Why You’re Never Truly Ready for Your First Stage with Marianne Hickman

Welcome to another episode of My First Stage! This is the podcast where I sit down with public speakers to get real about how they got started, how they landed their first stages, and how speaking helped transform their businesses and lives. While attending the National Speakers Association's Influence Conference, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Marianne Hickman—and trust me, her “first stage” stories are wild, funny, and packed with inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or dreaming of your debut, Marianne’s journey will make you laugh, encourage you to embrace imperfection, and give you permission to just get out there and speak, no matter what. Meet the Guest: Marianne Hickman Marianne is on a mission to help good people become crazy wealthy through the power of stages. She’s a mom of six, an advocate for getting powerful messages to the microphone, and a master at prepping speakers for BIG opportunities. Marianne partners with eSpeakers—a platform connecting event coordinators and speakers—and is passionate about helping you grow from your living room stage to major conferences. She’s also hilarious, authentic, and totally unfiltered about the ups and downs of the speaking life. Here’s a quick overview of what Marianne and I covered during our conversation: Instant Implementation: Why we set up this pop-up podcast studio at the NSA Influence Conference and how “just doing it” can be the best way to grow.The Speaker Journey: How Marianne believes the key to speaker success is real prep, ongoing training, feedback loops, and the courage to get on stage—even if nobody shows up.Embarrassing Moments: Marianne’s unforgettable story about literally peeing her pants on stage (yes, really!) and why it proves you can survive any mishap and still thrive.Knowing When You’re Ready: Why most speakers never feel "perfectly ready," and why wanting to serve the audience is a better measure of readiness than personal perfection.Getting Your Reps: Marianne’s advice on practicing anywhere—including Instagram Lives—and why her own first stage happened with zero audience in her living room.Authenticity Over Polish: A discussion on the difference between being “polished” and being “real,” and how true connection comes from conversational, fun, and responsive presentations.Audience Engagement: Marianne’s practice of starting every keynote by asking the audience what they want, pivoting on the spot, and making presentations about their needs—not her script.Leaving a Mark: Why Marianne believes every speaker has the power to leave a lasting mark on their audience (and why you shouldn’t be afraid to share your own imperfect stories).Connection & Growth: How Marianne and I bonded over our own speaking insecurities, Netflix cameos, and the ripple effect of great storytelling. If Marianne’s story made you laugh, gave you courage, or inspired you to take the next step as a speaker, here’s what you can do next: Share Your First Stage Moment – I’d LOVE to hear your beginner stories, embarrassing moments, and wins. Visit myfirststagepodcast.com and let’s connect!Connect with Marianne – Want to work with Marianne or just find someone who gets it? Follow her on Instagram (@mariannehickman) or check out mariannehickman.com and say hello.Subscribe & Review – If this conversation helped you, subscribe to My First Stage, leave a rating or review (it really helps!), and let me know what you want to hear next.Get On Your Own “Stage” – Whether it’s a podcast, virtual summit, Instagram Live, or your living room, take Marianne’s advice—practice everywhere, and let every rep count. Thanks so much for joining me for this episode. Can’t wait to bring you more honest stories, practical advice, and fresh inspiration on My First Stage! [embed]https://youtu.be/QuHLWmTuhx4[/embed] Timestamped Summaries [00:00-00:42] – I welcome Marianne to the podcast, introduce her mission, and we laugh about surviving Arizona’s sun without sunscreen. [00:01:06-00:02:26] – Marianne explains her partnership with eSpeakers, and why she’s dedicated to preparing speakers for big stages—never throwing them into the spotlight without development. [00:02:32-00:03:07] – We dive into what “being ready” looks like, and Marianne admits most speakers never truly feel ready—but practicing and wanting to help people is enough. [00:03:07-00:04:25] – Marianne shares the hilarious (and vulnerable) story of peeing her pants on stage, and how she coped by telling everyone (and ultimately laughing about it). [00:04:25-00:08:04] – We explore how embarrassing moments can make you stronger—and why the real lesson is showing up, having fun, and not letting mishaps stop you from speaking again. [00:08:17-00:10:02] – Marianne reveals her first stage was in her living room with nobody present, and how her mentor inspired her to deliver her talk anyway, for her own growth (and “standing ovation” in her mind!). [00:10:02-00:11:25] – We chat about sticking with it, practicing on every possible stage (even for no audience), and how persistence—not perfection—creates powerful speakers. [00:12:07-00:13:21] – I confess my own self-consciousness about being an unpolished, improvisational speaker, and Marianne reassures me (and listeners) that authentic connection matters more than flawless delivery. [00:14:11-00:15:57] – Marianne talks about the importance of listening to your audience, changing your content to meet their needs, and making every keynote a responsive conversation. [00:16:04-00:17:01] – We agree that asking your audience what they want (rather than guessing) is the best way to connect, and laugh about how relevant this advice is for relationships, too! [00:17:26-00:18:01] – Marianne shares that every testimonial is about personal impact—not presentation perfection—and encourages speakers to focus on speaking “to” people, not “at” audiences. [00:18:09-00:18:48] – I share my favorite compliment I ever received after speaking—and how Marianne’s perspective helped me see its deeper value. [00:19:08-00:22:29] – We geek out about documentaries, Netflix cameos, and leaving a real mark on everyone you encounter (as a speaker, parent, or friend). [00:23:04-00:23:17] – Marianne tells listeners how to connect with her on Instagram, her website, and invites everyone to be friends and join the journey.