#290: Mental Workouts make for a Better Mindset & Stronger Speaking — Sarah Centrella

The Toastmasters Podcast with Greg Gazin

The Toastmasters Podcast is like a radio talk show featuring interviews with Toastmasters usually featured in the Toastmaster magazine. The purpose of the podcast is to amplify the magazine - to dig deeper or to put a voice to a face or written wordBut unlike a radio show, a podcast is on the Internet, and available, for free, to anyone in the world with an Internet connection, and a connected device capable of playing audio. 260+ episodes are at ToastmastersPodcast.comThe Toastmasters Podcast is co-produced by Toastmasters International and Archieboy Holdings, LLC, for our global audience of Toastmasters and those interested in public speaking and leadership.

[32:40] Many of us learn early on how to train our bodies, and later, how to prepare a speech through practice and repetition. But when it comes to training the mind—especially under the pressure of a live audience—most speakers are left to figure it out on their own. In this episode, Sarah Centrella joins Greg to discuss mental fitness and how speakers can prepare mentally with the same intention they bring to their speeches.

Sarah explains the difference between mental wellness and mental fitness, emphasizing that mindset is not something speakers either “have” or “don’t have.” Instead, it’s a skill that can be trained deliberately—much like vocal variety, timing, or body language. Mental fitness begins with awareness, Sarah notes, and having a practical way to redirect thoughts when they start working against you.

Drawing from her experience coaching athletes, executives, and Toastmasters, Sarah connects mental training directly to speech preparation. Even when speakers are well rehearsed, untrained thinking can work against confidence, focus, and presence at critical moments. Her approach helps speakers align their mental preparation with the work they’ve already done in practice.

Listeners will hear…

• Why mental fitness is a trainable skill, not a personality trait

• How to manage negative self-talk before and during a speech

• A practical way to redirect thoughts when nerves surface

• Why preparation alone doesn’t guarantee confident delivery

• How visualization supports stronger presence on stage

• What to do when the mind goes blank mid-speech

• How consistent mindset training accelerates speaking growth

One of the standout concepts in the episode is Sarah’s “mental tennis” analogy. Instead of absorbing negative thoughts, speakers learn to return them—replacing unhelpful internal dialogue with thoughts that support the outcome they want.

The episode reinforces a familiar Toastmasters principle: progress comes from intentional practice. Just as speeches improve through rehearsal and feedback, mental fitness develops when speakers actively train their thinking to support their goals—before, during, and after they speak.

You can read Sarah’s article “Mental Workout for Speakers: To Achieve Your Goals, Strengthen Your Mindset with a Fitness Routine” in the January 2026 issue of Toastmasters Magazine. --> ADD LINK

About Sarah Centrella

Sarah Centrella is a life coach, executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of four books, including Think It!. She has coached Fortune 500 companies, C-suite leaders, professional athletes, and high-performing teams, and has worked with organizations such as Nike, Pinterest, Verizon, and Sony. Sarah was an educational presenter at the 2025 Toastmasters International Convention in Philadelphia and hosts The Sarah Centrella Show podcast. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, ABC News, Cosmopolitan, Prevention, Inc., and The New York Times.

Sarah lives in Portland, Oregon, and can be reached at: https://www.sarahcentrella.com, where you can also download a free copy of her Mental Fitness companion workbook. Just use the code READER at checkout.