I Thought 50 Talks Were Enough. AWS New Voices Proved Me Wrong.
I thought delivering 50+ talks meant I had public speaking figured out. Then I joined the AWS New Voices Program. Over five weeks, I rediscovered what it truly means to connect with an audience through storytelling, empathy, and authenticity. This is my personal journey of growth, the lessons I learned, and why I'll never look at public speaking the same way again.
When I received my acceptance email for the AWS New Voices Program, I was excited.
At the same time, I thought to myself, "I've already delivered more than 50 talks and workshops. Surely I know how to speak by now."
I've spent the past few years talking about cloud computing, software development, career growth, and personal development. I've spoken at community events, workshops, conferences, universities, and meetups. Standing in front of a room full of people no longer felt unfamiliar.
Then the program started.
Five weeks later, I realized I had only scratched the surface.
AWS New Voices is a five-week professional training program designed for AWS Heroes, Community Builders, User Group Leaders, and Cloud Club Captains who want to become better public speakers and storytellers. Rather than teaching people how to present slides, it challenged us to think more deeply about how we connect with people, communicate ideas, and create memorable experiences through storytelling.
Every Friday morning, my alarm would ring at 6:00 AM.
Now, I am not exactly a morning person. But somehow, every single Friday, I looked forward to waking up.
By 7:00 AM, I would be greeted by Meridith Grundei's incredibly warm energy and Gary Grundei's playlist that somehow had enough power to wake up my brain before my coffee even could.
It quickly became one of the highlights of my week.
Each session focused on a different aspect of becoming a stronger speaker. We explored how to truly understand our audience, build trust, create compelling introductions, structure presentations that people actually remember, deliver visuals more effectively, and practice speaking with confidence. Every week felt like another layer being added to a skill I thought I already understood.
Of course, I won't dive into the specific frameworks or exercises because those are part of what makes the program so valuable.
What I can say is this.
The biggest lesson wasn't about speaking.
It was about people.
I realized that great speakers are not the ones with the fanciest slides or the longest list of achievements. Great speakers are the ones who make the audience feel seen. They understand who they're speaking to, why their message matters, and how to make every story meaningful.
That realization alone changed how I look at every future talk I give.
Another unexpected highlight of the program was the breakout rooms.
Every session, we'd be paired with people from different parts of the world. Before joining, I never imagined I'd be exchanging stories, practicing presentations, and laughing with community builders, developers, and aspiring speakers from countries I had never even expected to meet someone from.
Despite coming from different cultures, industries, and backgrounds, we all shared one thing in common.
We wanted to become better communicators so we could give back more to our communities.
Listening to everyone's stories reminded me that public speaking isn't a competition. It's a bridge.
A bridge between ideas.
A bridge between people.
A bridge between communities that may never have crossed paths otherwise.
Those conversations inspired me just as much as the lessons themselves.
By the end of the five weeks, I wasn't just more confident.
I was more intentional.
When I prepare a presentation now, I think less about what I want to say and more about what my audience needs to hear. I spend more time thinking about the story behind the technology, the people behind the problem, and the experience I want people to walk away with.
Ironically, after giving more than 50 talks, this program reminded me to become a student again.
And honestly, I think that's one of the greatest gifts any learning experience can offer.
Today, I am incredibly proud to call myself an AWS New Voices graduate.
To Meredith, Gary, the AWS team, and every single person I met throughout these five weeks, thank you.
Thank you for your encouragement.
Thank you for your stories.
Thank you for making every Friday morning something I genuinely looked forward to.
I'll miss hearing everyone's stories and backgrounds, celebrating each other's progress, and even setting my 6:00 AM alarm knowing I had an hour and a half of pure learning, laughter, and inspiration waiting for me.
More importantly, I'll carry these lessons into every future keynote, workshop, meetup, and conference I have the privilege to speak at.
If you're ever given the opportunity to join AWS New Voices, take it.
Whether you've never held a microphone before or you've already spoken dozens of times, there's always another level to reach.
As for me?
I can honestly say I walked into the program with experience.
I walked out with a new voice.
And I cannot wait to do more, share more, and connect more.
#AWSNewVoices #PublicSpeaking
Enjoyed reading this content? Let the author know!
Your likes, comments, shares, and saves help creators reach more builders.
Loading recommendations
Loading article