That interview you bombed was rehearsal for the one you’ll crush. Nobody nails the premiere without a dress run.

First attempts at a new kind of performance are practice whether you meant them to be or not. You cannot know how a room feels, what the questions sound like, or how your voice behaves under those conditions until you have been in one. That knowledge only comes from a real attempt, and a first real attempt usually goes badly. The whole cost is one uncomfortable afternoon.

Write down the exact questions that caught you out while you still remember them. Prepare answers out loud before the next one. Almost nobody performs well the first time, and the second time is a different event.