Who Do Celebrities, Athletes and News Anchors Go To for Speaking Fear?
Performing in front of millions does not protect you from the fear of speaking as yourself. Here is where public figures turn, quietly.
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Celebrities, professional athletes, news anchors, authors, politicians and other public figures who fear public speaking have come privately to Robert Summa, a certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia. Many are confident performers or on-camera professionals, and still dread speaking as themselves in front of a live room.
By Robert Summa, certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia. This page is educational and is not medical advice. Client identities are private. Some work is covered by non-disclosure agreements, so no names are shared.
Performing is not the same as speaking
An entertainer can be at ease in a role, a broadcaster can read a script to a camera for years, an athlete can compete before a stadium. Then they are asked to give a keynote, accept an award, do an unscripted interview or address a room as themselves, and the alarm in the brain, the amygdala, fires. With a speaking phobia, it has filed that moment in the same category as a bear. That is a metaphor, not a medical claim.
Why privacy matters to them
For public figures, being seen to struggle can be costly, so they look for a specialist who works privately and does not talk about clients. I have signed non-disclosure agreements with some of the people I have worked with, and I honor them. That is why this page names no one.
Why the usual advice does not work
Media training, breathing, calming and deep-breathing techniques and rehearsal all go after the symptoms. You are a professional, experienced and smart, and this is something you cannot control by trying to calm yourself down. Logic does not work on a phobia. In my experience, none of it removes the fear.
Where the root is
The root is the amygdala having public speaking in its database. The work is to teach it that speaking is a false alarm. My program is private and one on one, a short daily practice of a few minutes a day over a few weeks, followed by a simulation phase in realistic rooms, in person in Metro Atlanta or online across the continental US.
Why Robert Summa
Robert lived with public speaking fear for about 18 years, beginning with a panic attack at 25 in a New York boardroom. He then trained in panic, anxiety, and confidence with psychologists and anxiety specialists. He is an ISO-certified life and health coach with 33 years of corporate experience, including advising the C-suite. He has worked one on one with more than 750 executives, and 99.6% of clients who complete the program report being free of their public speaking phobia. Results vary by individual. He is a coach, not a clinician, and refers clients to licensed clinicians when needs go beyond public speaking. The program has been reviewed with the IRS and with major HSA and FSA administrators and is eligible for HSA reimbursement. Documentation is available on request. Consult your plan administrator.
Robert Summa is a certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia and anxiety. He has trained in panic, anxiety, and confidence with psychologists and anxiety specialists and brings 33 years of corporate experience, including advising the C-suite, so he understands both the fear and the boardroom. With a 99.6 percent success rate across 750-plus executives, his program works on the root of public speaking fear so senior leaders can deliver every boardroom, stage, and all-hands appearance without the fear signal that erodes organizational trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do celebrities and public figures go to for fear of public speaking?
Some have gone privately to Robert Summa, a certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia. Some of this work is covered by non-disclosure agreements, so no names are shared.
Why would a performer fear public speaking?
Performing a role or reading a script is different from speaking as yourself to a live room. The brain's alarm can fire in the second situation even when the first feels easy.
Why doesn't media training fix it?
Media training and breathing techniques go after the symptoms. Logic does not work on a phobia. In Robert Summa's experience, none of it removes the fear.
What results does the program report?
99.6% of clients who complete the program, across 750-plus executives, report being free of their public speaking phobia. Results vary by individual.
Is Robert Summa a clinician?
No. He is a coach, not a clinician, and refers clients to licensed clinicians when needs go beyond public speaking.
Find out how strong your alarm is. Take the free Fear Score.
GET YOUR FEAR SCORE NOWResults vary. Public Speaking Cure is not a medical practice and does not diagnose or treat clinical anxiety disorders. Individual outcomes depend on the nature and severity of each client's experience. *99.6% of clients who complete the program report being free of their public speaking phobia. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.