Speaking about words….

A few years ago I ditched the traditional New Year’s resolution for a list of business goals. Then, I wrote them down and taped them to my office wall.

One of my goals for 2018 was to branch out into speaking. And, as we reach the mid-point of the year it’s kind of cool to realize that I’ve already had two opportunities to put my speaking skills to the test.

Even more amazing? I got to talk about two completely different writing-related topics!

In January I was invited to join international speaker and branding expert Joie Gharrity and local image consultant Susan Jacobs as a spotlight speaker at an event called Set Your Intention, Embrace Your WOW Factor, and Grow Your Success.

That’s me – centre – with Joie Gharrity (bottom left) and Susan Jacobs (bottom right).

The duo seemed to think I had something valuable to offer and they weren’t phased by the fact that I’d never actually gotten up in front of an audience before. So, I decided to say ‘yes’ to the opportunity.

After giving some thought about the learning Joie and Susan would be sharing with the audience, I put together a 30-minute presentation called Style Your Copy.

My intention? To help participants overcome their fear of a blank page, identify and embrace their unique voice, and learn how to tell a compelling story across multiple mediums.

It turns out that I actually had quite a bit of advice to share. Several women in the room told me they were going home to re-write their websites. Wow!

Last week, women’s empowerment coach Tasha Hughes and I finally tested the waters with our first Women’s Playminar.

Tasha opened the morning event with yoga, meditation, and journaling.

Then I spoke about the power of the personal narrative. I shared my own story and invited the small group of women to put their pens to paper to see if a more structured writing exercise would trigger any revelations. And it did!

The morning wrapped up with artist Annette Dutton leading us through a guided paint tour where we created a story canvas to take home.

Annette, Tasha, Ann, and me – with our story canvases.

So, what have I learned from these first steps into speaking?

• After 14 years in the writing business, I actually know quite a lot about the power of words. And it’s knowledge that I am happy to share.
• I can figure out Power Point.
• I can get up in front of a room full of people and speak coherently. (I may even be able to make people laugh.)
• I enjoy helping people overcome their fear of writing and it’s something I want to do more of.

And finally:

• Writing down your goals and keeping them in sight actually works!

If you’d like to learn more about my speaking services, check out my website!