Speaking at SWMO PRSA’s Digital Media Power Lunch

The solar eclipse was very beautiful and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to see it, but speaking at SWMO PRSA’s Digital Media Power Lunch was the highlight of the week for me.

The Digital Media Power Lunch was a great event and a lot of fun, but it was especially meaningful to me. It was the first time I spoke at an event in roughly a year. The last time I spoke publicly, I wasn’t even talking about digital marketing. I was talking to a small group of men on a weekend retreat. Speaking publically about personal moments can be stressful, but I was prepared. I didn’t have to memorize anything because it was all about me personally and things I had experienced. I was even able to write it all down and just read it — but it was still one of the most challenging public speaking moments I’ve had. No matter how prepared I am, I am always nervous before speaking publically. Usually, the nervousness dies down after the first few moments. It didn’t. So I looked down at the papers I had with me. I would just read them, word for word. That’s when I first truly noticed I couldn’t read. I was just staring at the paper. It was well-lit and close enough to me that I could see every letter, but I couldn’t put the words together. I was able to fight my way through it all and at the end, I just blamed the tough situation on being nervous. 6 days later I would wake up in the hospital after having a grand mal seizure.

That’s how it all started and here’s more about what happened if you’d like to read more about it:

• The Last 96 Days
• Day 140
• Why I Film Myself Working

From the blog post, Why I Film Myself Working…
“I’m always nervous before speaking events, and now I’m scared. […] I’m not going to let my fear stop me from doing what I want to do. I was scared to start speaking, but I gave it a shot and started despite my fear. I didn’t let my fear keep me from starting, I’m not going to let it stop me either.”

Speaking at the SWMO PRSA event was meaningful to me because it represents a win. It went well and I beat my fears.

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Music:
Under The Sun by NOWË
www.instagram.com/nowemusic/