Positioning You for Success

Over the last nine years, I’ve been playing the public speaking card for women (and other underrepresented groups) …repeatedly. Will fully admit I am a bit of a broken record...get comfortable with public speaking. Get comfortable with public speaking.

Sometimes I feel like I enter a room and people already there sigh and steel themselves. They see me coming and suddenly remember they left the stove on.

"Bobbie, I’m just not interested in public speaking. Give it a rest."

If you insist. BUUUUT, are you all right with me advocating for you to:

• Get paid equally for equal or equivalent work?
• Have your ideas and thoughts heard and acted on as appropriate?
• Be recognized as an expert, a thought leader, or an authority on the things you know, perhaps better than anyone else?
• Do you want to be able to ask a question when the speakers on stage finish their presentations?

But wait, there’s more...

Are you OK with me helping you:

• Get invited to be a guest on podcasts, radio and TV shows?
• Connect with journalists who will treat you as the expert source or subject matter expert that you are?
• How about an invitation to contribute an article to a magazine?
• How about a promotion?
• A new job?
• A board seat?
• An achievement award?
• Or, even run for office?

And still more…

• Do you want to be able to speak up in meetings (large and small)? And actually be listened to?
• Do you want to share your thoughts and ideas with anyone?
• Do you want to run a successful business?
• Do you want to sell more products, more books, more services?
• Do you want to get your startup funded?
• Do you want to grow your business? Connect with potential customers and partners? The media?

All this is what I designed Innovation Women to do. Yes, we have a database of speaking opportunities and event managers use the database to invite speakers to events (large and small). But the end goals are bigger than just getting people on stage. In fact, many of our members are not interested (at least not right now) in public speaking. They want access to our community for the educational materials or the community itself. They want to contribute articles to Lioness Magazine. They want to promote their books or products.

It's not just about speaking although I will continue to advocate for speaking as a fast pass to so much more. Speaking, and writing articles, and someone else promoting you and all of this, positions you for success.

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