‘Face that fear. Get back again’: Ankur Warikoo on how he improved his speaking skills

For many adults, public speaking can feel like a nightmare. Standing on the stage in a room full of people with dozens of eyes fixed on you can feel overwhelming. The ordeal doubles if you are an introvert, as it feels that the entire spotlight is on you. In such cases, you can find your breath getting heavier, hands shaking beyond control and heart pounding in your chest as if it’s going to explode. Ageee or not confident professionals also struggle with public speaking and even ace entrepreneur, speaker and celebrated author, Ankur Warikoo, was one of them.

Ankur Warikoo often delights his social media followers with his inspiring and thought-provoking posts. So when an X-user asked him for help to improve his public speaking skills, Warikoo jumped in to offer some help by sharing his personal story of overcoming stage fright during his childhood days.

Ankur Warikoo’s awkward first-stage experience

In the post, Amkur Warikoo revealed that when he was in the 7th standard, his teacher signed him up for a poem recitation competition, unaware that he was terrified to speak on stage. Of course, a 13-year-old Warikoo couldn’t refuse and prepared hard before the event. However, on that fateful day of the competition, he confessed that his feet were trembling and his hands were shaking as he walked up to the stage with a beating heart, sweating profusely. Warikoo shared that he knew his friends and classmates would make fun of him for the first mistake itself.


Contrary to his assumption, Ankur Warikoo recalled that after he finished reciting the poem, neither did anyone applause nord did anyone mock at him but there was an eerie silence in the room. Although he was relieved that the worst was over, his perception was soon to change. After Warikoo took the seat, his friend informed him that when he started talking, no words left his mouth, aka Warikoo barely made a sound, he was so quiet. ‘THAT was my first experience speaking in front of the public,’ wrote Warikoo.

Make mistakes, emerge stronger

Cut to the present, Ankur Warikoo has now given more than 20 TED talks, motivated students with his words at some of the biggest colleges, and is even paid 10L/hr to speak at corporate events, enjoying 16M+ followers on social media. He mentioned with conviction and personal experience that ‘nobody is born a public speaker’. The first step is to make the bold decision of getting up on stage.

Ankur Warikoo’s advice? Make mistakes, face your fear, fix your flaws and try again and again until you succeed. Even though the world might laugh at you for fumbling, you are already a winner, assured Warikoo, as it took courage to be on the stage and you chose to be there despite your fear.