Laura Bezić Puljiz
Episode · #779
MEDIJATOR Laura Bezić Burica
Guest Laura Bezić PuljizHosted by Srđan ŠimacMay 3, 2026
Laura Bezić Puljiz
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Laura Bezić Puljiz challenges the common notion that public speaking is an isolated skill, reserved for stages and formal presentations. Instead, she argues, any interaction with an audience — a team meeting, a Zoom call, even a family discussion — is a form of public speaking. Her own path to becoming an educator in communication skills wasn't born from personal struggle, but from a friend's casual observation that her presentations "really go well." This perspective grounds her approach in demystifying communication, making it accessible by reframing its context and purpose. Readers will reconsider what 'public speaking' truly means and how they can approach every interaction with more intention and confidence.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
"Your presentations really go well," a friend told Laura Bezić Puljiz during college. Her path to becoming an educator in communication wasn't born from personal struggle, but from this external recognition of an innate skill. The most impactful work often begins when others see a capacity in you that you haven't yet fully named.
02
"You should actually want to make mistakes," Laura Bezić Puljiz advises. She recounts a university professor who would intentionally embed small errors into his lectures, not just to check if students were listening, but to make them feel more comfortable. Embracing minor imperfections in public speaking humanizes the speaker and builds rapport, rather than diminishing authority.
03
Everyone experiences nerves before speaking, even experienced presenters. The critical difference, Laura Bezić Puljiz explains, lies in how you perceive that feeling — as debilitating fear or as a heightened state of excitement that sharpens your performance. The goal isn't to eliminate nerves, but to reframe them as productive energy.
04
The deep-seated anxiety around public speaking isn't about the words themselves, but stems from an evolutionary fear of social rejection, Laura Bezić Puljiz explains. Our ancestors needed to be accepted by their tribe to survive; exclusion meant death. Understanding this primal root helps manage the anxiety, recognizing it as a survival instinct rather than a personal failing.
05
"When you watch someone perfect, you think, 'How do they do this? I can't do that,'" Laura Bezić Puljiz observes. Striving for a perfectly polished, robotic delivery in public speaking often creates an emotional distance from the audience. Imperfection, by contrast, makes a speaker relatable, inviting empathy and connection rather than intimidation.
06
While "authenticity" is an overused term, Laura Bezić Puljiz redefines its core meaning in public speaking: "Are you okay with what you have to say?" If you don't genuinely agree with or feel comfortable with your message, you cannot deliver it convincingly. True authenticity is about internal alignment with your content, not just a performance style.
07
For a client speaking to a tired conference audience, Laura Bezić Puljiz suggested starting the presentation "from the audience" rather than on stage. Engaging a fatigued crowd often requires breaking conventional norms. The most effective strategies disrupt expectations to capture attention, rather than simply delivering content.