314: Why You Need to Trust Your Creative Process

Erin tried to become a “better” speaker.

She got the coach.

Did the reps.

Rehearsed the lines.

Followed the advice.

And then realized she may have accidentally polished the magic right out of herself.

In this solo episode, Erin shares what happened when a huge speaking opportunity pushed her into full preparation mode, why over-rehearsing made her feel less connected on stage, and the old coaching advice that came back swinging:

Trust your creative process.

This one is for anyone who has ever tried to improve themselves and accidentally started sanding down the exact thing that made them stand out.

In this episode you’ll hear:

-Why “best practices” are only useful if they actually work for you

-How over-preparing can make you technically better but less you

-Why Erin had to 50% Rule her own speaking proces

-The difference between memorizing words and connecting to the message

-Why your weird little way of doing things might be the whole damn point

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To connect with Erin and/or Nicole, email: [e-mail]

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments

• “Trust your creative process.”
• “I spent more time searching for the words than searching for the feeling and the passion.”
• “What’s worked for you in the past actually might work in the future.”
• “Constantly look for ways to improve without throwing away what makes you you.”

Trust Your Creative Process

Editor’s note: This transcript has been edited for clarity, length, and readability.

In this solo episode, Erin Hatzikostas shares what happened when she followed traditional public speaking advice so closely that she lost some of the authenticity that made her effective. She explores over-preparation, creative confidence, the 50% Rule, and how to improve your work without abandoning the process that makes you uniquely good at it.

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When “Leveling Up” Starts to Change You

Erin: Over the last nine months, I’ve gone through a journey that feels full circle, ironic, and maybe even a little hypocritical.

Erin: I preach authenticity. In my second book, I talk about the 50% Rule: whenever you’re doing something, keep some of what works, introduce something new, and throw out the pieces that feel inauthentic or simply do not fit you.

Erin: I’m also a professional speaker. That’s my main occupation, and last summer my speaking career was really starting to pick up steam. Then I was selected to speak at the International Association of Speaking Bureaus conference. These are the people who often help organizations find speakers for major events, so getting the chance to speak in front of them felt like a very big deal.

Erin: There were almost 100 applicants, and only six of us were selected. Speaking can be a roller coaster. You are constantly trying to earn the next opportunity, even after you’ve had success. But this felt like one of those moments where I thought, “Okay, Erin. This is your chance. Get your act together.”

The Pressure to Rehearse Perfectly

Erin: Around that same time, I had started working with a true speech and vocal coach, Darcy Webb. She was wonderful because she did not try to turn me into somebody else. She understood what made me, me, and helped bring more of that out.

Erin: She helped me embrace the facial expressions I naturally make. She also told me to stop whispering. I insisted I was not whispering, but then I watched the recordings and realized, “Oh. That is a little weird.”

Erin: One of the biggest things she taught me was that I needed to rehearse. I needed to put in the hours, record myself, repeat the material, and get the words into my body.

Erin: I resisted that advice for a long time. Then this huge speaking opportunity came along, and I only had 20 minutes. In the speaking world, shorter is often harder. You have to be more concise, make stronger choices, and communicate the point in less time.

Erin: So I decided it was time to become the polished, mega-professional speaker I thought I was supposed to be. I rehearsed and rehearsed.

Why Perfect Preparation Did Not Create a Perfect Performance

Erin: I already had some baggage around over-rehearsing. When I did my TEDx talk in 2020, I practiced it so much that the delivery stopped feeling like me. I still love the content, but the performance felt too controlled. My passion did not fully come through.

Erin: Still, I prepared heavily for the speakers bureau conference. I used some of my best material, knew what I wanted to say, and felt ready.

Erin: Then the event came. I did not flop, but I did not knock it out of the park either.

Erin: I am always trying to knock it out of the park, not because I think I work harder than everyone else or because I need people to tell me I’m great. I want to connect. I want people to feel something. That connection is what authenticity can create.

Erin: At first, I found other things to blame. Someone after me absolutely crushed it. My necklace was jangling against the microphone. There were all these little details I could point to.

Erin: But the deeper truth was that I had over-prepared. I was not fully in the moment with the people in front of me. I was delivering something polished, but I was not drawing from that conviction and energy that usually comes from deep inside me and pours into the audience.

When Rehearsal Became the New Habit

Erin: The confusing part was that I had also learned how to rehearse. So for the next several months, I kept doing it.

Erin: I practiced for events in January, February, and March. I crafted catchy lines. I added new language. I made sure I could nail the material.

Erin: The talks went well. I did not bomb. I created customized moments and found creative ways to make each speech feel specific to the audience.

Erin: But something was missing.

Erin: Usually, I can feel the connection in the room. You can see it in people’s faces. You know when the audience does not want the experience to end. These events were successful on paper, but they did not feel the same.

Erin: Then I spoke at an event in Chicago. I said everything I meant to say. I did not forget the important parts. Technically, I nailed it. But that thing I care about most still was not there.

Words Versus Intent

Erin: That was when I realized what over-preparing had taken away from me.

Erin: My talks have structure. They are mapped into sections, and I know the points I want to make. I may have specific phrases or stories I want to land, but I have never needed every word written out.

Erin: Before I became so focused on rehearsal, I spent more time thinking about the intent of each section. I would ask, “What am I really trying to get across here? What do I need these people to understand or feel?”

Erin: Then I allowed myself the freedom to communicate that idea in the moment.

Erin: That freedom gave me space to bring in something I heard earlier in the day, respond to the audience, interact more naturally, or follow a thought that came to me while I was speaking.

Erin: When I over-rehearsed, I spent more time searching for the exact words than searching for the feeling, the purpose, and the passion behind them.

Erin: I cannot do both equally well. Some people can. Actors can deliver rehearsed lines with incredible emotional depth. Some speakers can memorize every beat and still make it feel spontaneous. God bless them. That is a real skill.

Erin: But it is not my skill. It is not where I bring the most value.

“Why Don’t You Trust Your Creative Process?”

Erin: This brought me back to something my first executive coach taught me years ago when I was still in corporate.

Erin: I was preparing a speech for a leadership event. I had planned the whole talk, but I had not figured out the ending. In my notes, I had essentially written, “And then some bada boom, bada bing ending.”

Erin: I went into our coaching session and confessed that I thought I had a major flaw. I told her, “I’m a great starter, but I’m not a great finisher. I worked on this talk for hours, and I still could not complete it.”

Erin: I expected her to give me techniques, hacks, or some process that would fix what I believed was broken.

Erin: Instead, she stopped and asked, “Erin, are you typically successful?”

Erin: I told her that I was not successful at everything, but yes, especially when it came to public speaking, I was usually better than average.

Erin: Then she said, “Why don’t you trust your creative process?”

Erin: That question has stayed with me for more than eight years.

Advice Is Not an Absolute

Erin: People love to give advice in absolutes. Never start a conversation this way. Always prepare for an interview that way. Follow this formula to find your career path. Use these exact steps to become successful.

Erin: My rule is this: be very cautious about advice that begins with “always” or “never.”

Erin: There is more information available than ever, and many people make money by selling certainty. They tell you they have the formula. But even excellent advice may not work exactly as prescribed for you.

Erin: If you talked to 100 successful speakers, probably 99 of them would tell you that you have to do the reps, practice constantly, and rehearse until the material is locked in.

Erin: That may work beautifully for those 99 people. It does not work that way for me.

Erin: My mistake was not the rehearsal itself. My mistake was failing to apply my own 50% Rule. I accepted the advice as a total system instead of asking which parts would help me and which parts would erase something important.

Improve Without Erasing What Makes You Good

Erin: The answer is not to reject coaching, training, or preparation. I have learned so much from all of it.

Erin: I am a stronger speaker now. I understand my voice better. I am more aware of my physical presence. I have new ways to customize talks and prepare meaningful openings. I am continuing to evolve.

Erin: But I am no longer willing to give up the creative process that works for me.

Erin: Now I prepare in my own way. I spend hours thinking, organizing stories, and deciding what each section needs to accomplish. I rehearse important pieces, but I do not force myself to say every sentence exactly the same way every time.

Erin: I focus on the intent. I focus on the passion. I focus on the point I want to make and the people I want to reach.

Erin: When I returned to that process for events in June and July, I could feel the difference. I felt like myself again.

Trust the Evidence From Your Own Life

Erin: I want the same for you.

Erin: People will tell you how to run a meeting, answer interview questions, build a career, lead a team, create content, or prepare for a major opportunity. Learn from them. Borrow what makes you better. Stay open to coaching and improvement.

Erin: But also trust the data from your own life.

Erin: What has worked for you in the past may still work in the future. Your process may need to evolve, but evolution does not require you to throw away the qualities that made you effective in the first place.

Erin: Use the 50% Rule. Keep some of what works. Add new tools. Throw the pieces that do not fit into the trash.

Erin: Constantly look for ways to improve without abandoning what makes you, you.

Erin: Trust your creative process.