About a year ago, I was invited to speak for the eWomenNetwork Phoenix Chapter.
Beautiful room.
Aspirational setting.
Full house of incredible entrepreneurs.
Slides? Ready.
Outfit? On point.
Hair? (A very good day, thank you very much.)
And then…
Moments before I go on stage, the host is searching through her briefcase and her purse, and she’s a little frantic.
She speaks four little words.
👉 “I forgot the clicker.”
No problem. We improvise.
A lovely team member is assigned as my human slide advancer.
We’re making it work.
I step up. Begin my talk.
And then…
👉 The microphone doesn’t work.
Of course it doesn’t.
Cue what I now affectionately call…
The “Bend and Sway” Dance.
No fluster.
No drama.
No apology tour.
Just me, standing and delivering with hand signals to make it easy for my new assistant to do her part.
With a good attitude and a sense of humor.
Adjusting in real time.
Rolling with what’s happening.
Staying connected to the audience.
And you know what?
They were right there with me.
Warm. Engaged. Generous.
Because here’s what I know to be true:
👉 The audience doesn’t remember perfect conditions.
👉 They remember how you handle imperfect ones.
After the event, I followed up with the host to ask how it landed.
Her response?
“After hosting monthly luncheons for the past 18 months, I can say without question that yours was the best talk given this entire time.”
Let that land for a moment.
Not despite the hiccups.
Because of how they were handled.
If you’re an aspiring speaker… or honestly, a human doing meaningful work in real time…
Here’s your reminder:
Things will not always go according to plan.
Technology will fail.
People will forget things.
Moments will get messy.
And still…
You get to show up.
You get to serve.
You get to lead the room.
Grace under pressure is not a bonus skill.
It is the skill.
So the next time something goes sideways?
Don’t freeze.
Don’t spiral.
Don’t make it mean something about you.
Just…
Bend and sway.
🎥 If you’d like to sample the talk I gave about how to wow the podcast host before, during and after the show, these short clips make it easy to watch.
Author Bio
Nancy Juetten is a messaging strategist, regret prevention advocate, and founder/leader of the Ruby Slipper Collective. This is an intimate mastermind through which accomplished women entrepreneurs design their next magnificent chapters in life and work and bring their new dreams to life together.
