#82 From Control to Confidence: Personal Growth Through Self-Expression with Dr. Dennis Szymanski

TranscendingX with Uri Schneider

What if the breakthrough isn’t about fixing your speech but letting go of the pressure to hide it?

As a kid, Dennis did everything he could to try and keep everything under control, especially his stutter. Now a PhD engineer and public speaker, he opens up about the real work behind his personal and professional growth: learning to meet himself where he is and speak from a place of presence.

In this warm, story-rich episode, Dennis and I explore what personal growth through self-expression really looks like. We talk about overcoming perfectionism in communication, the emotional cost of always trying to “sound right,” and how learning to communicate more authentically changed Dennis’s confidence, career, and relationships.

Whether you're a high-achieving professional who struggles with speaking with confidence, or someone navigating the internal tension between how things look on the outside and how they feel on the inside, I invite you to listen to Dennis’ story and remember that communication growth starts with self-compassion.

In this conversation on personal growth through self-expression, Dennis shares the personal and professional growth that came from embracing his stutter rather than hiding it. Here's what you'll discover:

• How perfectionism shaped his early communication and why he’s let it go

• Why speaking with presence matters more than speaking “right”

• The connection between mental state, mindfulness, and confident communication

• How spontaneity became more powerful than fluency

• A real-life “Billy Madison moment” that unexpectedly shifted his relationship with stuttering What it means to meet yourself where you are and how that changes everything

• And much more

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction to TranscendingX

00:39 – Meet Dr. Dennis: the people-person PhD who stutters

01:34 – The personal growth journey of Dennis Szymanski

02:07 – Diving into semiconductors: life as a high-performing engineer

05:13 – Life and career of a semiconductor engineer

07:08 – Overcoming stuttering: childhood stories and mindset shifts

12:28 – How mindfulness and yoga support confident communication

21:37 – Spontaneity vs. fluency: a new paradigm for speaking with confidence

35:48 – The pressure of unscheduled conversations

36:23 – How mental state impacts stuttering and speaking performance

37:11 – Using yoga and mindfulness to improve self-expression

39:32 – Embracing imperfections

40:01 – Meeting yourself where you are

40:48 – Mental resilience and its role in effective communication

41:29 – Saying no without guilt & setting boundaries

41:53 – Navigating social interactions

42:15 – A speech science hack for smoother, more natural speaking

42:31 – Language constraints, adaptability, and confidence in speaking

50:41 – The power of mantras in reframing your communication mindset

55:53 – High school memories and stuttering: a Billy Madison moment

01:03:24 – Advice to a younger self: letting go of perfectionism

01:04:55 – Final reflections

ABOUT OUR GUEST Meet Dennis Szymanski, a Long Island native who has lived up and down the East Coast while developing his relationship with stuttering. Now settled in a quiet North Carolina beach town with his partner Sam, their dog Rocky, and turtle Lennie, Dennis fully embraces coastal living. With a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from NCSU, he works as a Product Engineer for a British semiconductor firm.

When not in the lab, Dennis hits the disc golf course, practices yoga, plays trumpet, explores entrepreneurship, and enjoys all things water-related. The beach remains his sanctuary - a place to truly "Be As You Are" (yes, that's a Kenny Chesney reference - he's a country music fan).

Dennis began speech therapy in public school, later transitioning to private practice, but that was just the beginning. His journey through stuttering has involved numerous highs and lows that shaped his entire being. Various therapeutic approaches beyond speech therapy have helped him develop a more mindful relationship with his stutter.

As an active Toastmaster serving as Treasurer for his Jacksonville, NC club, Dennis continuously pushes beyond his comfort zone while building his speaking toolbox and competing in speech competitions. His philosophy? Growth happens outside your comfort zone - and for those who stutter, joining a public speaking club definitely qualifies. But as Dennis would say: You can do it. You will do it.

ABOUT YOUR HOST Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP is co-founder and leader at Schneider Speech; creator and host of Transcending Stuttering; and faculty at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

SEE FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.transcendingx.com/podcast-episode/dennis-szymanski

LEARN MORE Visit http://www.transcendingx.com or http://www.schneiderspeech.com