my name is Donna SH and my full-time job is to count people’s arms and us and
is to count people’s arms and us and
is to count people’s arms and us and like it all started at my first day of
like it all started at my first day of
like it all started at my first day of school after my family moved from
school after my family moved from
school after my family moved from Pakistan to Tanzania
Pakistan to Tanzania
Pakistan to Tanzania I was busy sketching my dream cars in my
I was busy sketching my dream cars in my
I was busy sketching my dream cars in my notebook and all of a sudden I hear a
notebook and all of a sudden I hear a
notebook and all of a sudden I hear a voice in my direction the teacher
voice in my direction the teacher
voice in my direction the teacher Daanish can you please rise up and
Daanish can you please rise up and
Daanish can you please rise up and introduce yourself she had put me on the
introduce yourself she had put me on the
introduce yourself she had put me on the spot I was in this foreign land 30 pairs
spot I was in this foreign land 30 pairs
spot I was in this foreign land 30 pairs of eyes staring at me how would you feel
of eyes staring at me how would you feel
of eyes staring at me how would you feel when a teacher puts you on the spot in
when a teacher puts you on the spot in
when a teacher puts you on the spot in this kind of situation my mind went
this kind of situation my mind went
this kind of situation my mind went blank my heart started racing I kept
blank my heart started racing I kept
blank my heart started racing I kept quiet I started hearing giggles in the
quiet I started hearing giggles in the
quiet I started hearing giggles in the classroom and then tears ran down my
classroom and then tears ran down my
classroom and then tears ran down my cheek that was the first time I felt the
cheek that was the first time I felt the
cheek that was the first time I felt the fear of speaking in front of others the
fear of speaking in front of others the
fear of speaking in front of others the first time I felt the fear of public
first time I felt the fear of public
first time I felt the fear of public speaking
fast-forward a few years I was at
fast-forward a few years I was at college here in America that fear still
college here in America that fear still
college here in America that fear still stuck with me it wasn’t slow it was part
stuck with me it wasn’t slow it was part
stuck with me it wasn’t slow it was part of my soul now when I was little I had
of my soul now when I was little I had
of my soul now when I was little I had many other fears I was afraid of the
many other fears I was afraid of the
many other fears I was afraid of the dark the monsters under my bed the
dark the monsters under my bed the
dark the monsters under my bed the cockroaches and I don’t mean the tiny
cockroaches and I don’t mean the tiny
cockroaches and I don’t mean the tiny cockroaches here but the big flying
cockroaches here but the big flying
cockroaches here but the big flying cockroaches I had back home in Pakistan
cockroaches I had back home in Pakistan
cockroaches I had back home in Pakistan in Tanzania but I outgrew these fears I
in Tanzania but I outgrew these fears I
in Tanzania but I outgrew these fears I overcame them as I grew older but public
overcame them as I grew older but public
overcame them as I grew older but public speaking no way I was still afraid of it
speaking no way I was still afraid of it
speaking no way I was still afraid of it but I decided enough was enough I
but I decided enough was enough I
but I decided enough was enough I decided to do something about it to take
decided to do something about it to take
decided to do something about it to take that step and find a solution and so I
that step and find a solution and so I
that step and find a solution and so I went to the one place on the internet
went to the one place on the internet
went to the one place on the internet where we all look for problems – our
where we all look for problems – our
where we all look for problems – our solution to our problems Google I
solution to our problems Google I
solution to our problems Google I searched on Google how to overcome the
searched on Google how to overcome the
searched on Google how to overcome the fear of public speaking the first link
fear of public speaking the first link
fear of public speaking the first link told me about the great things I could
told me about the great things I could
told me about the great things I could be if I overcame this fear sound like a
be if I overcame this fear sound like a
be if I overcame this fear sound like a leader
leader
leader get a great job share your ideas give a
get a great job share your ideas give a
get a great job share your ideas give a TED talk change the world the second
TED talk change the world the second
TED talk change the world the second link showed me all the different ways I
link showed me all the different ways I
link showed me all the different ways I could overcome this fear hire a speech
could overcome this fear hire a speech
could overcome this fear hire a speech coach talk in front of the mirror do
coach talk in front of the mirror do
coach talk in front of the mirror do online courses attend public speaking
online courses attend public speaking
online courses attend public speaking clubs like Toastmasters that’s when I
clubs like Toastmasters that’s when I
clubs like Toastmasters that’s when I realized that I had it wrong all this
realized that I had it wrong all this
realized that I had it wrong all this time I thought you are either born a
time I thought you are either born a
time I thought you are either born a public speaker or you’re not I was wrong
public speaker or you’re not I was wrong
public speaker or you’re not I was wrong I realized that public speaking is
I realized that public speaking is
I realized that public speaking is actually a teachable skill that means
actually a teachable skill that means
actually a teachable skill that means that if any one of you here wants to
that if any one of you here wants to
that if any one of you here wants to speak powerfully like any of your famous
speak powerfully like any of your famous
speak powerfully like any of your famous public speakers yes you can we all can
public speakers yes you can we all can
public speakers yes you can we all can now some of these solutions work for me
now some of these solutions work for me
now some of these solutions work for me others not so much
others not so much
others not so much like hiring a speech coach that was
like hiring a speech coach that was
like hiring a speech coach that was outside of my student budget but online
outside of my student budget but online
outside of my student budget but online courses that’s where I learned how to
courses that’s where I learned how to
courses that’s where I learned how to vary my tone up and down how do talk
vary my tone up and down how do talk
vary my tone up and down how do talk really really fast that I could get
really really fast that I could get
really really fast that I could get someone’s excited or to slow right down
someone’s excited or to slow right down
someone’s excited or to slow right down to get someone’s attention and I
to get someone’s attention and I
to get someone’s attention and I practiced I practiced in front of the
practiced I practiced in front of the
practiced I practiced in front of the mirror at least that’s where I had one
mirror at least that’s where I had one
mirror at least that’s where I had one friend who thought I was good as for the
friend who thought I was good as for the
friend who thought I was good as for the public speaking Club Toastmasters that
public speaking Club Toastmasters that
public speaking Club Toastmasters that was fantastic I got to go in front of
was fantastic I got to go in front of
was fantastic I got to go in front of others and I got feedback on what I did
others and I got feedback on what I did
others and I got feedback on what I did good and what I did bad so I did all
good and what I did bad so I did all
good and what I did bad so I did all these things and I realized that first I
these things and I realized that first I
these things and I realized that first I was trapped in this cold dark hole where
was trapped in this cold dark hole where
was trapped in this cold dark hole where the fear of public speaking haunted at
the fear of public speaking haunted at
the fear of public speaking haunted at me it pulled me down and over here was
me it pulled me down and over here was
me it pulled me down and over here was this promise of sunshine of green
this promise of sunshine of green
this promise of sunshine of green pastures no anxiety but the path from
pastures no anxiety but the path from
pastures no anxiety but the path from here to here was all over the place I
here to here was all over the place I
here to here was all over the place I had to do all these things and I thought
had to do all these things and I thought
had to do all these things and I thought to myself there had to be one simpler
to myself there had to be one simpler
to myself there had to be one simpler way there had to be one way that I could
way there had to be one way that I could
way there had to be one way that I could go from here and leap to here so I went
go from here and leap to here so I went
go from here and leap to here so I went back to Google the source of all wisdom
back to Google the source of all wisdom
back to Google the source of all wisdom did some research
did some research
did some research and I started learning and reading a lot
and I started learning and reading a lot
and I started learning and reading a lot about artificial intelligence about
about artificial intelligence about
about artificial intelligence about these personal assistants we have in our
these personal assistants we have in our
these personal assistants we have in our pocket like Siri Alexa who understand
pocket like Siri Alexa who understand
pocket like Siri Alexa who understand what we’re saying hey Siri was the next
what we’re saying hey Siri was the next
what we’re saying hey Siri was the next meeting I have here’s your meeting they
meeting I have here’s your meeting they
meeting I have here’s your meeting they understand what we say what if they
understand what we say what if they
understand what we say what if they could also understand how you’re saying
could also understand how you’re saying
could also understand how you’re saying something and analyze your voice what if
something and analyze your voice what if
something and analyze your voice what if they could be your speech coaches what
they could be your speech coaches what
they could be your speech coaches what if every single person in the world
if every single person in the world
if every single person in the world anywhere had their own personal
anywhere had their own personal
anywhere had their own personal on-demand speech coach can you imagine a
on-demand speech coach can you imagine a
on-demand speech coach can you imagine a world where anyone has this help to help
world where anyone has this help to help
world where anyone has this help to help them overcome this fear of public
them overcome this fear of public
them overcome this fear of public speaking to help them speak powerfully
speaking to help them speak powerfully
speaking to help them speak powerfully to help them share their ideas that’s
to help them share their ideas that’s
to help them share their ideas that’s the idea that God has started that’s the
the idea that God has started that’s the
the idea that God has started that’s the idea that helped us create or I aural AI
idea that helped us create or I aural AI
idea that helped us create or I aural AI a mobile app that counts your arms and
a mobile app that counts your arms and
a mobile app that counts your arms and us a mobile app that gives you
us a mobile app that gives you
us a mobile app that gives you personalized lessons a place to practice
personalized lessons a place to practice
personalized lessons a place to practice them quietly in privacy and an app that
them quietly in privacy and an app that
them quietly in privacy and an app that gives you instant feedback using
gives you instant feedback using
gives you instant feedback using artificial intelligence now a year and a
artificial intelligence now a year and a
artificial intelligence now a year and a half ago when my roommate and I started
half ago when my roommate and I started
half ago when my roommate and I started building this we were no experts all we
building this we were no experts all we
building this we were no experts all we knew is that we want to build something
knew is that we want to build something
knew is that we want to build something we want to create a solution we were no
we want to create a solution we were no
we want to create a solution we were no speech coaches we were not public
speech coaches we were not public
speech coaches we were not public speakers we were no data scientists but
speakers we were no data scientists but
speakers we were no data scientists but we had the power of the Internet so we
we had the power of the Internet so we
we had the power of the Internet so we read bunch of research papers on
read bunch of research papers on
read bunch of research papers on computational linguistics we spoke with
computational linguistics we spoke with
computational linguistics we spoke with hundreds of speech coaches trying to
hundreds of speech coaches trying to
hundreds of speech coaches trying to understand how they give feedback on
understand how they give feedback on
understand how they give feedback on their speech we watched videos on
their speech we watched videos on
their speech we watched videos on machine learning and artificial
machine learning and artificial
machine learning and artificial intelligence so that we could codify all
intelligence so that we could codify all
intelligence so that we could codify all these things and create this app because
these things and create this app because
these things and create this app because we believe that we can use technology to
we believe that we can use technology to
we believe that we can use technology to help people become better versions of
help people become better versions of
help people become better versions of ourselves and the reason I’m sharing my
ourselves and the reason I’m sharing my
ourselves and the reason I’m sharing my story with you guys today is not to tell
story with you guys today is not to tell
story with you guys today is not to tell you guys go out and build apps or be
you guys go out and build apps or be
you guys go out and build apps or be entrepreneurs
entrepreneurs
entrepreneurs I’m saying go out and face your fears
I’m saying go out and face your fears
I’m saying go out and face your fears don’t burry them deep inside if you have
don’t burry them deep inside if you have
don’t burry them deep inside if you have a problem look for a solution if nothing
a problem look for a solution if nothing
a problem look for a solution if nothing exists create that solution if you don’t
exists create that solution if you don’t
exists create that solution if you don’t have the skills go to Google find how
have the skills go to Google find how
have the skills go to Google find how you can improve your knowledge and
you can improve your knowledge and
you can improve your knowledge and create something for me it’s all started
create something for me it’s all started
create something for me it’s all started when I was little that first time I felt
when I was little that first time I felt
when I was little that first time I felt the fear of public speaking
the fear of public speaking
the fear of public speaking that’s what empowered me to act that’s
that’s what empowered me to act that’s
that’s what empowered me to act that’s what empowered me to go on this journey
what empowered me to go on this journey
what empowered me to go on this journey of becoming a better speaker and this
of becoming a better speaker and this
of becoming a better speaker and this journey is never ending you will never
journey is never ending you will never
journey is never ending you will never see the finish line in fact there is no
see the finish line in fact there is no
see the finish line in fact there is no finish line in public speaking you can
finish line in public speaking you can
finish line in public speaking you can always get better remember that you can
always get better remember that you can
always get better remember that you can always become a better speaker you only
always become a better speaker you only
always become a better speaker you only stop if you tell yourself you’re good
stop if you tell yourself you’re good
stop if you tell yourself you’re good enough thank you
by the way I was recording my speech
by the way I was recording my speech let’s see what feedback or I gives ok so
let’s see what feedback or I gives ok so
let’s see what feedback or I gives ok so I had a few filler words like you know
I had a few filler words like you know
I had a few filler words like you know and um my pace
and um my pace
and um my pace ok 107 words per minute not too bad good
ok 107 words per minute not too bad good
ok 107 words per minute not too bad good energy and then some feedback or I was
energy and then some feedback or I was
energy and then some feedback or I was giving almost perfect I think I need to
giving almost perfect I think I need to
giving almost perfect I think I need to practice a little bit more and it’s
practice a little bit more and it’s
practice a little bit more and it’s saying looks like you’ll be hosting a
saying looks like you’ll be hosting a
saying looks like you’ll be hosting a TED talk at no time and my speech is
TED talk at no time and my speech is
TED talk at no time and my speech is already a plus and my transcript and I
already a plus and my transcript and I
already a plus and my transcript and I can even play back my audio and listen
can even play back my audio and listen
can even play back my audio and listen to itself check it out
to itself check it out
to itself check it out [Applause]
”
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