Petra Nemcova Quotes

I consider myself a pretty good extemporaneous speaker. Even though I don't like speaking in front of people, I don't think I'm bad at it.

I can't say I'm not nervous at all with media and doing speeches, but I'm getting used to it and better at it, hopefully.

I owed Lewis one thing, at least. Once you had suffered the experience of presenting a case at one of his Monday morning conferences, no other public appearance, whether on radio, TV or the lecture platform, could hold any terrors for you.

Getting up in front of an audience is my biggest motivation.

I don't like giving speeches - I enjoy sitting on my rump.

I conquered my stage fright a long time ago. In my line of work, it's kind of a pre-requisite that you not feel bad about looking stupid in front of a lot of people.

In high school, I was too shy to perform. It's one thing to get laughs from your family, to be funny at parties and in class. It's another thing to get up on the stage.

I liked school, but I used to dread those moments when the teacher would call me up to give an oral report. I forced myself to deal with it and not dwell on the class in front of me - to keep a straight face, give the report and concentrate on getting it right. That's normally how I perform. That's how I am.

There was kind of a pivotal moment in my life in junior high school when my English teacher told me I should be a part of the public speaking competition.

I used to fear public speaking. My voice would shake, I used to forget to breathe. Now it's pretty easy for me.

The confidence and charisma it takes to stand up in front of a group of children absolutely terrifies me.

Public speaking, for me, or speaking even in front of a handful of people is my greatest fear.

I did my first speech when I was 17, well, my first formal speech. So I've had time to deal with it, and to adjust to it, but I can't say I'm like gung-ho on public speaking or interviews for that matter.

I was terribly shy and never said anything in class. Then I started getting into school plays. When you've got words to say, you've got a sort of armour.

The first time I got up in front of an audience was terror, abject terror, which continued for another four or five years. There still is, a little bit.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life giving speeches.

I don't feel nervous or fearful when I'm on stage.

I can never remember being afraid of an audience. If the audience could do better, they'd be up here on stage and I'd be out there watching them.

What I find daunting always is to stand on a stage and talk to people, whether they agree with me or not.

Take a microphone out of my hands, and I'm just plain folks.

I never used to speak to the audience at all. I never really knew what to say onstage.

There's nothing about the stage to be afraid of; there's nothing about the cameras to be afraid of. You just have to be yourself.

I can sing in front of people. I can go on a TV show, live, and not feel like I'm going to throw up.

I've never given a speech without being terrified first.

I find doing speeches nerve wrecking.