From Panic Attacks to Public Speaking Pro: Max Hopkinson’s Journey and Framework

In our latest session, we welcomed the brilliant Max Hopkinson — co-founder of The Keynote Club and former Head of Marketing at Iceland Foods. Max shared his deeply personal and practical journey to becoming a confident public speaker, after once having a panic attack during a presentation on... breaded chicken.

Here’s what we covered:

• Max once believed public speaking “wasn’t for him.” After a panic attack at work, he quit his job.

• But he knew becoming a better speaker would unlock career opportunities, so he committed to learning.

• Fast forward: he’s now helping others do the same via The Keynote Club, aiming to support 1 million people.

Max shared a framework to help anyone find their ideal speaking topic:

• Right to Speak: Do you have lived experience? Are you in the top 3-5 people in your network on the topic?

• Belly Energy: Do you have passion or fire in your belly for it?

• Audience Fit: Can you empathise with your audience? Are they genuinely interested?

Attendees built a full draft of a talk using Max’s 6-box framework:

1. Start – Grab attention (no polite intros!)

2. Intro – Set expectations and show relevance

3. Three Chapters – A clear structure based on story or chronology

4. Full Circle – Come back to your start for emotional payoff

5. Call to Action – What should the audience do next?

6. Timings – Allocate time to each section (and always finish early!)

• Everyone has a story — Max encouraged participants to uncover theirs, even if they think they’re "boring."

• Speaking = Helping — Focus your talk on helping the audience first, not selling.

• Starts & Ends Matter Most — That’s where attention is won (or lost).

Max even drafted a template email for attendees to send, asking to speak to a real audience. Because, as he says:

“The talk you’ll regret most is the one you never give.”

If you want to dive deeper, Max’s “High Stakes Speaking” course with The Keynote Club kicks off soon – with sessions designed to help you build talks, master nerves, and grow in confidence.

Huge thanks to Max, and if you found the session valuable, do drop him a follow on LinkedIn (he’s just 70 shy of 10k... let’s fix that).

Stay tuned for our next webinar with Tracksuit’s Matthew Herbert on how to measure brand marketing.

🎤 Max’s Journey into Public Speaking🗺️ Discovering Your "Speaking Territory"🧱 A Simple Talk Structure (with Worksheets!)💡 Key Takeaways📬 Take Action