Influence, Confidence and Empowering Others | Francisca Dias | Beyond Coding Podcast #132

Early Influences

Francisca Dias's passion for public speaking was evident from a young age, as she often engaged her siblings in educational play. She recalls how her early experiences teaching them honed her ability to engage an audience and read the room, skills that are crucial for effective public speaking 1. This early practice laid the foundation for her comfort on stage, where she feels a sense of transcendence and connection with her audience 2.

I think I was designed, since I'm a little young kid, to be on stage and to work with big groups of people.

--- Francisca Dias

Her journey highlights the importance of nurturing one's innate talents from an early age.

   

Overcoming Fears

Overcoming fear in public speaking was a significant milestone for Francisca. Despite her natural inclination towards the stage, she faced challenges in being heard and recognized in professional settings, often due to gender biases 3. She realized the need to project confidence and embody the powerful persona she envisioned for herself.

I was not showing up in my body language, in the way I dressed, in the way I spoke. Like the power woman version of myself that I had been creating and developing in my brain.

--- Francisca Dias

Her story underscores the importance of self-awareness and the courage to transform one's self-presentation to overcome societal barriers 2.