire began awkwardly

(10:54):
overanalyzing playback anddisliking their voice.
What separates them ispersistence.
Think of this process likesculpting a masterpiece.
Each video chips away atself-doubt, revealing confidence
underneath your fears arenormal stepping stones.
Just press record and let thetransformation begin.

(11:15):
That's it for today.
Be sure to visitspeakingwithconfidencepodcastcom
to get your free e-book.
The Top 21 Challenges forPublic Speakers and how to
Overcome them.
You can also register for theFormula for Public Speaking
course.
Always remember your voice hasthe power to change the world.
We'll talk to you next time,take care.