Emily Edgeley - Public Speaking & Storytelling Coach

Here's 8 ways you can inject more stories into an upcoming talk.

I've helped hundreds of people prep for a Conference Talk and you know what they all had in common?

They all benefited from adding more stories!

Even hugely technical talks for BlackHat need storytelling weaved throughout.

It keeps engagement levels up, it makes it way more interesting and the whole talk becomes far more memorable.

So, if you're feeling stuck, here's 8 ideas for you.

📌 Save this post so you can come back to it later.

Q - Did I miss any of your go-to options? If so, what would you add to this list? Also, do you want to see more Infographic type posts from me in the future?

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✌🏼 Hey I'm Emily, ex-Cybersec turned Public Speaking & Storytelling Coach.

⚡️ I help people (in Cybersec) to communicate with more clarity, impact & confidence. To boost their career, brand and industry recognition.

📩 If you'd like my help to build your storytelling skills, or that of your team, send me a DM.

I think this sums me up (in a professional sense) pretty well. 😁

What do you think!?

Want to influence behaviour change? Then stop focussing on instructing people.

Work on shifting their beliefs.

——

I’ve been seeing a physio lately (because my back has been really tight).

To help, the physio gave me a list of exercises to do each day + an app to use.

I.e. The instructions were clear.

However, do you think I’ve been doing the exercises?

No. 🙈

I could say I’m just too busy. I’m definitely busy…..

But it’s more than that.

To be honest I think the real reason I haven’t been doing them is because I’m not convinced the exercises will help.

Do I know WHAT I need to do? Yes
Do I really WANT to be pain free? Hell yeah

Am I convinced the exercises will sort my back out? No, I’m not.

I didn’t see change in the first 2 days and because I don’t know the importance each exercise plays, I’m not confident there’s a clear ROI.

Hence I’m not prioritising them.

If I was convinced (truly convinced) that the exercises would get me there, I would do them, long enough to get results.

This is why I say to shift behaviours we must focus on shifting beliefs.

Not on the instructions.

I’m building a PROP inventory and I’d love your help.

I want to inspire people to think a little bit differently when creating Visual Aids.

Because there’s a whole world of cool possibilities outside of PPT slides….. 🦩

I currently have = 48 examples.

[This is a mix of examples from CyberSec & Tech but also Leadership / other disciplines]

I’d love to expand it though, as I’m sure there’s heaps of great examples out there I’m missing.

Q - Have you come across someone using a prop in the wild? 🤠

E.g.
- You saw a speaker use a prop up on stage
- You came across a prop on a video online (TED Talk, YouTube, Social Media)
- Perhaps you used one yourself

If you’re willing to share (in the comments below or via DM if you’d prefer), I’m happy to send you over the full list once it’s finalised.

Do you rely on scripting important talks?

If yes, I want to help you stop. 🛑

Because studies have proven that a script:

- Creates doubt in what you're saying
- Reduces an audience's ability to trust you
- Makes it harder for people to follow

Plus, most speakers still feel anxious when relying on one.

So, if you’d like to ditch the script (and deliver with more impact + confidence), keep reading. I'm sharing the right way to create high-level notes, along with a client case study.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ditch-script-how-write-high-level-speaker-notes-emily-edgeley-c8n3c/?trackingId=h8dmnb4NqCvB9BpdY5SfQw%3D%3D

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✌🏼 Hey I'm Emily, ex-Cybersec turned Public Speaking & Storytelling Coach.

⚡️ I help people (in Cybersec) to communicate with more clarity, impact & confidence. Whether that's at work or a conference. In writing or verbal.

📩 Join 2,720+ others using my tips to boost their influence, brand & career.

DITCH THE SCRIPT: HOW TO WRITE HIGH LEVEL SPEAKER NOTES Want to deliver a presentation with impact and with confidence? Then stop scripting your talks. Why? Because it's really impacting you in the moments that matter.

Hate watching yourself back on video... But deeply want to improve?

Approach it like this:

1️⃣ Watch it back with no audio first. Just watch what your body does.
2️⃣ Turn the audio on, but close the screen. To focus on your voice.
3️⃣ Notice what you did well. Limit focus areas to 2 (1 body + 1 voice).

Hardly anyone likes watching themselves back. But this makes it SO much more bearable! Trust me 🤪

It's well worth the cringe-factor at the time.

If you're still really struggling, try the Best Friend Reframe. Imagine what feedback your best friend would have for you. Or better still, ask someone else to give you detailed feedback (as it will most likely be far more balanced).

🙋🏻‍♀️ Want to speak at a Conf... but you don’t even know what you’d talk about!?
 
I see this play out a lot. 
 
People then put this in the ‘Too Hard’ basket and another year passes by where no action is taken. 😬☠️

The thing is, everyone has something interesting they could talk about. 
 
You just need to know *how* to find a winning talk idea.
 
I’ve helped countless clients do exactly that (and then shape it into an amazing talk). However, previously, this support has been limited to people working with me privately.

Now I’m making this more accessible. 🙌 
 
If appying for / speaking at a Conf is on your wish list for 2026, this is for you.

I’ll be sharing more details with those on my Mailing List in the coming days. If you’d like to stay informed, comment YES below and I’ll send you the link to signup.