How Travel Taught Me the Secret to Transformational Speaking

I didn’t expect a family holiday to Malaysia to change the way I think about speaking.

But as I wandered through bustling night markets, shared stories with strangers, and soaked in a culture so different from my own, something clicked.

Travel doesn’t just take you somewhere new—it shifts the way you see. And that’s exactly what the best talks do too.

The Power of Fresh Eyes

There’s something magical about being in a place you’ve never been before.
You notice details you’d normally ignore.
You strike up conversations you’d never have at home.
You’re more curious. More open. More alive.

I was reminded of my first solo trip at 21—four months of exploring the world alone. Standing in a queue one day, I started talking to the stranger in front of me. At home, I never would have done that. But on the road? The weight of expectations had lifted. I was free to just be me.

And that’s when I realised: the very thing travel does for us is the same thing transformational speaking should do for our audiences.

Why Great Talks Don’t Just Inform—They Transform

A strong Signature Talk isn’t about giving people more information.
It’s about giving them a new lens.

The best talks:

• Shift perspectives.
  
  
• Open hearts.
  
  
• Help people see differently.
  
  

When you do this, you don’t just stand out—you stay with them.

Where to Begin With Your Own Signature Talk

So how do you craft a talk that creates this kind of shift? Start here:

👉 Ask yourself: What does everyone else believe about my topic… that I see differently?
👉 Then ask: What truth do I live by that my audience may not have realised yet?

That gap—the space between what’s commonly believed and what you know to be true—is where your transformational talk begins.

It’s how you stop sounding like everyone else and start sounding like you.

The Magic Question Every Speaker Should Ask

Next time you sit down to work on your talk, try this:

💡 Ask yourself: How can I help my audience see with new eyes?

That’s the question that turns a talk from informative… into unforgettable.

Coming Home Changed

Just like travel, speaking has the power to change us—and to change others.

When you step on stage with the courage to share your unique lens, you give your audience the same gift travel gives the curious traveler: a shift in perspective that lingers long after the moment has passed.

And that, to me, is where the real magic happens.