I’m writing this post on my cellphone from my hometown airport in St. Louis, MO. There’s something so comforting about the familiar pattern of the Lambert carpet.
I anticipated that the first half of the year would feel like a blur, and I wasn’t totally wrong. I started my 2024 travels in Cincinnati for social services training…
Then, went to Kansas City for a talk on psychological safety…
Then, disappeared for a weekend with my boyfriend in Little Rock (a much-needed pause for both of us)…
Now, I’m off to Houston for a speaking engagement with two more out-of-state gigs and a slew of virtual mental health seminars coming up.
“You’re starting to work as an artist… Not a painter or anything like that. But something highly creative,” a psychic in Little Rock told me.
She stared at my palms. “I see education.” She looked up and laughed. “And lots and LOTS of writing.” I felt like she stared into the souls of my instructional design team members, currently scattered across three continents, helping to wrap up some statewide curricula.
“You’re catching a streak at the moment. And now you’re shaking your head wondering why you didn’t start doing this years ago.”
A streak? Maybe. But there was an important inaccuracy:
I don’t spend any time wondering why I didn’t start this years ago.
Everything I did in healthcare laid the foundation for speaking on topics like burnout, compassion fatigue, and psychological safety. And decades in performing arts gave me an unanticipated advantage in the speaking world.
(There’s something to be said about chasing your passions and connecting the dots later. )
With the prep work in place, now I get to focus on sharpening skills and, just as importantly, figuring out how to make this all work.
In the world of public speaking, I’ve learned there are two very critical resources that I need to constantly manage:
My energy
My voice
As someone who’s survived off espresso and spicy food for years (shoutout to dopamine!), I’ve been making some lifestyle changes to keep doing what I love.
Staying active in ways that match my energy level, like e-biking, walking, and dancing…
Resting when I feel I need it and going to bed early…
Staying a few extra days in each city whenever possible…
Taking time to get myself much more organized…
Asking for more freelance help, so I can carve out true downtime…
Radically changing my diet to reduce the stomach acid that’s been affecting my vocal cords (at the moment, eating straight peanut butter out of a packet at the amusement of my fellow airport travelers)…
You know? Living the dream. 😆
At almost two years in, I can report that I’m feeling totally inspired in my career AND really don’t have this whole “human who’s also a speaker and business owner” thing figured out just yet.
But I do know how to run experiments, and I definitely have experience flopping somewhat gracefully. That gives me the confidence to do what I need to do: learn and adjust every step [and fumble] of the way.
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