How to Deal with What's Holding You Back with Luke Menkes.

Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as Peter and his guests discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income.

Do you struggle with imposter syndrome? Have you somehow lost the confidence you once had? If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle with these challenges — including my guest, Luke Menkes. Luke is an experienced public speaker and podcaster who had to learn how to overcome tremendous stage fright, introversion, and shyness to build his very successful Newtown Big Dreams podcast. He's a living example of what you can accomplish with persistence, a few simple techniques, and the right strategy.

The Most Terrifying Moment

Luke dropped out of high school at 16, and when he was 21, he applied to university as a mature student. His grades were so poor that he was rejected — so he filed an appeal and was conditionally accepted. The condition: complete three high school courses with a 75% average, including English. His English teacher made clear that if he didn't give a 20-minute oral presentation, she would fail him. He tried to bribe her. He offered to write four extra essays. She didn't budge. So he got up in front of a class of teenagers, barely able to speak, and gave the talk.

He resented it for years. But looking back, that teacher changed his life. She forced him to prove that he could do it — that he wouldn't die. He didn't do a great job, but he survived. And that was enough to show him he was capable.

Building the Muscle

Luke's path through fear was deliberate and gradual. He joined Toastmasters. He pushed himself into small, uncomfortable interactions — like making a phone call when texting would have been easier. He treated confidence in speaking the way an athlete treats physical conditioning: as a muscle that requires consistent, daily exercise. Miss a week, and you feel the setback. Train daily, even in small doses, and progress compounds.

A Major Setback — and the Road Back

In 2005, Luke landed a radio job. After four months of consistent practice — including rehearsing in the shower and in the car — his boss told him he had the most improved voice on the station and offered him a lunchtime slot. He took it and thrived. But in 2010, a harsh on-air critic told him he wasn't funny, was blunt and cutting about it, and the combination of that blow and a financial crisis hit him hard. It took five to six years to fully recover his confidence. He got back the same way he built it in the first place: starting over, taking courses, having daily conversations, exercising the muscle again.

Imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Format

Luke struggled with imposter syndrome for years — especially when delivering monologue-style podcast episodes about real estate. He always felt like people out there were smarter, more credible. But when he switched to an interview format and started asking questions, the imposter syndrome disappeared. He discovered that when you're genuinely curious and focused on the conversation, there's no mental space left to worry about what people think of you. The key, he says, is finding a topic and format that lights you up — where you can forget about yourself entirely. When you hit it, you'll know.

The Mental Diet

Luke is a firm believer that mental diet is the most important diet there is. What you consume — the news, the music, the shows, the podcasts — shapes your mindset, your confidence, and your choices. When he was recovering from his setback, he made a daily practice of choosing content that was both enjoyable and beneficial. He recommends finding people who've been through something similar and whose stories inspire you — Les Brown being one example he returns to often.

His advice for anyone trying to rebuild confidence: you don't need to go from a three to a ten. Just go from a three to a four. Shift the direction. That's where it starts. You can find Luke and his Newtown Big Dreams podcast at newtownbigdreams.buzzsprout.com or by searching "Newtown Big Dreams" wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thank you for listening to another episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.