Episode 4: Confidence hacks for shy people with video strategist Lucy Griffiths

by Nadia | Sep 30, 2019 | Podcast interview | 1 comment

On this episode, I’m joined by the incredible, award winning video strategist, Lucy Griffiths.

Having worked in TV for 20 years as a TV correspondent, Lucy has interviewed everyone from Hollywood A-listers to the most influential politicians in the world. One minute she was shimmying down the red carpet with Nicole Kidman, and the next she was reporting from Iraq!

Lucy specialises in helping entrepreneurs to learn strategies to get visible and harness the power of video and live streaming to grow your business.

You’ll be surprised to hear that Lucy was the shy girl at school. She was OK doing public speaking and loved being on stage in the school plays, because she could be someone else. But, when it came to speaking up in class, not so much!

“I’ve been the girl who blushed and didn’t want to say boo to a boy for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been the introvert in an extrovert’s world, and I’ve had to navigate that.

Over the years I’ve learned to be more confident. I am a great believer in you can exercise your confidence muscles and learn to do things.”

How does being shy affect you in social situations?

I clam up, and don’t know what to say. I just know I have a good smile, so I just try to smile as much as possible, and listen to their story.

How has being shy impacted your work would you say?

I have always hidden behind my bosses, and definitely allowed them to speak for me. In many ways that fuelled their egos if they were extroverts, and it probably didn’t harm my career. But working in TV newsrooms was definitely a challenge! Setting up my business was a steep learning curve, but I’ve found my way. Technology definitely helps!

What are the biggest challenges you face as a shy person?

Being “shouty” about my achievements… I’ve done some cool stuff – set up a TV station in Iraq, set up the first Western news agency in North Korea, interviewed Barack Obama – but I don’t boast about my achievements as much as I probably should in the online world.

What are the positives of being shy, in your opinion?

We listen, we observe, and we’re really good friends. Plus we’re great at washing up! I’m always hiding in the kitchen at parties and family gatherings!

What practical advice would you give to other shy people?

I was so self-conscious about blushing I had hypnotherapy to stop blushing when someone looked at me. It really helped and enabled me to be better at giving eye contact, and able to talk to guys (not that that matters anymore!), speak up in meetings and other social situations that intimidated me.

The thing about being on camera is that you are talking to the lens. If you can just remember you are just talking to one person that can help you overcome your fears of being on camera.

Confidence tips for shy people

Check out the Amy Cuddy TED Talk on body language – it’s excellent for relieving stress before you go into a situation that unnerves you.
You just have to own your power and go for it. No one is going to speak up for you, so you just have to overcome your fears and go for it.
Remember to breathe. You are calmer, and more in control when you breathe!
SMILE! It’s amazing what you can get away with when you smile and don’t say much. People love the fact they can talk, and someone is interested in their lives.

Quotes from the episode:

“I am a believer in fake it til you make it but at the same time doing it on a constant basis is exhausting and at the end of the day it is really important to be you.” [00:04:44]

“I feel like when you run your own business, especially when it is helping people, we have a kind of duty to overcome our shyness.” [00:05:45]

“We accept who we are, we are going to have our weaknesses but they don’t have to be weaknesses…” [00:10:04]

“It really can be a strength when you are a good listener because actually people love being able to talk and they love people who are genuinely listening, not just pretending to listen.” [00:15:25]

Links:

Lucy Griffiths https://lucygriffiths.com

Lucy Griffiths https://www.instagram.com/lucygriffithsdotcom/

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