The Expert Effect: How Public Speaking Can Grow Your Credibility
Let’s talk about something I know you have been thinking about, but maybe not saying out loud:
You want to be seen as an expert.
You want your voice to matter.
You want your work, your ideas, and your story to carry weight.
Not just with your clients or coworkers, but on stages, in boardrooms, at conferences, on podcasts, and in the rooms where people talk about who to hire, who to trust, and who to follow.
You don’t want to just sit at the table. You want to lead and impact the conversation.
But here is the part you might not realize yet: The fastest way to grow your credibility is through public speaking.
Why? Because speaking positions you as a person with passion, purpose, and impact.
When you speak on a stage, even a virtual one, you become the voice people associate with the solution or message you share. You become the face people remember when they are looking for someone who can reach their audience.
Think about it. Who do you trust more? The person who passively posts online every now and then, hoping someone will notice their brilliance? Or the one who gets on stage, owns their experience, and delivers value with confidence and presence?
And here is the beautiful part: You don’t have to be famous to become the authority. You don’t need to wait for a TEDx invite or a fancy title to be taken seriously. You don’t even need to be the loudest voice in the room.
You just need to share your story with intention, back it up with insight, and show up consistently.
But how do you build authority through speaking? Here are a few ways:
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Lead with your value, not your ego
When you speak to educate, empower, or inspire—not to impress—you automatically build rapport. People lean in. They take notes. They remember you. This is how trust is built.
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Tell your story with strategy
Don’t just share random anecdotes. Speak of your transformation, of your trials and triumphs and the lessons they carried. Connect the dots between what you have lived through and what your audience needs to hear. That is when your story becomes a teaching tool.
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Be visible on purpose
Book the panel. Pitch the podcast. Say yes to the small speaking event or the big keynote. Even if it makes you sweat. Especially if it makes you sweat. Authority is not built in private. It is earned through visibility and action.
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Use speaking to bridge the credibility gap
If you feel like you are always being overlooked, under-booked, or underpaid, speaking changes that. It forces people to see you differently. It changes how they talk about you. It upgrades how they introduce you. (Even in rooms you are not in.)
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Let your confidence speak before you do
When you show up with belief in yourself, even if your hands are shaking, people feel that, and they respond. Confidence is magnetic, let it break the ice for you.
I know it’s scary. I know you’re thinking Who am I to speak? What if I mess up? What if they don’t take me seriously?
But let me flip that for you.
Who are you not to speak? What happens if you stay silent? What opportunities never find you because you never let yourself be seen? Who suffers because they didn’t get to hear your message?
You’ve lived through things others couldn’t imagine. You have helped people, led people, built things, healed, failed, risen, and learned.
Now it’s time to own that. Now it is time to speak from it.
Because when you do, you become the one they want to book, trust, follow, and refer. You become the expert they were waiting for.
Remember, authority isn’t a title someone gives you, it’s a presence you claim. So if you are ready to step up, speak out, and be seen as the expert you already are, I am here for that journey.
Whether it is on a big stage, at an open mic night, or in a room full of decision-makers, your voice belongs there.
Let’s make sure they hear it. Book a free call with me HERE to see how working together can help you gain the skills and confidence you need to build your credibility through speaking and sharing your story.