When Ray Jones first joined BNI, public speaking was a nightmare. His hands trembled, his face tightened with nervous smiles and he couldn’t even feel his feet during his 60-second presentations. He assumed everyone else had it all figured out; the confidence, the polish, the presence. Meanwhile, he was just trying not to freeze.
But he didn’t quit. He kept showing up, voice wobbling and all. Over time, he discovered something unexpected. Courage doesn’t feel confident—it feels shaky. But it shows up anyway. And Ray did just that.
In this BNI Education Slot, Ray shares how he slowly built his confidence. Then, as if public speaking wasn’t enough of a leap, he began recording unscripted, unfiltered TikTok videos. At first, he hated the sound of his voice. He cringed watching himself back. But he kept going.
Eventually, something shifted. He stopped hating his voice. He started to appreciate it. The real change? It wasn’t TikTok. It wasn’t even the videos. It was BNI. BNI gave him a reason to speak, and TikTok gave him a place to practise.
Now, Ray delivers a message to anyone afraid of speaking, whether it’s in a room full of professionals or in front of a phone camera: people are too worried about themselves to judge you. So speak. Speak when you’re nervous. Speak when you’re shaking. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being heard.
He ends with a powerful question:
What story will you tell when you finally find your voice?
Full Transcript
When I first joined BNI, I was terrified. I thought everyone had it all together. Their pitches were polished, they were confident, they were clear. Mine? I couldn’t even feel my feet. I forgot what I was meant to say. My hands touched my face. I smiled too much.
That’s what nerves do. They don’t just make your voice wobble—they try to shut it down completely.
(00:28) But I kept standing up. I kept wobbling, every week. Week by week, I kept my voice—my wobbly voice—but I kept standing up.
I began to realise that courage doesn’t feel confident. It feels shaky. But it shows up anyway.
(00:52) I show up every week. I’m more confident than I was the week before.
And then I did something mad. I started to record myself on video for TikTok, which was a new thing for me. I was thinking, “My God, me? TikTok? That’ll never happen.” But it did.
No filters. No script. Just me, looking into the lens, speaking about photography, public speaking, and my life.
(01:19) At first, I cringed at the sound of my voice. I watched my videos back several times, “umming” and “ahhing” over every word that I spoke.
But over time, I noticed something. I didn’t hate my voice anymore. In fact, I started to like it.
So what changed?
It wasn’t the camera. It wasn’t the algorithm. BNI gave me a reason to speak. TikTok gave me a place to grow. Both gave me something deeper than confidence. They gave me a voice.
(01:43) So if you’re nervous when you speak—whether it’s 60 seconds at BNI or 15 seconds on TikTok—remember this:
Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to notice your nerves. So speak. Speak when you’re ready. Speak when you’re shaking. Because it’s not about being perfect.
(02:05) It’s about being heard.
(02:18) So here’s my question for you:
What story will you tell when you finally find your voice?
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