Do you talk funny?

Public speaking once terrified David Nihill so much that facing an audience seemed worse than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Determined to change, he adopted an unusual plan: for one year, he posed as an accomplished comedian known as “Irish Dave”—a name that at least had the advantage of being partly true—and immersed himself in comedy clubs, festivals, and shows. Along the way, he progressed from fearing public speaking to hosting a business conference, performing stand-up, and competing successfully in storytelling events before packed audiences.

draws on what Nihill learned from stand-up comedians and adapts those principles for presentations, speeches, wedding toasts, thesis defenses, investor pitches, and other moments when people need to hold an audience’s attention. It explores how to shape stories and content listeners will want to hear, identify and reach the funniest parts of material, handle stage fright, and improve timing and delivery. The central question is how comedy techniques can help transform an anxious speaker into someone ready for the stage.