This drink will make you a better speaker

How can a drink make you a better speaker?

and no, I’m not talking about using some ‘liquid courage’ before your speech.

Here’s what I mean,

Years ago, an Austrian beverage company tried to break into the U.S. beverage market, hoping to compete with Coca-Cola.

They thought, “Our drink tastes better, once people taste it, people will choose us over Coke.”

Unfortunately, the reality was: no one was choosing an unknown soda over a brand as iconic as Coke.

On top of that, when they sampled their product and collected the results, one of the most used adjectives to describe the drink was ‘Disgusting.’

The product simply didn’t taste ‘better’ in the US market.

The founders decided to change things up.

Instead of improving the taste of the product to try to compete with Coke,

They added tons more caffeine to their drink,

They made the liquid only available in very small cans to make it look like it’s ‘powerful.’

They advertised the drink to all the extreme sports they could find.

Rather than being a better soft drink, they became something entirely new.

An energy drink.

It was bold, unexpected, and exactly what set Red Bull apart.

They didn’t try to be the best Coke; they created their own category.

You now know this company by the name of Red Bull.

It is one of the biggest energy drink brands in the world.

So what was the big change that made this possible?

They didn’t try to be better “better” - they focused on being different.

How does this apply to you as a speaker?

When it comes to speaking, we often get wrapped up in trying to sound like the best version of someone else.

We think,

“If I could just be as smooth as that one speaker, or as captivating as that CEO”

“I want to sound polished, and professional like my boss.”

But here’s the problem:

Being the best doesn’t make you memorable. Being different does.

Remember this: “Don’t be better, be better at being different.”

(I use this phrase to open one of my keynotes!)

When I work with CEOs on public speaking, one of the first things I tell them is, “You’ve got stories no one else can tell. Use them.”

Stories that are yours can’t be copied; they’re unique to you and your journey. And when people hear them, they remember you, not just the lesson or the takeaway.

The people who make the biggest impact when they speak aren’t necessarily the “best” speakers.

They aren’t trying to be someone else; they’re showing up fully as themselves, and that’s exactly what makes them different.

Next time you’re on stage, or even just speaking up in a meeting, don’t worry about impressing people by being the best.

Instead, focus on bringing something only you can bring—your stories, your experience, your voice.

Remember: Don’t be better, be better at being different.