Is there a formula for being a good public speaker?

What drew you towards radio in the formative years of your career?

Being an introvert, I always found it difficult to express myself in words. But early in life, I realised every time I performed on stage or spoke behind the microphone, I could express myself better. People find it hard to believe that I am a very shy person, and it takes a lot for me to express what I feel.

The minute I saw the studio and the microphone I felt an instant connection. It was like love at first sight, all the inhibitions flew out of the window. There was an instant connection and I found the medium to be intimate, personal and intelligent. My mentors told me it’ll be difficult to talk to oneself in a studio behind the mic, but I relished every second of it. It’s been 20 years and I still feel it’s my first day behind the microphone.

An RJ and a public speaker has to be a people’s person. It also means having a firm social media footprint. How does one preserve the personal when the work demands you to be in public gaze all the time?

Being in the public eye has its pros and cons. I really admire people who can be super honest about their lives and feelings on the social platform. However, my social posts are mostly happy and sunshine. Most of my fans expect motivating, happy and inspiring posts. As a public figure, I never forget that. Very rarely will I post something personal for my followers; there have been bad days but I’ve gone ahead and put on makeup and posted something happy and inspiring for my fans. Tears, fears, challenges — I mostly keep them to myself. Being a radio jockey, I learnt you can never have a bad day on air, I guess the same spirit translates into my fan pages too.

You are now a lifestyle content creator. How do you find that medium?

Creating content vlogs/blogs for travel companies, food chains, fashion brands, education institutes and luxury property has been very exciting. The future of digital content looks bright.

Being a parent, what have the two years of the pandemic meant for you?

As a parent, I felt very challenged. My daughter Sameera, who is a teenager, had been confined to her house, though she is extremely social. I felt it curbed a child’s social skills. But you have to give it to the children — they have been very resilient. It did take a mental toll, but she came out of it. I feel so proud.

Could you recall a heartwarming incident involving a listener or a member of the audience?

Being behind the microphone has given me the opportunity to connect with so many people virtually from all over the world. Your voice can make such a difference to people’s lives. From getting people to propose on air to surprising them on their birthdays, I’ve had so many amazing experiences. But the best is when your overseas listeners come to Dubai and look you up.

Last year, I had listeners call and share their grief about losing either a loved one or a job during Covid. It was amazing how they’d look forward to hearing my voice.

What are some of the most important things to keep in mind for public speakers?

There is no formula for being a good public speaker. I tell youngsters who want to be on stage that different things work for different people. I am old school and still believe in standing and talking in front of the mirror. I do my homework well and once I am on stage, it all depends on the kind of audience I am interacting with. From one’s body language, eye contact to how you dress, attention to detail — all this matters. Don’t forget to be yourself as you can’t fool the audience.

The style of speaking changes when you are hosting a concert and one must have a different approach while speaking in front of a corporate crowd.

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• Dubai