CCLM.

The Conscious Competency Learning Model has been around for decades and highlights what we all go through when learning a new skill.

This is the ladder of speaking success.

Unconscious Incompetent - Shit and don't know you are shit. Audience throwing bricks at you.
Conscious Incompetent - Shit and know you're shit. Getting feedback.
Conscious Competent - Good but have to focus. Decent but beige and forgettable.
Unconscious Competent - Presentation Rockstar.

I am an Unconscious Competent when it comes to speaking but I definitely started out as an Unconscious Incompetent.

In this podcast episode, I will share how you can push your speaking through the CCLM, wherever you are currently at.

And become so good at speaking it makes the audience gasp.

18 months into my career as a speaker, I got the worst feedback I have ever had on a feedback form.

Someone gave me 3/20 for a talk and wrote the word SH*T!

So I phoned the person who wrote it. That was a moment, I can tell you.

It was the best thing I could have done because brutal, unfiltered, feedback is the ONLY way to reach our true speaking potential.

But as a CEO, how the hell can you get that level of feedback on your talks?

In this episode, I talk about the astonishing conversation I had with the guy who gave me 3/20 and how you can get the feedback that will turn you into a presentation rockstar.

I spoke at Wembley Stadium to 300 leaders — here's everything I did to prepare, what went wrong on the day and the lessons every presenter needs to hear.

Whether you're stepping onto a stage for the first time or you've been presenting for years, this episode breaks down the real behind-the-scenes intensity of delivering a high-stakes talk — from the moment you get the call to the second you leave the stage.

In this episode you'll discover:

✅ How to make sure you're the RIGHT fit for an audience before you say yes

✅ Why arriving early is one of the most powerful things a presenter can do

✅ The unexpected last-minute challenges I faced at Wembley — and how I handled them

✅ Why removing the lectern was the best decision I made on the day

✅ How to create genuine connection with 300 people in the room This isn't theory. This is what actually happened — the prep, the nerves, the adaptations, and the wins.

🎙️ David Thomas is a Guinness World Record holder, global professional speaker and leadership presentation skills coach who has delivered keynotes to audiences around the world.