Last night I had the pleasure of speaking about how WP-CLI can help Themers by automating and streamlining workflow at my local WordPress user group #wpldn here in London. For me, #wpldn is like home to me because it’s the first place where I ever stood up in front of a crowd and presented. It takes a lot of courage and determination to step up and speak in front of a group, even if you’ve done it before. Many people have no problem speaking at work, in meetings, or with friends, but for some reason addressing an audience can be flat-out nerve wracking.
I just gave a talk on WP-CLI at the #wpldn meetup @wpengine pic.twitter.com/dDrCJAJBFS
— Edmund Turbin (@spicecadet) March 30, 2017
Stage fright is a real thing for me. I can recall many years ago having an opportunity to speak in front of students, many of which I knew while I was studying in college. Needless to say, it did not go well. Although I had every intention of talking that day, not a single word came out of my mouth. I froze and could not say anything.
It was nearly 2 years ago where I first hopped on the podium and gave my talk on Using GeoIP to Create Localized User Experiences. What I’ve learned since is that it’s super important to be comfortable about the material you’re presenting and things like, sleep, mood and overall health can make a huge difference when you’re presenting. Sometimes, just being happy can overtake nerves and stage fright.
Once you realize that speaking can be fun, you can really start to develop some style and add personality into your presentations. I really enjoy this aspect and I think it keeps things interesting. When you are presenting, it’s not just about the information that you’re relaying. It’s about the delivery and charisma that people have when they can speak passionately about the subject at hand.
I’m sadly not going to be speaking again this year in Paris for WordCamp Europe #WCEU as i had hoped. Myself and a group of WP Engine co-workers submitted ideas for talks, but in the end, none of us made the cut. I will however, still be attending and I look forward to seeing many WP Engine customers, friends and colleagues for the biggest European WordCamp.
On the horizon for me is a trip to Finland in April for WordCamp Helsinki to talk about Configuration Management in WordPress. I’ve always wanted to visit Finland and this is something I’m really looking forward to. So, the question is… Where to after that? Will it be Brighton, Bristol, Berlin or Barcelona? Not sure, but you’ll be the first to know, just as soon as I do 😉