Madeline Springle

Stop Blanking: How to Think Clearly Under Interview Pressure

Jeffrey To

PhD Candidate in Social Psychology & Storytelling Coach

PhD Candidate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology & Job Interview Coach

Learn why blanking in interviews happens and why most people are terrified of it

Understand the psychology of blanking

Understand how to warm up your voice and your mind in this 10-minute pre-interview routine

Warm up your voice and your interview mind

Build a mindset using improv tools that nurtures that unscripted interview confidence

Develop strategies for handling interview mind-blanks

Proven media training frameworks to prepare, perform and be remembered, so you can speak with confidence, clarity and impact.
 

Communication Coach for Leaders

Rebecca Jabbar

Media Trainer to senior executives of globally-recognised brands. 

Summer 2026

Learn proven frameworks that help leaders, founders and professionals communicate with clarity and impact, whether speaking on camera, on stage or in the room.You don’t need to change who you are to communicate with confidence. In this three-week live course, you’ll learn how to prepare effectively, handle tough questions with composure, and deliver a message that is clear, natural and genuinely you.Many capable professionals struggle when the pressure is on. Interviews, presentations and high-stake moments can trigger nerves, rushed thinking or second guessing, even when you know your material well. This course gives you the structure and calm to respond with clarity when it matters most.Week 1: Media Training 101Learn the principles top executives use to manage Q&amp;As, stay composed and keep their messages on track.Week 2: Handling Tricky QuestionsLearn simple frameworks for responding clearly and confidently when caught off guard.Week 3: Creating Your Brand Champion MessageCreate a concise message that represents who you are and what you stand for.By the end of the three weeks, you’ll have a repeatable approach you can use for any presentation, interview or high-pressure moment.

Prepare. Perform. Be remembered.

Speak clearly and confidently when the pressure is on

Respond to questions with composure, even when caught off guard

Prepare for high-stake moments without increasing nerves

Communicate your message clearly while sounding like yourself

Recover quickly if you lose your thread or feel put on the spot

Use a repeatable approach you can rely on in any setting

Leaders and founders who represent their brand and need to speak with clarity and authority in public or media settings

Professionals preparing for visibility, from presentations and panels to podcasts and interviews

Communicators and marketers who want to strengthen their message and influence across audiences

Presence breaks under pressure. This workshop breaks you and builds you back up.

CPTO Madison Reed | Braintrust, Nextdoor

Madison Reed

Braintrust 🧠

Nextdoor

OpenTable

BlackRock

Elena Luneva

Survived the trading floor, the boardroom, and the hostile questions. 

Chief Product Officer, Executive Coach

Rosalee Gordon

Chief Product Officer, Improv Artist, Founder-Mode Impersonator

 Live reps on hostile questions, hard rooms, and high-stakes communication.

Mettle

Joust

Someone is going to challenge you in public. Lob a hostile question at you that you do not know the answer to. A room will turn on you and look to you to see how you respond. This is what we will do in this workshop. In that moment, every smart thing you know will disappear, as will your identity. Imposter syndrome and anxiety will let themselves in. You will forget your talking points, second-guess yourself, and scramble to recover while the room watches. The executive who walked in, prepared, suddenly looks small. Caught flat-footed. Reactive. This is not a character flaw. It is what happens when no one has ever trained you for pressure.In this workshop, I am going to put you into that situation on purpose. You will get uncomfortable. You will get pushed. You will practice getting ambushed, learn to reground and take back the room. You will learn to lead.Three hours of live hostile simulations, real frameworks, and reps that build the muscle memory and confidence you need to thrive regardless of the situation.The leaders who get promoted and earn the externally facing roles are the ones who show up even when they don't know the outcome.

You will learn to name what is happening, take a pause, get curious and re-direct the conversation when things are not going according to pl

Confidence

This will be a tough situation; if you are not ready to be challenged on the spot, this workshop is not for you.

Ready to get uncomfortable

Product and technology leaders strong in the room when things go according to plan but feel like an imposter when they do not.

The executive going external Leaders who are speaking at industry events, or represent their company in high-visibility settings.

Senior individual contributors stepping into executive roles. They have the substance. They are still building the composure to match it.

Strengthen inner confidence, inspire others, and sharpen leadership skills through hands-on exercises and real-world tools

Leadership Coach 

Ha Tran

Founder, Ex-Google, Chief of Staff, U.S Department of State Professional fellow

Cohort 1

Cohort 3

In high-stakes moments, three things show up at once: 1. what you know is true2. what it might cost3. what you think you should do Most people try to resolve this by thinking harder or speaking better.It does not work. Because the problem is not clarity. The problem is authority. When no one is clearly leading, you: - hesitate even when you know the answer- over-explain to justify your position- say something, then walk it back- leave conversations feeling misaligned This is not a confidence issue. It is a governance issue. What changes after this workshop- You speak without over-explaining or softening your position- You make decisions faster without needing full certainty- You stop negotiating against yourself in real time- You handle pushback without collapsing or escalating- You stay aligned with your decision after the conversation ends This workshop is for you if: - You know what you want to say, but change it in the moment- You make decisions, then second-guess them after- You feel tension between what is true and what is acceptable- You are seen as capable, but do not feel fully in control under pressureMaximum 20 people/workshop to keep it intimate and practical.

You are not confused. You are running multiple leaders.

Make decisions under pressure without internal conflict

Senior leaders and managers looking to lead with conviction and assurance.

High-performing professionals who want to build stronger, more confident leadership skills.

Emerging leaders who seek to develop self-assurance, overcome self-doubt, and project confidence in high-stakes situations.

Master the mental skills to stay clear, resilient, and consistent; no matter the pressure or setbacks you face.

Product Job Search and Psychology Coach

Shobhit Chugh

I help Product Managers position themselves to become Product leaders

Cohort 2

After coaching 1,000+ PMs, the pattern is clear: the people who succeed aren't smarter. They have mastered the internal game. This course trains the 90% of your performance that no one else teaches — your mental game.You'll walk away with- 3 core daily practices you actually stick to- The ability to shift your state in under 60 seconds- Faster recovery from rejection, bad feedback, and setbacks- Increased Executive Presence: Calm under pressure that people can feel when you walk into a room- A personal Unshakeable OS you can run for life

Product Manager Performance Psychology

3 core daily practices you actually stick to

The ability to shift your state in under 60 seconds

Faster recovery from rejection, bad feedback, and setbacks

Calm under pressure that people can feel when you walk into a room

A personal Unshakeable OS you can run for life

You should have some experience working in Product Management or a related role, so you can apply the concepts directly to real situations.

Product Management Experience

Be willing to spend 15–20 minutes each day on simple exercises designed to build consistency and reinforce the mental performance system.

Commitment to Daily Practice

Come with an open mind and a willingness to explore new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding to challenges.

Openness to Mindset Work

PMs and Leaders who know their skills are strong, who are in a job search, doing the right things but their state holds them back

Product Leaders who want to show up with more calm, presence, and clarity even while recovering from layoffs, reorgs, or toxic environments

Action-takers willing to practice 15–20 minutes daily for 8 weeks

Agentic AI

Coding with AI

AI Workflows

Claude Code

OpenClaw

Vibe Coding

AI Evals

AI Transformation

RAG & Search

AI for PMs

AI for Engineers

AI for Designers

AI for Marketers

AI for Founders

Product Sense

Product Discovery

User Research

Prototyping

Growth

Analytics

Tech Foundations

Strategy

Influence

Leadership

Career Growth

Machine Learning

LLM Ops

Context Eng

Security

System Design

Figma

Design Systems

Visual Design

Design Strategy

Automation

Content Marketing

Demand Gen

Go-to-Market

Product Marketing

Positioning

Social Media

Brand

B2B Marketing

SEO & AEO

AI for Leaders

AI Governance

Communication

Management

People Operations

Exec Presence

Storytelling

Goal-setting

Personal Brand

Fundraising

Everyone

Operators

Data Scientists

Business Analysts

User Researchers

Customer Success

Project Managers

HR Professionals

Sales People

Lawyers

Finance

Investors

Real Estate

Educators

Creators

Introduction: How to Stop Blanking in Interviews

The Common Experience of Blanking Under Pressure

The Psychology of Blanking: The Spotlight Analogy

Why High-Achievers are More Prone to Blanking

The Flawed Interview Preparation Strategy

Effective Preparation: Story Mapping and Warm-ups

Vocal Warm-Up: Articulation Exercises

Mental Warm-Up: The 'Yes, And' Technique for Cognitive Flexibility

In-the-Moment Recovery: Diagnosing Your Mind Blank

Scenario 1: Overcoming Anxiety-Induced Blanking

Scenario 2: Structuring Rambling Answers with Alternative Frameworks

Scenario 3: Responding When You Genuinely Don't Know the Answer

Recap of In-Interview Recovery Strategies

Conclusion and Additional Resources

Executives and senior leaders who set strategy, lead teams, and drive organizational outcomes.

Broad professional audience — content relevant across many roles and functions.

Getting promoted, navigating job transitions, and advancing to the next level in your career.

Developing leadership skills — inspiring teams, building culture, navigating organizational complexity, and driving results through others.

Stop Blanking: How to Think Clearly Under Interview Pressure

What you'll learn

Why this topic matters

You'll learn from

Jeffrey To

Madeline Springle