
The Ramble Refinery with Heather Sager 233. Sounding Like 'You' on Stage Starts with Ditching This One Habit
There’s this weird thing that happens when smart, articulate business owners get asked to speak:
They start sounding… weird.
They say stuff like, “What if I told you…”
They parrot lines from mentors they admire.
They stiffen up, overthink, and suddenly sound like a motivational quote generator instead of a real human.
In this episode, I’m sharing where that habit comes from (spoiler: it’s not confidence—it’s ego), why it’s a sign you haven’t fully nailed your speaker identity, and what to do when your “authentic voice” vanishes under pressure.
We’ll talk about:
🎤 The “Parrot Effect” and why it sneaks in when you’re trying to be impressive
🎤 Why scripting makes you feel safe—but also makes you sound like someone else
🎤 How to try things on and find your signature speaker style without cringing
🎤 A behind-the-scenes story from my pageant days (and the hideous dress that changed everything)
This one’s not about being a better speaker.
It’s about noticing when you’re not actually being you.
EPISODE SHOW NOTES👇
https://heathersager.com/episode233
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📣 The Signature Talk Accelerator starts September 8 → click here to get on the waitlist. Nail your message, hone your story and create a magnetic talk that grows your business from any stage.
👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:
Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSager
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