Many accomplished public speakers have fought with stage fright. TED presenters, even some of the most well-known, as described by TED curator Chris Anderson, aren't free from this: The likes of Monica Lewinsky and Jacqueline Novogratz eschewed public speaking in their earlier years, and even Elon Musk was not seen as a "public speaker" in basketball legends his early years. But now, they're all on the TED stage. In spite of this, their TED Talks have been seen more than 60 million times altogether.

Each of these speakers was able to set aside their concerns in order to deliver a tale that they felt others would enjoy hearing. Consequently, they have garnered millions of views and critical appreciation from their peers as well as from a large number of persons who have listened to their Talks.