You Can't Fake Presence

I’ve been doing a lot of personal work lately. Sitting with the deeper stuff. The old patterns, the shame stories, the moments where I still find myself shrinking or overcompensating to be liked, approved of, or chosen.

And what it’s teaching me... again... is that you can’t fake presence.

I’ve worked with hundreds of people over the years on how to speak with more confidence, clarity, and authority. But here’s the truth I keep coming back to, both in myself and in my clients:

People don’t connect with polish. They connect with presence.

And presence doesn’t come from perfect posture or a well-rehearsed script. It comes from being at peace with who you are while you’re speaking. It comes from alignment.

You can know your content cold. You can have a flawless slide deck. But if your energy is off... if your inner voice is filled with self-doubt, shame, or people-pleasing... it shows up in your delivery. And people can feel it, even if they can’t name it.

So if you’re preparing for a talk, a pitch, a team meeting, or a high-stakes conversation… yes, prepare your content. Yes, rehearse. But don’t forget to check in with you.

Ask yourself:

• Where am I holding back?

• What part of me doesn’t feel safe to be seen here?

• What would it feel like to show up without performing?
  

Because the more we practice bringing our whole selves to the moment... not just the curated version... the more powerful our presence becomes.

And that’s what moves people.