title: My most embarrassing story
author: Ultraspeaking
content_type: newsletter
publication: ultraspeaking.com
published: 2026-02-09T19:39:13+00:00
source_url: gmail://19c43eb8286790dc
word_count: 802
And it has to do with the NFL
It’s Monday and I have post-Super Bowl blues.
Not because I am a big Patriots fan. Or honestly a football fan at all.
But I was brought back in time to one of the most traumatizing moments of my career.
I was working with the NFL, early in my career.
They hired my company to run their digital marketing.
I remember my first day on the job…I asked why they called their newsletter “1st & Ten.”
It was a rough start.
While I have many embarrassing stories about my time working on that account (ask me later about the Lombardi Trophy story and C. Newton), this story makes me cringe, even 15 years later.
Here we go...
I got a call around 11am on Sunday from the VP of the Fantasy Football division.
This can’t be good.
Our Fantasy app was down…On flippin' SUNDAY.
Fast forward to the next day, it's 6am. I was on an emergency train down to NYC.
I had been up all night making slides to save the account.
I even practiced my presentation in the disgusting bathroom mirror on the train.
Then I got to Park Ave & 51st Street, in their big, fancy conference room.
I stood up in front of a bunch of angry, football-player-looking men…
And I was visibly shaking.
My hands. My legs. Everything.
I was completely robotic.
I missed most of the key points.
Just trying to make it through.
It was so bad, my boss had to step in.
I blew it.
Surely they would leave us.
As soon as my presentation ended, I got out of the room as fast as I could.
Over the next 10 years, before I found out about Ultraspeaking, I was convinced I didn’t practice enough.
So for every future presentation, I doubled down on all the wrong things: scripting, memorizing, practicing in my head and in the mirror.
Preparing for any presentation took FOREVER. I got used to it.
10 years go by. It's 2020 and I meet these guys ⤵︎
I was working for a big tech company and they were brought in to teach us how to communicate effectively over Zoom during the pandemic.
I truly didn't think I needed their help. People would actually tell me I was pretty good at communicating / presenting.
After a few hours of playing their funny speaking games, a switch flipped in my brain.
They untangled everything that happened on that day with the NFL.
If you have been around this community for a while, you know these games well: Rapid Fire Analogies and Conductor.
They are covered in the first two weeks of our Fundamentals course.
These two games helped me stay confident under pressure and speak with dynamism and range, even when I felt nervous.
And good news 🎉
There are two free live classes happening this week, where you can both watch the games played in action and even practice one for yourself.
I hope this starts to unlock things for you, like it did for me.
Sit back, relax and learn: How to stay confident.
Coach Aman will be running an event with Ecamm Live, where he will be coaching their Head of Community through some of our favorite techniques (including Conductor) to help build confidence.
While it this event is about confidence on camera, it applies really well in professional settings too.
Practice live and feel a shift in your confidence within 60 minutes
In our "Stay confident under pressure" class, you will practice the same exercises that have helped thousands of people transform anxiety into confidence and overthinking into spontaneity. It's an exact replica of the first day of our Fundamentals L1 course.
If you have been thinking about trying our courses, this is a great place to start.
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