A few weeks ago I spoke at A Web Afternoon in Atlanta. The topic: how women will use the web to change the world. I waited until the last minute to submit my speaker’s application. I found myself pulling together my talk just two days before the event. I even walked into the auditorium and asked myself, “What am I doing here?” Nothing like a little pressure to make diamonds.
There were three diamonds I walked away with that weekend, each one of which has helped me to see my vision more clearly and propelled my business forward in ways I’m still grappling with…
Procrastinate and the truth will come out.
I don’t hold this as a universal rule, but in the case of my talk it couldn’t be truer. In a crowd of a few hundred, there were ten Gen Y women there. I know because I asked. I could have spent days trying to tailor, tweak, and refine the talk to make sure I was giving this audience – which was a bit outside my demographic – exactly what they expected. But I didn’t have time. Instead, I told my story. I talked about what I see for the future. And how women will use the web to help us get there. I spoke my truth and I was floored when a fellow speaker wrote, “You want to enlist in her army of awesome. Or hire her to bring out your own vision.”
Our stories open up possibility for others.
It took me 30 years to start my business because I didn’t know that I had something to say. Or, maybe more accurately, I wasn’t convinced I had something to say that others wanted to hear. I packed up my stories and experiences in the corners of my mind until I couldn’t physically, emotionally or spiritually take it anymore.
I tried to fit, because it was really uncomfortable to shine. My friends had perfected their eye rolls and they were armed, ready to use them any time I started a story with “When I was in {name some exotic locale}…” My life didn’t look like theirs and it probably doesn’t look like yours. But we all have magic in us that wants to find a way out. The web has given us a beautiful medium to share our stories, build community, and inspire others to create impact without limits. And the more we show up, speak out – the greater the possibilities become.
The guys have our back.
I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again. I can’t tell you how many fathers came up to me afterwards and said, “Thank you for creating a world I’m proud to have my daughters grow up in.” As much as I am focused on supporting you and your changemaking journey, I melted to think about how the work that we are doing right here, right now will open undiscovered territories for a whole other generation. And the guys aren’t fighting us, they are cheering us on.
And a little extra bling: get. off. line.
Real change happens through relationship. It is amazing the depth of connections we can create with people halfway around the globe through the web. And there’s also the spontaneity of the in-person moment, the conversation that sparks between multiple people around a table, the camaraderie that’s built over a competitive game of shuffleboard. Just sayin’.
I’m wrapping up May reenergized, focused, and looking for the next speaking gig. After all, there are more stories to tell.
What story have you been waiting to tell? Tell it here. Get clearer on your vision.
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