How to turn pressure into presence - and perform when it matters most.
📌 In This Issue:
This week, we're unpacking the secret that great thought leaders share:
They don't silence fear, they train with it.
- Why fear is your fire - and the hidden force behind every great story
- How to channel pressure into presence
- A story for my own career that changed how I see fear forever
- The 3 tactical steps to build your "Fear Advantage"
- Excerpt from The Thought Leader's Playbook
- Subscriber-only Core Wound Compass
Buy the Thought Leader's Playbook
Fear Is Your Fire
If you want people to believe in your message, start with what made you.
"Every great leader, artist, or entrepreneur shares on hidden trait -
a moment that shaped their brilliance.
It's the inevitable fuel behind creativity, courage, and connection."
- Chapter 12, The Thought Leader's Playbook
Hollywood writers know this secret. Every hero in every movie, TV show, or even cartoon has a core wound - a pain they're trying to overcome that gives their actions meaning. Without it, you wouldn't care about them. It's what makes Batman brooding, Tony Stark brilliant, and Moana unstoppable.
Their adventures - whether in space, in a courtroom, or on a reality show - become interesting because they're trying to heal something. The story isn't about perfection, it's about the progress through pain.
The same applies to you.
When you create your signature story, your core wound is the spark that ignites influence.
It tells people:
- lwhat you've had to overcome,
- why it still matters to you, and
- how that struggle translates into lessons, empathy, and results for your audience.
Without it, your message feels generic.
With it, you become unforgettable.
The truth? Your audience doesn't fall in love with your success.
They fall in love with your resilience.
That's your real superpower - and the one most people are too afraid to reveal.
The Fear Advantage
I grew up in Scotland in the 70s - a brown kid with an English accent.
Every classroom, every playground, every street reminded me that I didn't fit.
When you spend your early years standing out for all the wrong reasons, you learn to options quickly: hide... or perform.
At school, I discovered the one thing that silenced all the noise - the stage.
During our final play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, I played the Pharaoh who sang like Elvis.
The lights came up, and suddenly the same kid who'd spent his whole life trying to blend in was the one everyone was watching.
And they were cheering.
That moment changed everything.
I realised the thing I used to call fear wasn't my enemy - it was energy.
It was my body saying, "This matters. Show up."
That discovery carried me through decades of radio, television, and global stages.
But there was another part of the story I didn't see until much later.
The Invisible War Inside You
For years, I thought my drive was ambition, curiosity, or the love of performing.
But during the pandemic - when everything stopped - I saw it clearly for the first time.
It wasn't hunger.
It was fear.
That early need to prove I belonged never left me.
It followed me into every class, every friendship group, every job.
Even when I moved to Dubai - a city built on opportunity - that voice didn't disappear.
It just changed tone.
But it was still there:
"Am I good enough to sit at this table?"
Most high achievers know that voice.
They don't talk about it, but it's always playing in the background - that quiet battle between proving and belonging.
It's shows up in subtle ways:
- You overprepare for every meeting.
- You deflect compliments.
- You blend in when you should stand out.
I call it the invisible war - and it's the reason brilliant people stay small.
The breakthrough cam when I stopped trying to slience that voice... and started listening to it.
It wasn't fear telling me I wasn't ready.
It was pressure reminding me I was.
That's when fear stopped being the problem - and became my performance trigger.
That's The Fear Advantage.
💬 Lesson:
Fear doesn't fade with success - it evolves with it.
The secret isn't to fight it, but to frame it.
Once you turn pressure into proof, it stops being a threat.. and starts becoming your edge.
Turning Pressure into Proof
Every expert reaches to a point where talent isn't enough.
What decides who rises isn't brilliance - it's response under pressure.
Most people try to eliminate fear before the big moment.
They take deep breaths, visualise calm, and hope confidence will magically appear.
But that never works, because fear isn't the problem.
It's the indicator.
Fear is your body's way of saying:
"This matters - get ready to perform."
Top performers don't chase calm.
They train for pressure.
They understand that pressure and performance are twins.
You can't have one without the other.
When you feel that surge of energy before a keynote, a pitch, or a tough conversation - that's your system handing your extra power.
The only question is: will you channel is or choke on it?
And that's where the old phrase "fake it til you make it" gets misunderstood.
It was never about faking skill - it's about borrowing confidence until your preparation catches up.
You don't fake who you are.
You project who you're becoming.
Each time you step up, you teach your body and brain a new normal.
So when fear shows up, you don't shrink.
You act like the person who belongs in that room - until it's no longer an act.
That's how professionals evolve into performers.
💬 Mentor Takeaway:
Fear never goes away - it graduates.
Each new level brings a new version of it.
Your job isn't to suppress it.. it's to speak through it.
That's what creates authority.
The Stadium Test
When I first transitioned from radio to hosting live events, I thought my years behind the microphone had prepared me.
Then I stepped out in front of 40,000 people.
Different story.
The sound hit me first - that wave of energy from the crowd, the echo of my own heartbeat in my ears.
My instinct wanted to freeze, to slow down, to overthink every word.
But when I remembered my training, I recognised the moment.
I breathed.
I focused.
I performed.
That night, I didn't eliminate the fear - I channelled it.
Every performer does this in their own way.
Beyoncé calls hers Sasha Fierce.
For me, it's channelling Max - the version of myself who shows up when the lights hit and there's no room for hesitation.
He's not fearless.
He's focused.
He knows the job.
Every time the camera light blinked red, I reminded myself:
"You've done the work. Now, let the work do you."
When the show ended, people said:
"You looked so calm, so natural."
And I smiled, because that's the secret most people miss:
I wasn't calm - I was controlled.
That's what performance under pressure looks like.
That event became more than a gig-
it was proof - visible, undeniable evidence that fear doesn't fade with experience... it evolves with it.
The difference is that now, I know how to use it.
💬 Lesson:
Fear isn't your enemy - it's your ignition switch.
So, ask yourself -
"Who do I become when I'm at my best?
And can I call on that version of me when the pressure hits?"
🛠️ Tactical Action Steps - Building Your Fear Advantage
If you want to perform under pressure, you can't wait for the nerves to vanish, you have to train through them.
Here's how to start turning fear into focus this week:
- Rehearse under real conditions.
Don't just practice in comfort.
Stand up, turn the lights on, start the timer, hit record.
You'll teach your body to stay steady when the pressure shows up for real. - Create your pre-performance cue.
Beyoncé channels Sasha. I channel Max.
What's your switch?
Pick one physical cue - a breath, a phrase, a gesture - that tells your system: "It's go time."
Repeat it until it becomes instinct. - Collect proof of progress.
Every time you speak, present, or lead under pressure - capture it.
Save the clips, testimonials, screenshots, or feedback.
Those are your proof points - reminders that you've done it before, and you can do it again.
💬 Mentor Reflection:
Fear rewards those who face it on purpose.
The more you train through it, the faster it learns to work for you, not against you.
🎤 Want a 1:1 session to perform under pressure?
You've learned how to reframe fear - now it's time to use it.
The Keynote Speaker Blueprint is a focused, 1:1 mentoring experience designed to help you:
- Craft and deliver your signature keynote
- Channel pressure into powerful stage presence
- Build visible proof that positions you as an authority
Just four powerful private sessions - built for experts ready to turn nerves into confidence and impact.
👉🏾 Get the Keynote Speaker Blueprint
How to Turn Your Core Wound Into Your Fuel
Everyone has a wound.
The difference between those who rise and those who rust is how they use it.
The goal isn't to "get over" your pain - it's to get powered by it.
Because the part of you that once felt powerless is the same part that can now move mountains - if you give it a voice.
Here's a simple model to help you turn pain into power:
- The Visible Steps
Call it what it is - rejection, isolation, betrayal, being underestimated.
You can't heal what you refuse to name. - Find the Pattern
Notice how that wound still shapes your choices today.
Do you overwork? Overgive? Hide your real emotions? That's your scar tissue talking. - Connect the Dots
Every pain point planted a gift.
Your empathy, humour, and drive were forged in the fire of what hurt you most.
You've just seen the first three steps of The Core Wound Compass - your roadmap to turn pain into power.
If you'd like the full 10-Stage Compass (with prompts and reflection questions, subscribe below to download the complete guide.
