06/19/2025
Want exponential growth? Stop practicing in private
Jake Thompson
June 19, 2025
Let's get something straight:
The skills you need to master for breakthrough success can't be perfected in private.
Speaking. Leading. Selling. Creating. Teaching.
These high-leverage skills require an audience to truly develop. And that's precisely why most people never master them.
The Courage Gap
I'll never forget standing on stage in 2017, heart pounding like it was trying to escape my chest.
After years of selling apparel from the trunk of my car, I was finally pursuing speaking — the thing I knew could create the most impact for the Compete Every Day message.
But there I stood, overwhelmed with absolute terror.
That's not even the worst for me.
Try being in intermediate school, hitting those high notes in the church choir solo (thanks, puberty), and getting mercilessly teased afterward.
The fear was real. And it wasn't new.
Ever since that childhood experience, I'd developed a deep aversion to performing alone. I've only done karaoke one night in my entire life — and that required liquid courage.
Ironic for someone who now speaks on stages for a living, right?
Here's what most people miss: Even professional speakers get nervous. The difference is what they do with that energy.
The Science of Audience Anxiety
You're not imagining it. Performing in front of others literally changes your physiological state.
Back in 1925, psychologist Lee Travis documented what happens when people perform simple tasks while being watched. His research showed that an audience presence creates measurable changes in eye-hand coordination, particularly for tasks you're still learning.
This finding was expanded by Robert Zajonc in 1965, who discovered what he called "social facilitation" — the audience effect works in two opposite ways:
For skills you've mastered: Performance improves with an audience
For skills you're still learning: Performance typically declines with an audience
This explains exactly why that presentation feels excruciating when you're new, but becomes energizing once you've mastered it.
The Growth Paradox
Here's the brutal truth most "experts" won't tell you:
The fastest way to master something is precisely what feels most uncomfortable — practicing in front of an audience before you feel ready.
Look around at who's winning in your field:
The colleague who volunteers for the presentation nobody wants
The leader who steps into difficult conversations that others avoid
The entrepreneur who launches before everything's "perfect"
They're not fearless. They're just playing a different game.
While most focus on avoiding judgment, Competitors focus on collecting feedback.
The C.O.M.P.E.T.E. Framework:
How do you bridge this gap? By applying our proven C.O.M.P.E.T.E. framework to the specific challenge of public practice:
C - CLARIFY
"What game am I actually playing?"
Most people think they're playing "Don't Look Foolish." That's a losing game with a ceiling.
The real game is "Accelerate Skill Development Through Feedback." That's a winning game with no ceiling.
Ask yourself: What specific skill needs public practice to truly develop?
M - MODEL
"What does world-class look like in this skill?"
I studied top speakers relentlessly. I noticed they weren't perfect — they were authentic, prepared, and value-focused.
Your turn: Who represents excellence in your chosen skill? What specific elements can you extract from their approach?
P - POSITION
"Where am I honestly starting from?"
I had to own that I was starting as a nervous, inexperienced speaker with a story worth sharing but limited delivery skills.
Your honest starting point: ________________
E - EXECUTE
"All-in, today"
I started taking every opportunity that I could to practice in front of my peers after that first session. I forced myself to engage in regular practice with immediate feedback. Each time I wanted to back out, I reminded myself of the game I was playing.
Your move: What's one public practice opportunity you can commit to this week?
From Anxiety to Asset
Here's what nobody tells you about audience anxiety: It never fully disappears. You just transform it.
For top performers, that nervous energy becomes excitement with preparation and perspective. It sharpens focus. It heightens presence. It demands your best.
I still get anxious energy before keynotes. The difference? I now recognize that feeling as a sign I'm about to grow and that I'm grateful for the chance to help my audience.
The pressure you feel under observation is privilege - because it signals that a) you care about what you're about to do and b) what you're about to do has stakes - in other words, it matters.
Four Courage Catalysts
Here's how to make the shift from avoiding audiences to leveraging them:
Start with low-stakes audiences Small groups of supporters before strangers. Online before in-person. Record yourself before live performance.
Focus on service, not self When your attention shifts from "How do I look?" to "How can I help?", anxiety drops dramatically.
Seek specific feedback, not validation Don't ask "Was I good?" Ask "What one thing would make this more effective?"
Build feedback resilience Criticism hurts most when it's rare. Make it routine and it becomes data instead of damage.
The Competitor's Choice
Every day, you stand at a critical decision point:
Option 1: Stay comfortable, avoid judgment, and grow incrementally (if at all)
Option 2: Embrace discomfort, collect feedback, and grow exponentially
Most choose Option 1 by default. They tell themselves, "I'll put myself out there when I feel more ready."
That day never comes.
Competitors make a different choice. They understand that audience exposure isn't something you endure after mastery — it's the very pathway to mastery itself.
Public practice isn't the test. It's the training.
Your Next Move
This week, I want you to identify one high-leverage skill that you've been developing privately that needs audience exposure to truly improve.
Then, take one deliberate action to practice it publicly:
Volunteer for that presentation
Share that creative work
Lead that difficult conversation
Teach someone what you're learning
It will feel uncomfortable. That's the point.
The discomfort you feel is the sound of your ceiling cracking.
