Interviews

Overcoming My Fear of Stuttering with LeRon L. Barton

Published

July 4, 2019

LeRon L. Barton talks about how he overcame his fear of stuttering on Hustle & Motivate, a podcast presented by JokerMag.com, the home of the underdog

Credit-LeRon L. Barton/Joker Mag Illustration

LeRon L. Barton grew up with a stutter. His classmates teased him so much that he was afraid to speak, often staying silent in social situations. When he got to college, new hurdles came in the form of job interviews, dating, and more.

Over time, LeRon decided he wasn’t going to let his speech impediment stop him from living his life.

Since then, he’s turned his struggle into an energy that’s allowed him to appear on over 50 podcasts, give talks at universities across the nation, become a guest on Al Jazeera, and speak at TEDxWilsonPark.

LeRon faces his fears every day. And it’s my hope that through our conversation you’ll be inspired to do the same.

Listen by tapping the play button below. Or tap the icon of your favorite podcast platform to listen on-the-go!

Show Notes

[2:20] Early years, communication, and confidence

[6:55] Kobe Bryant and why you need to fail

[10:30] Dating and why people don’t care as much as you think they do

[15:25] Advice for facing your fears

Check out these related episodes:

The Secret to Performing Under Pressure with Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry

Inverted Leadership & The Art of Confident Humility with Joel Hawbaker

Hosting a Podcast Celebrating Underdogs & Role Players with Tim Flattery

In this article:

Written By Tyler O'Shea

Division III baseball alum (McDaniel College), founder of Joker Mag, and author of The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (And Yourself). Since launching in November 2017, my stories have been featured on platforms such as FOX Sports, SB Nation, and The Sporting News, reaching over 1.5 million readers worldwide. The seed was planted way back in 7th grade when I got cut from the baseball team. Instead of giving up, I found hope and inspiration in stories of undersized athletes who defied expectations. I ultimately played baseball through college, earning Honorable Mention on the All-Centennial Conference team in my senior season. Today, my mission is simple: To share stories that give people the same feeling I felt when I was that undersized ballplayer searching for hope, inspiration, and evidence that my dream was possible. Like my mom always told me, you can do anything you set your mind to. Sometimes we just need a little extra push. And that’s why I’m so passionate about sharing these stories with the world.