Harriet Gruender, our Marketing Coordinator, recently shared how performing, teaching and even stand-up comedy prepared her to communicate confidently in the boardroom.
When was the last time you felt nervous for a meeting or presentation?
Today, I presented something I’ve been working on for months to senior leadership, and it wasn’t until a colleague asked how I was feeling about it that I realised I wasn’t at all nervous.
Not because the stakes weren’t high, but because I’ve spent my life communicating in so many different ways — teaching, performing, marketing, even stand-up comedy — that I trust myself to handle all kinds of different scenarios. Each experience has taught me something new about engaging an audience, thinking on my feet, and delivering a message that sticks. More than that, in each experience I’ve made mistakes, overcome challenges, and had to be resilient — trying again and again to keep improving.
Pictured: Harriet interviewing our Director-General Charles Byrne CBE at the Schools’ Mace Finals Day in 2024.
From performing, I learned how to manage my nerves and stay composed under pressure. If you can keep your cool when you forget a line or when a fake-blood-covered lychee (fake eyeball — long story) is far slipperier than it was in rehearsal, you learn to stay focused no matter what comes your way.
From teaching, I learned how to structure ideas in a way that’s clear, persuasive, and engaging. I discovered that how you present something is just as important as what you say; your presence, tone, and confidence shape how your message is received. If you can get a group of formerly disinterested 13-year-olds excitedly talking about Macbeth over their lunch break, you know you’ve done a good job.
From stand-up comedy, I learned the importance of quick thinking. You never know what an audience will throw at you, and being able to adapt in real time is key. Who would’ve thought that handling hecklers in a damp pub basement would prepare me for fielding unexpected questions in a boardroom?!
Now in marketing, I use these principles daily. Whether crafting a brand message, relaying information internally or, like today, distilling months of work into a 10-minute presentation that resonates at the top level of an organisation.
Having such varied communication experiences has been invaluable because confidence isn’t just something you have; it’s something you build. Through practice, mistakes, and trying new things, communication skills evolve and become second nature until you can simply trust in your ability to use the skills you’ve developed and handle whatever comes your way.
At The English-Speaking Union, we champion oracy because confident communication isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you build. Today was a reminder of how varied that journey can be, and how far I’ve come.
