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This article appeared in the Evening Echo on Wednesday, 30th of October.

The fear of speaking public rates up there with the fear of heights, the fear of flying, elevators, escalators and event the fear of death. Glossophobia is when your mouth dries up, your voice is weak and your body starts shaking. Joan Lucey, who owns Vibes & Scribes in Cork city can identify with all of the above, she tells Chris Dunne.

A successful business owner and the sponsor of the Lee Swim, Joan Lucey is used to overcoming obstacles and reaching her goals.

But she freely admits there is one aspect of her life that has long been a problem.

“I realised that sooner or later, when your business is going well, you will be asked to speak about your product, or service, publicly. The prospect as a terrifying one for me.”

Joan has all the symptoms of glossophobia, from the Greek words for ‘tongue’ and ‘fear’ or ‘dread’.

She recently expanded her Vibes and Scribes business online and was considering actively marketing her new online shop, but because she is mildly dyslexic, and never had the urge or inclination to read aloud or sing in a group, she wondered how she could achieve this.

“Speaking in public is something I’ve always avoided,” says Joan.

“And I never have a party piece ready like most people do. I always thought: so what? I have overcome other challenges in life.”

Indeed she has, including taking part in the River Lee Swim every year as well as sponsoring it. Joan is also a member of an open water swimming group. So has she taken the plunge in addressing her fellow swimmers?

“I have,” says Joan. “I rehearse and learn off four or five sentences to say after the event. I have never spoken off the cuff ever, even at a Chamber of Commerce meeting or at the Business Association meetings.”

So how was Joan going to tackle her inherent fear of speaking in public? “I need to push myself to start the process,” she admits.

An opportunity presented itself one evening when Joan was driving home from work. 

“I happened to hear an item on the radio where people were invited to pitch their reasons why they should be a candidate for a new radio programme called The Speech ,” she explains.

“I thought maybe this was a way to conquer my fear and avail of some professional advice. So after a Skype call and some correspondence with the producer, I found myself on board with four other to appear on the RTE programme.”

Joan wondered what she had signed up for. “Yes, I felt nervous, but I knew going forward, that I had to do something to get over the fear that I had of speaking in public.”

So she felt the fear and did it anyway? 

“That is about it,” says Joan. “I was totally out of my comfort zone. The radio slot I was to appear on was for one hour in total, but the actual shoot took on average 25 hours, including preparing for the challenge. My family and my son Robert, were surprised that I had put myself forward. I think they were concerned that our lives might be put into the spotlight, but then they all got more enthusiastic about the whole thing.”

When Joan told everyone at work, the staff rallied round her and were very excited about the project. And then the fun began.

“Because there was a number of weeks involved for the filming, I decided I should dress up appropriately and look somewhat professional,” says Joan. “So there were a few forays up to the attic in my house, to uncover various outfits that had been outed for special occasions over the years. My sisters and my friends had great fun deciding on the garb for TV, and for my first performance at the launch of the online shop.”

A lot was done, but there was a lot more to do. Joan was put through her paces.

“There were a number of assignments that I had to fulfil,” she says. “Including learning how to project my voice in an auditorium at UCC. I had to do a stint on Moore Street in Dublin, touting wares. Then I conducted a tour of Dublin Castle for tourists who wanted to know all the historical details. But the most daunting assignment mooted, was the suggestion that I be the warm-up act for the Brendan O’Connor TV show.”

How did Joan deal with that challenge? After all, the Saturday Night Show audience is a large contingent of people waiting to be entertained. “Well, the producers had their own ideas on how I should perform, but they didn’t appeal to me,” says Joan. “So I decided that I would just chat naturally. First of all I asked the audience if there was anyone there for Cork? That got a cheer. Then I mentioned the fact that a good tip I got, is to imagine everyone in audience naked. And I commented that I envisaged a lot of fine bodies among them. So that got a laugh, and then I began to relax.”

Joan didn’t take on the assignments lightly. And there was a lot of hard work and preparation to be done beforehand.

“I had the advice at hand of a lady called Remy, who is a professional speechmaker,” says Joan. The TV personality Kathryn Thomas acted as her mentor, and Joan says; “I was put through a lot of paces, believe me.”

Breathing exercises are very important before making a speech so that the vocal chords are relaxed and lubricated. “We were shown how to inflate the tummy for more emphasis on the breath. Jumping up and down fuels the adrenaline as well as rolling up and down from the waist.” Joan even inserted the cork of a bottle into her mouth while she was practising speaking, to enable the use of muscles to aid the voice. “Body language and gestures are very important too,” says Joan. “The use of humour is an asset when giving a speech. The use of well-placed props in the room can act as prompts and as a reminder as well, should one lose their way.”

Joan was very open to all the training and confident that the event of the launch of her online shop would prove a great success. “Yes, I was very open to the idea that this was going to work,” says Joan. “It seems a quick fix to a problem that I was faced with for years. Even though I was opening myself up to the public domain and including my family in my endeavour to overcome my fear of public speaking, it was all positive.”

How did Joan feel about the presence of the TV camera being in her face, so to speak? “I learned to forget about,” she says. “And the directing and the discussion about various angles were all helpful.”

Being a TV star is not a cake-walk. “The five weeks were hectic, especially the travelling up and down to Dublin. It was exhausting to say the least,” says Joan. But it was all worth it. Joan had her inaugural speech ready for her eager public who turned out in force at Vibes and Scribes, to hear all about the online launch.

“I had done a rehearsal for my staff in Bridge Street and the scene was set,” says Joan. “The shop was full at 7.30. I prepared my rerun at 7.15. Upstairs, I was going through the motions. I was visualising the props, I had done a dry run and I was remembering the punch-lines. I had written some prompts on placards with big writing and pinned some of them on the podium where I was to address the guests who had come to hear the speech. I was imperative to stay calm so I would not go blank. Oh, and I had a glass of wine too!”

After Joan uttered the second sentence she was on a roll. The seven and a half minute speech flowed. “I remember thinking, I’ve got it,” says Joan. “The speech was very well received.I got a few laughs and when I looked down at Rob he looked suitably impressed. He told me afterwards that he never expected me to be that good.”

Joan says the whole experience was a very positive one. “I am delighted that I signed up for The Speech,” she says. “I have no regrets. Yes, it was stressful at times, but the energy and the effort that I put in was more than worth it. I gave it 100%. It was a great opportunity to get over the hump and do what I had to do. I am 23 years in business and now I feel being able to speak to groups is a feather in my cap. It is something that I would have always ruled out. So, yes, that is another item off my bucket list.”

*The Speech will be aired on RTE1 in the spring.