Kristin Cavallari’s Podcast Tour Helped Her Overcome Her Greatest Fear

Kristin Cavallari has been on TV since the early 2000s, but stage fright? That was her kryptonite. On Let’s Be Honest, the Uncommon James CEO revealed how her recent tour pushed her far outside her comfort zone.

Camera time ≠ public speaking

Cavallari first appeared on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County in 2004, so she’s certainly no stranger to the public eye. But there’s a difference between being in front of a camera and being in front of a crowd. “Cameras are so different to me than just going out in front of a live audience,” she says. 

“Since I was in elementary school,” the 38-year-old says, “I remember if I had to get up in front of the class and present something, I had such anxiety about it for weeks leading up to it. And I remember I couldn’t sleep. I was so scared to get up in front of my class and speak. I’ve always had this debilitating fear of public speaking, so much so that it has made me turn down opportunities because I before did not have the confidence to get up and speak in front of a large group of people.”

Be prepared

Cavallari’s podcast tour involved “doing like a 10 to 15 minute monologue by myself,” which she called “the scariest thing I’ve ever done.” Despite her anxiety, “I did it six f***ing times in front of thousands of people.”

So what was her strategy? “It’s really about being super prepared,” she explains. “I practiced my monologue in my kitchen for a month. I printed out my whole first show on cue cards. I would walk back and forth in my kitchen as though it was my very first show and I rehearsed that like a motherfucker, man, so that I was really really prepared because I just know myself. If I’m prepared then I’m way more comfortable.”

Ah, preparation, of course. As Kristin says,  “It’s when I’m unprepared that I get really stressed out. So I  did that and it paid off.”

You will be nervous—and that’s okay

“I was really nervous going out there, especially for Atlanta,” Cavallari says. “But I’m really happy that I prepared the way that I did. And for every show too, like I’ve just figured out what works for me to minimize any sort of stress.”

Give yourself plenty of prep time

“I made sure that I was hair and makeup ready an hour before the show started. Every single show,” Cavallari says. “I knew that I needed a minute before each show to just feel prepared and take it all in.”

What’s next

Going on tour has definitely improved Cavallari’s confidence. “I do feel like I can do more speaking engagements now,” she says. 

Taking a chance and facing your fear can also lead to unexpected discoveries, the way it did for Cavallari. “This podcast tour was actually a really good wake up call for me,” she says. Throughout the tour, encountering old friends and men she’s known throughout her life led to a realization: “Everyone thinks I was so confident growing up, but again, I see it differently because I was so insecure. I think I was tough, but I wasn’t confident. I had zero self-love. I hated myself.” 

This insight helped her recognize a pattern: “Every guy I’ve ever been with has been a reflection back to me of the fact that I need to learn self-love.”

Personally and professionally, taking on this challenge is leading Cavallari toward growth. Where can facing a fear take you?

For more on her recent live tour, check out Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari.