Hi YATMers! I'm Sarina Mann, founder of Breakthrough Public Speaking and the Speakers’ Community.
I’m a keynote speaker, public speaking coach, and communication skills trainer working with people and organisations to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact.
I love to empower people to find their authentic voice and connect with any audience. I love busting myths like “fake it until you make it” and instead champion genuine confidence.
My story from stage fright to award-winning speaker is proof that anyone can become an impactful speaker, it’s about learning the skills rather than natural talent.
A lifestyle and wellbeing-related recommendation that I'd love to share is the Living Meditation series. It’s not new, I’ve used them for years and found them so helpful.
Here’s a photo at a business network social. So many of the people I’ve met in business have become good friends. For me, friends and community matter a lot, as does a great photo bomb.
Let's make sure we connect today.
Here I am on LinkedIn
Where I work here
We’ve been sold the idea that if you post more, people will care more.
That connection is just a few more stories, a few more shares, a few more likes away.
We can end up living our lives in feeds, believing that the solution is to continuously post. What we need is to create space for bringing people together.
It’s easy to think that visibility means progress. If you consistently show up online, it may seem like you’re building something significant.
Just because someone is more visible online than you, it doesn’t mean what they share is more valuable.
When you live a life entirely in the feed, it means you leave little room for the moments that truly matter.
The False Promise Of Attention
There’s nothing wrong with sharing on feeds, we need people to discover us. I do it every week, but it doesn’t guarantee anyone is listening or leaning in.
The trap is thinking that visibility (not longevity) is momentum. That louder equals better. All too often, it just means we’re talking more and feeling less.
When every day is spent updating, publishing, promoting, and performing, there’s no energy left to gather, listen, and host.
I found out the hard way, a few years ago when I became burned out, by doing everything myself. It’s not sustainable.
We’ve started to confuse visibility with value. What is worse, we’ve convinced ourselves that being constantly online is the work. It isn’t. The real work happens when people feel welcome. When they show up not just to listen, but to participate.
Being There Beats Being Seen
The temptation is to believe that more equals more.
More posts = more reach = more success. This isn’t always true, especially if you want to build something meaningful.
You can’t automate trust.
You can’t scale warmth.
You can’t shortcut serendipity.
The shift happens when you create moments where people can step in and be seen, not scroll past.
That’s what in-person moments offer. It’s where the groundwork is done. This is where people don’t just tune in, they turn up.
Lunch Club and Creator Day were not built behind a screen. They came from people choosing to show up with me.
Over time you realise you can’t just invite everyone to the party, you have to open the door, greet them when they arrive, and make sure they don’t feel like strangers.
This is why we have set a capacity of 300 people for Creator Day ’26, it’s because people can talk and get to know others and I can say a ‘thank you’ to everyone who attends.
It’s easy to post something. It’s harder, but far more rewarding, to host something. It doesn’t come from more content. It comes from more care.
Shared Narratives Create Shared Momentum
What starts with you doesn’t stay with you.
When people feel part of something, they don’t just consume, they contribute. They tell others. They share stories that reinforce the collective identity. That’s when it stops being “your” project and becomes “our” thing.
That’s how progress happens.
The narrative moves between people. It’s not just one person pushing, it’s many people participating.
I’ve seen this happen time and time again. Someone attends a Lunch Club, tells a friend, that friend joins, and then they are at the front either on a panel or one of the event segments. Not because they were told to but because they wanted to.
Ownership doesn’t have to be formal, it just has to feel like the everyday.
In the early days of YATM, it was about me, writing, sharing, recording, organising. Over time, it’s shifted because I invited people to take part. To host, to share, to contribute. What happened was that it wasn’t my thing, it became our thing.
When people start saying “we” instead of “you,” you know something deeper is happening.
This is the shift from an audience to a community. From content to connection. From reach to relationships.
What I’ve Learned From Doing the Work
Here’s what has made the biggest difference over the years, not just for me, but for everyone who’s come along for the ride:
1. Make the invite personal.
This isn’t about thinking the world needs an invitation. It’s asking people to be part of something with intention and is relevant to them.
2. Build rituals.
At Lunch Club, it always starts with lunch. At Creator Day, we open with a film on the cinema screen. These small, consistent elements create rhythm and people know how it all fits in.
3. Prioritise small, repeatable moments.
A big event once a year can feel special as it brings people together, but it’s the ongoing, everyday participation that creates belonging. We have this in YATM Club, or the Friday sea dips for the people who live near to Poole.
4. Let other people lead.
This isn’t about holding the spotlight. It’s about warming up place for others. When someone steps into a hosting role, runs a panel, or suggests a new idea, they are not an attendee anymore, they are part of the show.
5. Don’t be afraid to start small.
That first newsletter in 2013 didn’t look like much and I didn’t have grand expectations. It was consistent and as time progressed, it had a point of view. Showing up, week after week helped to build trust.
You move from being a broadcaster to a host. You stop performing for an audience and start building with them.
Let’s Round-Up
Broadcasting isn’t wrong. It just can’t be everything.
If all you ever do is post, promote and push, you’re not building something people can join, you’re just asking them to watch. It’s easier to post than it is to host.
The real work happens when people gather.
One day, when the feed quiets down, what’s left?
The people who stood with you.
The ones who felt like they belonged.
What matters most isn’t how many people see what you post, it’s how many want to step in, stay, and say: “I’m part of this.”
Share this with someone else 💌
youarethemedia.co.uk/why-broadcasting-isnt-enough/
Time Wasting
Put zen in your day and make ripple effects on the water.
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This Week Around The Web
GROWTH, CREATION & YOUR INDEPENDENCE
How often should you publish? - from Seth Godin
The creator’s edge in the age of AI - from Kit
THE COMMUNITY YOU CAN BUILD
Why we need a new story of self and society - from Jon Alexander
For the people who think community should always be free - from Bri Leever
GROWING YOUR NEWSLETTER
One newsletter mistake I wish I could take back - from InBox Collective
The non-scammy way to grow your newsletter - from Button Down
YATM Lunch Club Returns In London & Poole This September
The new Lunch Club term is up and running to book as we start again in September.
If London is easier for you, that date is Thursday 4th September. Our opening theme is curiosity.
Then the show comes to Poole on Thursday 11th September. The theme is being genuine (or the LinkedIn word authenticity).
If it feels a good time to join in, we're going to look after you.
Or/and...
Events From Our Team London Friends
Today (Thursday) from 11am to 3pm is Jess Bruno's Ne’Twerking. It's time to dance, connect and have fun at BoxPark, Shoreditch. It's all here to read more.
Liz and Yolanda from The Antisocial Socialites have The Antisocial Saunter on Thursday 17th July, from 10.30am, through Regents Park. Read more and book here.
More Of Your People
The people you surround yourself with makes an impact on your work and everyone doing well from it.
You can’t push your message onto others, hoping for a positive reaction.
There comes a time when you have to acknowledge that your work was never meant to appeal to everyone but to focus on the right people and continually strive to make it the best it can be, for the people who care.
The stronger the space you build becomes, the more opportunities there will be for everyone.
Come And Join In
There's always activity for you in YATM.
🙌 It's Work Together in YATM Club today at 9.15am BST, join us here
✏️ How others can see the effort you put in, with Phill Agnew, YATM Club, join here
💥Spread your Creator Day '26 payment over three months, book here
Click here to watch the end of newsletter video. See you soon.
