In this episode of The Public Speaking Podcast, Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt are joined by Kelvin Newman, founder of BrightonSEO, to get a rare look at public speaking from the other side of the stage.

What started around 15 years ago as a small gathering of people working in search marketing has grown into an international event attracting thousands of attendees and more than 100 speakers at each conference. Along the way, Kelvin has reviewed countless speaker pitches, programmed hundreds of talks and seen what makes someone stand out, both before and after they step onto the stage.

The conversation explores what event organisers are really looking for, why a brilliant idea can matter more than an impressive profile, and the surprisingly simple things speakers can do to make themselves easier to book, work with and invite back.

In this episode, Matt, Emma and Kelvin discuss:

✨ What makes a speaker pitch stand out to an event organiser
✨ Why specific, practical ideas can matter more than an impressive profile
✨ How first-time speakers can demonstrate expertise and become known for a subject
✨ Why "I'll talk about whatever you want" isn't always as helpful as it sounds
✨ What being easy to work with actually looks like behind the scenes
✨ Why speakers should spend less time perfecting their slides and more time practising
✨ How to approach international audiences and the dreaded Q&A
✨ What to prepare before an event so the relationship with your audience continues afterwards

Kelvin also shares an important perspective for anyone trying to break into speaking: know what you want to be known for. Build evidence around that subject, practise more than you think you need to and think beyond the moment you leave the stage.

Because a speaking opportunity doesn't have to end when the talk does. The people in that audience might invite you to another event, listen to your podcast, follow your work or want to continue learning from you. Giving them somewhere to go next can turn a 20-minute talk into the beginning of a much longer relationship.

For aspiring speakers, experienced professionals looking for more opportunities, and anyone curious about what happens behind the scenes when conference programmes are built, this episode is packed with practical advice from someone who has spent 15 years deciding who gets the microphone.

What happens when the camera comes out? Do you still sound like you?

In this episode of The Public Speaking Podcast, Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt are joined by Ben Cloud, Managing Director of Millstream Productions, to talk about storytelling, video and what it really takes to communicate authentically on camera.

Ben has spent 15 years creating video content for charities, businesses and the education sector. His approach combines strong production with documentary-style storytelling, always starting with the same question: who is the audience, and what will make them care?

Together, they explore how that thinking applies to speakers, founders and experts creating their own content. From speaker reels and polished website videos to LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram, the format might change, but Ben argues that the person behind it shouldn't.

In this episode, Matt, Emma and Ben discuss:

✨ Why good-looking content means very little if it doesn't emotionally connect
✨ How to adapt your content for different platforms without changing who you are
✨ Why consistency matters more than chasing viral content
✨ How to choose the right platform by thinking about where your audience actually is
✨ The difference between evergreen video and fast-moving social content
✨ What speakers can create before they have footage from big stages and events
✨ Why emotion is one of video's greatest strengths
✨ How scripting, structure and improvisation can work together on camera
✨ Why confidence comes through practice rather than waiting until you feel ready
✨ The role of speaker reels, podcasts and long-form video in building trust
✨ Why accessibility and captions should be part of your video strategy from the beginning
✨ When it makes sense to bring in a professional production team

The conversation also explores something that can easily get lost when we're thinking about cameras, platforms, algorithms and production quality: you still have to sound like yourself.

You don't need to imitate the person whose videos are performing better than yours, manufacture a personality for a particular platform or wait until you've perfected your delivery. You can experiment, practise, make things you never publish and gradually discover what feels natural.

For speakers, founders, experts and anyone trying to turn what they know into content people genuinely want to watch, this episode is a reminder that the technology and format are only part of the equation. The story, the audience and the person telling it still matter.

What happens when young people are given the space to say what they actually think?

In this episode of The Public Speaking Podcast, Matt Matheson and Emma Wyatt are joined by Amelie Abass, a 23-year-old student, public speaker and social enterprise founder helping young people develop the confidence to speak up, advocate for themselves and engage with the world around them.

Amelie's work grew from a deeply personal experience. After nearly losing her life giving birth at 20, she began thinking about her own ability to advocate for herself and what happens when young people haven't yet developed the confidence or language to make themselves heard.

Through talks and workshops with young people, Amelie creates spaces where the starting point isn't politics, performance or having the "right" answer. It's a much simpler question: What do you care about?

In this episode, Matt, Emma and Amelie discuss:
✨ Why self-advocacy is an essential part of public speaking
✨ What happens when young people are given permission to express what they really think
✨ Why the word "politics" can sometimes stop conversations before they've begun
✨ How schools can create safer spaces for young people to speak up and disagree
✨ Why public speaking is as much about listening as it is talking
✨ The importance of learning how to disagree respectfully
✨ Simple ways young people can practise speaking and expressing their opinions
✨ Why finding your people can make it easier to find the confidence to use your voice
✨ How practising on camera can help when speaking up feels intimidating
✨ Why public speaking isn't about the size of your audience, but the size of what you have to say

The conversation challenges the idea that public speaking begins when you step onto a stage. Sometimes it begins much earlier, when you express an opinion, ask a question, disagree respectfully or advocate for yourself when something matters.

For young people, parents, teachers, educators, speakers and anyone interested in confidence, communication and helping the next generation feel able to participate in the conversations that shape their lives, this episode offers a different perspective on what it really means to have a voice.