Owning the Stage
by Kama Burton, PMN
The “stage” is yours if you chose to own it! One of the most common comments made after I leave a stage is, “I don’t know how you do it, I could never be that comfortable.”
The truth is, I was never that comfortable on stage either. From a young girl, until about the age of 13, every time I would stand in front of the church to speak publicly, the only thing that would come from me was tears. I was terrified to speak in front of a crowd! All eyes were on me, waiting for me to speak perfectly. But what if I forgot a word, what if I forget it all, what would they say? What if I don’t sound as good as others and no one claps? All these thoughts would flow through my mind as a young girl, which left me literally speechless.
Around the age of 13 years old, I finally conquered my fear. It was an Easter Sunday and my turn to speak. As my voice began to shake and tears started coming to my eyes, I stood in front of my church and quoted my speech! Not only did I get through it, but afterward everyone encouraged me, I received a standing ovation and a new Bible with a beautiful note from my Pastors wife. As the years had gone by, speaking on the stage began to get easier.
In 2013, I met the world-renowned speaker Les Brown through a mutual friend Dwight Pledger. Dwight had encouraged me to join Toastmasters because I had a story to share, but was still a bit uncomfortable speaking in front of people. After a one-on-one conversation with Les Brown, he also encouraged me to join Toastmasters. The same week, I attended a meeting at my Association and they announced they were starting a Toastmasters in June 2013, immediately I signed up. Toastmasters has been the smallest investment that has made the biggest impact in my life!
We all start at ground zero! Many would love to speak but are afraid to do so because they are afraid. They say public speaking is most feared over death. But why is that? We live in a world that is full of judgment, and most people feel as if they must satisfy everyone 100% of the time. The truth is that you probably have something that many people would like to hear, however you are depriving them of what you have to give. My advice, get over yourself. It may sound harsh, but we think too far into situations and make things up that haven’t occurred.
“Owning the Stage” means you command the room. Earlier this year, I was invited to speak at an event with over 250 attendees. It was a bit chaotic and everyone was so excited to see one another. It seemed like no one would be able to get all of their attention, not even the emcee of the event. I began to get nervous because I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but finally, I decided since it was my time to speak, it was important to own it! Immediately, I stepped on stage and took control of the audience without yelling or being rude. I "Owned the Stage"!
When owning the stage, it’s important to ensure you take control, and it starts with confidence. From the moment you wake up that morning, you must affirm to yourself that YOU GOT THIS! When you are confident about the topic and confident that the audience will understand your message, the battle is already half won. Your confidence will allow you to gain the attention of those you are training. The more you take the stage, the easier it will be for you to own the stage!
About the Contributor
Kama Burton is the Broker-Owner of CMB Realty Services in Southern California. Kama is the 2022 President of the Inland Valleys Association of REALTORS®. She has led in several capacities in the Women's Council including, 2018 President of her local Network, 2019-20 State District Vice President and has chaired committees at the State levels. She is a 2022 Co-Chair of the Broker-Owner Mastermind through the National Women's Council. Kama is a proud graduate of the 2021 National Women's Council Leadership Academy and is currently in the 2022 National Association of REALTORS ® Leadership Academy. She has reached the highest level in Toastmasters as a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).