Welcome outside the comfort zone

On the journey back to my safe comfort zone, I close my eyes and listen to music. Slowly, I begin to process what has happened over the past few days.

I was a guest speaker at the Power Conference in Prague. During a breakout session, I had the opportunity to inspire participants about CRM and Copilot. Of course, with a presentation that met my standards: energetic music at the entrance, an unexpected Top Gun intro video, pixel-perfect slides, and most importantly, a message that truly resonated.

In my suitcase, I had packed a flight suit. I wasn’t sure I’d wear it. Would I dare? Would it be professional enough? What would people think?

During one of the dinners with fellow speakers, I was persuaded by Jeroen (known in the USA as Jay), a keynote speaker from Microsoft. He convinced me of the importance of doing something people don’t expect, even if it’s outside your comfort zone.

The funny thing is, I had only brought one book on this trip. It was about the power of moments, about elevating unforgettable moments by adding something extra that people won’t forget. Looking back, I realized that’s exactly what I did when I heard people talking about it during the conference.

So, there I stood, in my flight suit, in front of a packed room. My heart was racing, my breathing was audible, and the suit was warm. But I got into the flow, my passion for my story took over, and sometimes I had to hold back my enthusiasm so as not to lose the audience.        

The rest of the day, I walked around a world where I immediately felt at home. Thanks to the amazing people I met, people from all over the world with incredible stories, interests, and valuable advice.

The past few days, I’ve lived outside my comfort zone. Trying local dishes in authentic Czech restaurants, going out alone with strangers (I might be the worst networker ever ??), and sharing my story in English far from home.

And as I slowly fly back into my familiar world, I realize that I’ve lived fully according to my Big Five over the past days:

To inspire, To develop myself, To tell a story, To create memories, To live unbound

Thank you ??