Why I Became Someone Else to Overcome My Biggest Fear

The Alter-Ego Trick To Beat Performance Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating whether it manifests as a stutter, a bad attitude or feeling stuck. In this episode, Joe shares how he went from a kid with a stutter to a keynote speaker using a powerful mental technique: creating an alter ego. Learn the persona method Joe used to overcome his anxiety, how he taught his daughter to use it for sports performance, and why preparation and repetition are the real keys to building confidence. This episode delivers actionable techniques for turning fear into your greatest advantage.

Key Takeaways:

• How to create an alter ego or persona to shield yourself from criticism and self-doubt
• Why modeling charismatic leaders (like Alan Mulally) can transform your confidence
• The power of gradual exposure: speaking to 5 people before scaling to 500
• How preparation and "doing the work" eliminates anxiety better than any other method
• Teaching the alter ego technique to others (real example with Joe's daughter "Brooklyn")
• Why adversity and struggle in childhood can become your greatest competitive advantage
• The importance of iteration and postmortem analysis in any creative or business endeavor

Key Topics: Public speaking anxiety, overcoming stuttering, alter ego technique, performance anxiety, building confidence, imposter syndrome, parenting advice for athletes, deliberate practice, entrepreneurship mindset, turning adversity into strength