One sentence from Mark Bowden changed the way I think about stepping onto a stage.
He begins his TEDx talk by saying:
“You’ve already decided whether you like me or not.
”Before he’s explained a single idea, he’s reminded us of something every keynote speaker needs to understand.
People are judging us before we ever open our mouths.
That isn’t unfair.
It’s human.
I learned this lesson the hard way
Before I became a keynote speaker, I worked as an outdoor guide.
At the time I had dreadlocks, facial piercings and plenty of tattoos.
As I began working with organisations contracted to ACC, I found myself sitting in meetings discussing some incredibly important ideas. I wanted to talk about creating better outcomes for clients, moving beyond injury-focused services and building more holistic, wraparound support.
The ideas mattered.
But I could see something else happening.
People were making decisions about me before they had properly considered what I was saying.
I wasn’t wearing outdoor clothes. I was dressed professionally. Yet there was still a disconnect between the image people saw and the message I wanted them to hear.
Over time, I made a conscious decision to cut my hair and remove my piercings.
Not because I wanted to become someone else.
Because I wanted to remove unnecessary distractions between my message and the people who needed to hear it.
That experience has stayed with me throughout my career as a keynote speaker.
The audience meets you before your message
One of the reasons Mark Bowden’s work resonates so strongly with me is because it aligns with something I’ve seen repeatedly.
Long before your first sentence, the audience is already asking themselves questions.
Can I trust this person?
Do they belong here?
Should I listen?
Research has shown that we form impressions remarkably quickly, even from a single image. Those first moments influence how people interpret everything that follows.
As keynote speakers, we don’t get to choose whether people make snap judgments.
We only get to choose what we give them to judge.
The dial
People sometimes ask me about authenticity.
I think there’s a more useful way to think about it.
I believe we all have a dial.
There are moments when that dial naturally sits low. You’re relaxed with friends, chatting over coffee or sitting quietly at home.
Then there are moments when the responsibility is greater.
The audience has given you their time.
An organisation has trusted you with its people.
A client has invested in you.
That’s when I consciously turn the dial up.
Not because I’m pretending to be someone I’m not.
Because the audience deserves the very best version of me.
That’s exactly what we practise in my workshops.
We’re not trying to create a different personality.
We’re developing the ability to consciously adjust the dial.
To become bigger.
More expressive.
More engaging.
More intentional.
The dialled-up version is still authentically me.
It’s simply the version that gives my message the greatest opportunity to make an impact.
When the buck drops, the bullshit stops
One of my early bosses had a saying I’ll never forget.
“When the buck drops, the bullshit stops.
”Before the client arrived, we’d joke around, laugh and enjoy ourselves.
The moment the work began, everything changed.
Not because we became fake.
Because we became professional.
We understood that our job was to deliver our very best.
I’ve carried that lesson with me ever since.
Every keynote deserves that same level of commitment.
Your entrance is already part of the presentation
One of the biggest differences I notice between experienced keynote speakers and inexperienced presenters is what happens before the first sentence.
Some people walk onto the stage looking like they’re about to complete a task.
Others walk on looking genuinely pleased to be there.
They acknowledge the MC warmly.
They smile.
They make eye contact.
They pause.
They allow the audience to settle with them before they begin.
Nothing has been said.
Yet everything has already been communicated.
Audiences don’t need every version of you
One of the biggest misconceptions about authenticity is that it means showing people exactly how you feel in every moment.
Imagine walking onto a stage saying,
“I’m exhausted today. I barely slept, so I’ll do my best.”
That may be authentic.
It probably isn’t helpful.
Your audience doesn’t need every version of you.
They need the version that best serves the message you’ve been invited to deliver.
That’s why I think the word I’m really looking for isn’t authenticity.
It’s congruence.
If I claim to be a keynote speaker, then I need to walk onto the stage like one.
If I tell organisations that communication matters, then every part of my communication should reinforce that belief.
The audience doesn’t expect perfection.
But they do expect alignment between what I say and how I show up.
What Mark Bowden reminded me
Studying Mark Bowden made me even more conscious of those first few moments before a keynote begins.
Not because I wanted to copy him.
But because he reinforced something I’d gradually discovered through experience.
Every movement.
Every smile.
Every pause.
Every interaction with the MC.
Every step onto the stage.
They’re all communicating before I’ve spoken my first word.
Today, before I walk on stage, I consciously set my dial.
Sometimes that means quietly rehearsing the opening of my keynote.
Sometimes it’s simply reminding myself of the energy I want to bring.
Not because I’m becoming someone else.
Because I’m choosing the version of myself that gives the audience the greatest opportunity to connect with the message they’ve come to hear.
Your Observation Challenge
I’ve embedded Mark Bowden’s TEDx presentation below because this article captures only one of the many lessons I’ve taken from studying his work.
As you watch, keep an eye out for:
- How he establishes rapport within the first few seconds.
- The deliberate choices he makes with his body language.
- The relationship between his words and his physical presence.
- The way he uses humour to lower resistance.
- How he supports a provocative idea with practical examples.
Then ask yourself one question:
What version of yourself are you bringing to the stage?
