From Nerves to Influence
Chris Cummins, Co-Founder of Baseline Mentoring & OTD
Reflections on presence, impact, and world-class presenting with Chris Cummins
“If your audience isn’t leaning forward at the beginning, you’ve lost them”
“Your audience is a reflection of you. You dictate the state of the room”
“The hardest part isn’t what you say… it’s how you make them feel in the first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds”
These were some of the powerful insights shared during our recent Black Sherpa 29k Club masterclass, Being a World-Class Presenter with Chris Cummins, “The Presentation Powerhouse.” Chris is the Co-Founder of Baseline Mentoring & OTD, an NLP Licensed Master Trainer, author, MBTI® Practitioner, and a world-class facilitator with 17+ years of senior leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
This blog isn’t a recap of slides or a ‘what you’ll gain’ sales pitch… it’s a reflection on the experience, the lessons that resonated, and why they matter for anyone trying to build confidence, presence, and influence in their career.
Why presentation skills matter beyond the stage
Chris opened the session with a short, funny video of two people stuck on an escalator, waiting for rescue instead of simply walking off. The absurdity had everyone laughing… and paying attention. But it wasn’t just a joke. The clip carried a clear metaphor: too often we look for tools or fixes when the simplest answer is to use our own resourcefulness. In presenting, that means remembering you are the message… not the slides, not the tech. Natasha admitted she kept watching just to see how it would end, while Carl joked about the silliness of being “trapped” when the solution was so obvious. That blend of humour and reflection set the tone and showed how a small disruption can capture attention and shift the energy in the room.
Whether it’s a team meeting, a client pitch, or a conference stage, the ability to present with clarity and confidence is one of the biggest career accelerators. Yet for many professionals, nerves, imposter syndrome, and the pressure of high-visibility moments get in the way of delivering their best.
Chris reminded us that presenting is not just for the spotlight. It’s about everyday influence: pitching an idea, introducing yourself at a networking event, or asking a question in a crowded room. For many professionals, and especially those from under represented backgrounds… nerves and lack of confidence can become invisible barriers to being seen, heard, and valued.
As Chris put it: “Presenting with impact is one of the toughest challenges professionals face… and I can help them turn that hurdle into a launchpad.”
Human, relatable moments
The magic of this session wasn’t just in the frameworks but in the human touches. From Graham helping Chris navigate Zoom settings to Amanda miming through the memory exercise, there was laughter and spontaneity throughout. Natasha’s thoughtful comments helped ground the abstract in the practical, while Carl’s willingness to step into the Circles of Excellence gave everyone a front-row seat to a live shift in confidence and presence. Each contribution added to the energy and made the lessons land more deeply.
Chris also shared a deeply personal story… delivering his father’s eulogy, to show that presenting isn’t always about high energy. Sometimes it’s about stillness, emotion, and authenticity. That honesty landed hard: presenting is about connection, not performance.
The A–F Formula for presenting
Chris introduced the A–F Formula, a structure that works whether you’re delivering a keynote or simply speaking up in a meeting:
A – Agitate: Wake up your audience. Surprise, excite, or challenge them.
B – Benefits: Show why it matters… what’s in it for them?
C – Connect: Build rapport through stories, humour, and shared experiences.
D – Deliver: Share your message with clarity. Decide what you want people to think, feel, and do.
E – Exit: Don’t fizzle out. End with intention… leave an emotional or memorable punch.
F – Follow-up: Keep the connection alive… through reminders, resources, feedback, or next steps.
This framework was memorable not because of its neatness, but because Chris made us feel it in action. He showed how “agitate” could be playful, how “connect” comes from universal stories, and how “exit” can shift the entire emotional tone of a room.
The Circles of Excellence: A lesson in state
Perhaps the most powerful exercise was the Circles of Excellence… a visualisation technique Chris guided us through live. He asked one participant, Carl, to stand up, close his eyes, and imagine a circle in front of him in his favourite colour. Inside that circle was a hologram of himself delivering the most confident, world-class presentation possible. The task? Step into that version of yourself, notice the energy, the colours, the sounds, and the feelings… and then own it.
Chris repeated the process three times, each time asking Carl to imagine an even more brilliant version of himself before stepping into it again. As the group watched, we saw the visible shift in Carl’s posture, confidence, and energy. What began as a thought experiment quickly became a powerful state-change in real time.
The lesson was clear: confidence isn’t something you wait for… it’s something you choose to step into. As Chris explained, athletes use this before penalties, actors before going on stage, and now we had the chance to use it before walking into our next meeting or presentation.
It struck me how often we let nerves steal the moment. Chris reframed this: nerves are energy, and energy can be directed into impact. Watching Carl transform reminded us that presenting well starts with choosing the state you bring into the room.
Reflections & insights that stuck
One other memorable tip Chris shared was about energy. He explained that he trains his coaches to be around 25% more animated and energetic than they would naturally be at dinner with a close friend. That small shift in state ensures that when you present, you don’t just show up as yourself… you show up as a version of yourself that makes an impact. Not over the top, not fake, just enough extra energy to cut through the nerves and reach people where they are.
Energy is contagious: Your audience mirrors you.
Connection beats perfection: Stories, humour, and vulnerability matter more than flawless delivery.
First and last moments matter most: Plan them with care.
State is everything: You can choose to step into your best self before you present.
Everyday moments are stages: Presenting isn’t just keynotes… it’s team meetings, 1:1s, and questions asked with courage.
Why this matters
Poor presentation isn’t just boring… it’s costly. Ideas go unheard. Talent goes unseen. Careers stall. But when people learn to show up with clarity, confidence, and presence, the opposite happens:
Hidden leaders emerge.
Trust deepens across teams.
Careers accelerate because visibility grows alongside competence.
It reminded me that ignoring presentation skills means losing voices we need. Investing in them means unlocking brilliance we might otherwise miss.
The Black Sherpa 29k Club difference
The 29k Club exists to equip under represented professionals with the unwritten curriculum of career success: clarity, confidence, and community. This masterclass wasn’t just about techniques… it was about reclaiming your voice, owning your story, and knowing how to use both to climb further.
As Yam reminded us: “Presenting isn’t just the big stage… it’s the small room where your courage to speak up changes your career.”
A leadership challenge
As I reflect on Chris’s masterclass, three questions continue to echo:
How do I show up in rooms… do I raise energy or drain it?
Am I giving others the chance to practise, stumble, and grow as presenters?
What’s one upcoming moment I can treat as a stage to agitate, connect, and deliver?
Because presenting isn’t just about the spotlight… it’s about every moment where influence is at stake.
Chris left us with three essentials to anchor any presentation:
Know your message: Be clear on what you want people to think, feel, and do.
Manage your state: Step into the energy and confidence you want to project.
Make it land: End with intention so your audience remembers and acts.
And he closed with a gesture of gratitude… the three thank-yous. First, thanking us for our time. Second, thanking us for the energy we brought into the session. And third, thanking us in advance for carrying the lessons forward.
So let me do the same:
Thank you for your time in reading this reflection.
Thank you for the energy and curiosity you bring to these ideas.
And thank you in advance for applying them in your own moments of influence.
Climb steady.
I’m Yam – Founder of The Black Sherpa
Founder | Strategist | Speaker | Host of The Black Sherpa Podcast
I founded The Black Sherpa to create a world where talent rises on merit and no one’s potential is held back by bias or barriers.
Through bold strategy, storytelling, and our flagship community, The 29k Club - I help professionals grow with confidence and support leaders to build cultures that truly live their values.
Let’s connect and build a future where inclusion powers performance, and leadership reflects the world we serve.