How She Turned a Fear of Public Speaking Into a Business

Lynn Smith, a former NBC and CNN anchor and founder of Lynn Smith Media, never imagined her business would one day become a foundation. But after mastering the art of public speaking and overcoming their inner critic, Smith leverages his professional expertise and personal experience to help small business owners and executives connect with their audiences with confidence and unlock growth in the process.

Despite spending more than 15 years as a news anchor, Smith feared public speaking and was called a “brain bully”. “It’s that voice in your head that’s saying, Nobody wants to hear from youor You’re gonna screw it up,” says Smith.

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Using this idea of ​​beating your inner bully, she now teaches business leaders how to silence self-doubt and communicate with clarity, confidence and presence.

Smith points out that many businesses often focus on product, ad placement and distribution but neglect articulating their message — and lose money doing so. Many business owners fall into one of two traps: overpacking communications with scripted language that sounds robotic, or preparation and rambling.

The solution is not to memorize or improve. It is to develop magnetic communication skills. To stand out to your audience, Smith suggests, you need more than just clarity. You need presence and visibility. It means showing up with confidence and intention. She calls it “magnetic communication.”

“It’s not just about showing up; it’s about making sure that when you do show up, it’s magnetic,” she says. “And it’s 100% a learned skill.”

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Presence extends beyond the stage or screen. Smith emphasized that how business owners respond to feedback or handle brand crises can make or break customer trust.

“When you don’t make a comment in the viewer’s mind — whether that viewer is watching television or reading a review on the Internet — they’ve decided that there’s clearly a crime.”

Instead of letting others make up the story, Smith suggests that responding to critical feedback can actually turn a review into an opportunity to build credibility and the reason someone chooses to do business with your business.

“If there’s a crisis, acknowledge it for what it is, acknowledge the feedback,” she says. “Communicate what you plan to do about it. Take whatever responsibility you have.”

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In terms of branding, Smith also recognizes the trust and value that can be built by making strategic choices that align with your target audience. Smith recently rebranded his company, moving from a pink-heavy color palette to a blue and yellow color tone that better engages his audience of enterprise companies and entrepreneurs. She encourages other entrepreneurs to rethink their branding as they grow, and not be afraid of strategic change.

He also offered advice for small business owners to position themselves in front of the media: tie your story to a relevant news topic, keep your pitch short and include video clips so producers can see how you’ll come across on camera.

“Look for a topic that’s already being talked about in the news, and provide expertise,” she says. “You become a subject matter expert in that. And in that pitch, start with a powerful headline or subject line that grabs their attention and makes them want to open it.”

His latest project is titled, Children’s Book Just keep goingteaches children how to manage fear and build confidence.

“There are actual physical techniques that we can teach children to reduce their anxiety around fear,” says Smith. “We can raise the next generation of confident and magnetic communicators and leaders because they are not hindered by these concerns.”

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After turning a personal fear into a thriving business, Smith’s advice for entrepreneurs is clear:

• Kill the bully in your mind. Fear, not lack of skill, is often the culprit of ineffective communication. Address this fear to build your confidence and become a better communicator.
• Presence builds trust. Whether on video or in person, how you appear with confidence and clarity matters more than ever.
• Answer with intention. Thoughtful responses to reviews and criticism can strengthen your brand. Responding to critical feedback allows your audience to create a narrative rather than a narrative.
• Let your brand evolve. As your business grows, your visual identity and messaging should grow with it. Don’t be afraid to make strategic shifts to better match your audience.
• Pitch with purpose. When you pitch your business story to the media, tie your narrative to something timely and be the voice of expertise on the subject. Prepare a short and targeted email and contact relevant press directly for print, digital or broadcast mentions.

Watch the episode above, and subscribe, to hear from Smith live Behind the review Every Wednesday for more information from new business owners and reviewers.

Editorial contribution by Candy Varasadt

This article is part of our ongoing America’s Favorite Mom and Pop Shops® series highlighting family owned and operated businesses.

Lynn Smith, a former NBC and CNN anchor and founder of Lynn Smith Media, never imagined her business would one day become a foundation. But after mastering the art of public speaking and overcoming their inner critic, Smith leverages his professional expertise and personal experience to help small business owners and executives connect with their audiences with confidence and unlock growth in the process.

Despite spending more than 15 years as a news anchor, Smith feared public speaking and was called a “brain bully”. “It’s that voice in your head that’s saying, Nobody wants to hear from youor You’re gonna screw it up,” says Smith.