Nerves can be so sneaky, can't they? They hijack your excitement and turn your brain into a scramble. It's no wonder why you would avoid speaking opportunities - even great ones - to avoid feeling nervous. Why would you go out of your way to suffer, am I right?!

Nervous energy is a messenger, not a verdict. Sometimes the message is ‘go toward this.’ You're scared because it matters to you. And sometimes the message is 'get out — this isn't serving you.' You're anxious because the situation is toxic. Learning to tell the difference? That's everything.

Public speaking isn't just appearing on stage in front of hundreds of people. In my years as a public speaking coach, I've helped my clients prepare for every type of scenario you can think of -and some that you may not event consider. To prevent you from being caught of guard in one of these situations, here are five public speaking scenarios that might surprise you.