This image is the cover for the book Scared Speechless

Scared Speechless

Panic at the podium? This guide by a clinical psychologist and a Hollywood publicist will help you understand—and overcome—your public-speaking fears.

What you say and how you say it speaks volumes about your professional promise and leadership potential. Whether it’s giving an impromptu sales pitch or keynoting a major business conference, public speaking can make you or break you. Are you scared yet? No surprise—most people are! In fact, it’s the #1 fear among Americans. Even many Academy Award winners still get the jitters, as talent rep and publicist Steve Rohr knows very well.

Scared Speechless takes a powerful, unique approach that sets it apart from other public-speaking guides. Rohr’s coauthor, Dr. Shirley Impellizzeri, uses the psychology behind our fears to explain and tame our anxiety. Combine this knowledge with humorous anecdotes, real-world examples, and wisdom about the art of organizing and delivering a spectacular speech, and you have the freshest, most entertaining, and most effective public speaking book available.

Steve Rohr, Shirley Impellizzeri

Steve Rohr is an entertainment public relations executive and college professor. He is founder and president of Lexicon Public Relations and serves as a publicist for the Academy Awards.® Steve’s involvement in public speaking education spans two decades. For three years, he cohosted a psychology radio show with Dr. Shirley Impellizzeri. Steve earned his BA in communication and political science from Concordia College (Moorhead) and his MA in communication from Arizona State University. This is his first book.Dr. Shirley Impellizzeri is one of America’s most recognized Latina psychologists. She is a frequent guest expert on shows such as Dr. Drew and The Doctors, and cohosted a psychology radio show with Steve Rohr. She maintains a thriving private practice in Beverly Hills, California. She earned her PhD in psychology from UCLA. Shirley is the author of the bestselling Why Can’t I Change? How to Conquer Your Self-Destructive Patterns.

Career Press