What if building a successful business wasn't about having all the answers, but about finding the right people to learn alongside?

In this episode of the Public Speaking Podcast, Matt and Emma are joined by Laurence McCahill, co-founder of The Happy Startup School, entrepreneur, community builder, and host of the Happy Startup Podcast. Together, they explore the power of community, the role of storytelling in public speaking, and why the most impactful speakers are often the most authentic.

Drawing on years of experience building entrepreneurial communities and running transformational events such as Happy Startup Summer Camp, Laurence shares what he's learned about creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be themselves, share their stories, and grow through connection.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Why so many founders and entrepreneurs find themselves in periods of transition
✨ The role community plays in navigating uncertainty, change, and growth
✨ How authentic storytelling creates deeper audience connection than polished expertise
✨ What event organisers really look for when selecting speakers
✨ Why vulnerability can be a speaker's greatest strength
✨ The balance between preparation and authenticity on stage
✨ How to build visibility and confidence as a speaker without becoming performative
✨ Why some of the most memorable talks come from people who are still on the journey, not those claiming to have all the answers
✨ The future of community-led learning in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world

Laurence also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Happy Startup Summer Camp and explains why the event has become a home for entrepreneurs, creatives, founders, and changemakers seeking meaningful connection, shared wisdom, and a different way of thinking about business success.

Throughout the conversation, a common theme emerges: the most powerful speakers are rarely the most polished. They are the people willing to share real experiences, ask honest questions, and invite others into the learning process.

Whether you're building a business, developing your voice as a speaker, navigating a period of change, or searching for a community that aligns with your values, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on success, connection, and what it means to truly be heard.

About the Series

This series challenges performance culture, dismantles the "perfect speaker" myth, and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. Through conversations with speakers, founders, experts, clinicians, educators, and thought leaders, we explore authentic communication, public speaking, visibility, leadership, and the systems that influence whose voices are heard.

Hosted by speaking coach Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt, founder of Dream Clinic, the podcast brings together two perspectives: the art of public speaking and the business of public speaking. Together, they explore not only how people find and use their voice, but also the support systems, opportunities, and structures that help meaningful ideas reach the audiences they deserve.

Connect with Laurence

Laurence McCahill is the co-founder of The Happy Startup School, a community and alternative business school helping entrepreneurs build businesses that align with what matters most to them. Through events, workshops, coaching, podcasts, and the Happy MBA programme, Laurence helps founders create sustainable businesses grounded in purpose, learning, play, and friendship.

🌐 The Happy Startup School
🔗 LinkedIn: Laurence McCahill

#PublicSpeaking #CommunityBuilding #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #AuthenticCommunication #Storytelling #ThoughtLeadership #BusinessGrowth #FounderJourney #SpeakerDevelopment #HappyStartupSchool #Podcast #DreamClinic #TheSpeakingCoach #BeTrulyHeard

What happens when you stop trying to fit in and start showing up fully as yourself?

In this episode of The Public Speaking Podcast, Matt and Emma are joined by entrepreneur, speaker, and Inkpact founder Charlotte Pearce. Together, they explore the relationship between authenticity, confidence, public speaking, and business growth, and why being unapologetically yourself can be one of the most powerful business strategies available.

Charlotte shares her journey from young entrepreneur to founder of Inkpact, a company on a mission to make direct mail relevant again by helping brands create genuine moments of human connection through physical communication. She also discusses how public speaking became an extension of her passion for psychology, personal growth, and helping people think differently.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Why human connection remains essential in an increasingly digital world
✨ The role public speaking has played in Charlotte's entrepreneurial journey
✨ How authenticity can transform both your speaking and your business
✨ The hidden cost of trying to be everything to everyone
✨ Why challenging industry norms often requires courage and visibility
✨ The power of creating an "electric self" and stepping into it before speaking ✨ Navigating imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and fear of judgment
✨ What difficult life experiences can teach us about resilience, leadership, and showing up fully
✨ Why more women, founders, and unconventional voices need to be heard on stages and podcasts

Charlotte also shares a practical technique she uses before stepping onto a stage: reconnecting with the most confident, fully expressed version of herself—her "electric self", through visualization, music, movement, and personal rituals.

This conversation goes beyond public speaking. It's about leadership, identity, courage, and what becomes possible when we stop hiding parts of ourselves and start embracing the things that make us different.

Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, leader, speaker, or someone navigating a season of personal growth, this episode offers powerful insights into confidence, visibility, and building a life that's aligned with who you truly are.

About the Series

This series challenges performance culture, dismantles the "perfect speaker" myth, and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. Through conversations with speakers, founders, experts, clinicians, educators, and thought leaders, we explore authentic communication, public speaking, visibility, leadership, and the systems that influence whose voices are heard.

Hosted by speaking coach Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt, founder of Dream Clinic, the podcast brings together two perspectives: the art of public speaking and the business of public speaking. Together, they explore not only how people find and use their voice, but also the support systems, opportunities, and structures that help meaningful ideas reach the audiences they deserve.

Connect with Charlotte

Charlotte Pearce is the founder and CEO of Inkpact, a company helping brands create meaningful customer relationships through handwritten notes, direct mail, gifting, and physical experiences. A lifelong entrepreneur and passionate advocate for human connection, Charlotte speaks on marketing, psychology, leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal growth.

🌐 Inkpact
🔗 LinkedIn: Charlotte Pearce

#PublicSpeaking #AuthenticLeadership #HumanConnection #Entrepreneurship #ThoughtLeadership #PersonalBranding #Confidence #CommunicationSkills #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #SpeakerDevelopment #Inkpact #Podcast #DreamClinic #TheSpeakingCoach

Why do so many intelligent, capable people struggle to be seen and heard?

In this episode Matt and Emma are joined by sustainability copywriter, nervous system educator, and founder of Lovely Messy Humans, Beth Derry, to explore the deeper reasons behind the fear of public speaking and visibility. Beth shares her personal journey from avoiding being seen and heard to using her voice to educate, inspire, and support others.

Together, they discuss:

✨ Why fear of judgment is a universal human experience
✨ The connection between public speaking, confidence, and the nervous system
✨ How authenticity creates stronger audience connection than performance
✨ Practical ways to build confidence without forcing yourself outside your comfort zone
✨ The role of visualisation, nervous system regulation, and self-compassion in overcoming fear
✨ Why so many experts, founders, and change-makers struggle with visibility despite having valuable ideas to share
✨ How feedback, resilience, and staying true to your message can support long-term success in speaking and business

This conversation challenges the idea that great speakers are born confident. Instead, it explores how public speaking can become more sustainable, authentic, and impactful when we learn to work with our biology rather than against it.

Whether you're a founder, leader, expert, educator, or someone who simply wants to communicate more confidently, this episode offers practical insights into finding your voice and sharing it with the world.

About the Series

This series challenges performance culture, dismantles the "perfect speaker" myth, and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. Through conversations with speakers, founders, experts, clinicians, educators, and thought leaders, we explore authentic communication, public speaking, visibility, leadership, and the systems that influence whose voices are heard.

Hosted by speaking coach Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt, founder of Dream Clinic, the podcast brings together two perspectives: the art of public speaking and the business of public speaking. Together, they explore not only how people find and use their voice, but also the support systems, opportunities, and structures that help meaningful ideas reach the audiences they deserve.

Connect with Beth

Beth Derry is the founder of Lovely Messy Humans, a nervous system educator, Havening Techniques® practitioner, and former sustainability copywriter. She helps people understand how their nervous system shapes confidence, communication, wellbeing, and behaviour, empowering them to overcome fear and show up more authentically in their work and lives.

Drawing on both lived experience and professional expertise, Beth delivers training, coaching, and workshops that make nervous system literacy practical, accessible, and transformational.

🌐 Lovely Messy Humans: https://lovelymessyhumans.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Beth Derry

#PublicSpeaking #CommunicationSkills #AuthenticLeadership #ThoughtLeadership #SpeakerDevelopment #NervousSystem #Confidence #PersonalGrowth #Visibility #Podcast #LovelyMessyHumans #ThePublicSpeakingCoach #DreamClinic