About this event
As professional speakers, our voice is our power — but what happens when inner tension holds us back, or worse, when our audiences and teams stop speaking up altogether?
Join us this May at PSA Staffordshire for a thought-provoking double-header designed to help you step out of your comfort zone and speak up where it matters most — on stage and in leadership.
First, Caroline Cavanagh challenges the myth that professional speakers are immune to anxiety. In her interactive talk, “Professional speakers don’t have anxiety – or do they?” you’ll discover how to turn anxiety from a silent saboteur into a performance enhancer. Learn three powerful tools to reduce procrastination, boost confidence, and step forward in your speaking and coaching career — and help others do the same.
Then, Helen Joy, founder of People Spark, delivers “The True Cost of Silence” — a timely and vital look at psychological safety. She’ll uncover why silence often becomes the norm in organisations, what it’s really costing us, and how managers (and speakers) can foster truth-telling cultures where innovation and trust thrive.
Whether you’re leading a team or leading an audience, this session will equip you to own your voice — and make space for others to do the same.
Don’t miss this meeting where insight meets impact. Come ready to grow, connect, and challenge the silent barriers holding us back.
Keynote speakers
Caroline Cavanagh believes anxiety holds untapped potential as a force for positive change. By understanding and channelling this natural response, she helps individuals transform anxiety from a burden into a catalyst for growth, motivation, and deeper self-awareness. Its energy can sharpen focus, drive preparation, and highlight what truly matters.
Through her pioneering approach, Caroline empowers people to decode anxiety’s hidden messages, building lasting mental resilience and enabling them to perform at their best. She also works with organisations to create environments where people thrive under reduced stress, improving both wellbeing and business outcomes.
Caroline is equally passionate about supporting young people, guiding teenagers from feeling overwhelmed to becoming confident and resilient. At her core, she is driven by a deep commitment to helping others discover their inner strength and harness anxiety as a powerful tool for growth.
Helen Joy is the founder of People Spark and spent two decades working with leaders and teams to create workplaces where people are able to speak up and do their best work.
Her experience shows psychological safety isn’t a nice extra — it’s the foundation of a successful culture. Helen brings a practical approach to building trust day-to-day, helping organisations move from hesitation to collaboration. Today, she shares some small but powerful shifts managers can make to build great teams.
Anxiety can badly affect lives. But what if it could be used to enhance lives instead?
The venue
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