Speakeasy

My mentor encouraged me for more than a year to overcome my fear of public speaking. I wouldn’t have it! I grew up stuttering and the last thing I imagined doing was getting up in front of a group of business people and getting embarrassed!
 
Then one day my mentor called and asked if I would go to lunch with him. Of course! He was always interesting, entertaining and a pleasure to be around. We ended up at a local Lion’s Club in Walnut Creek and just before they finished eating he leaned over and whispered “By the way, you’re the speaker today!”
 
Of course I turned crimson and chocked on my water, but he gently patted me on the back and said “You can do it!”
 
Well, rather than embarrass him, I got up and started talking. I couldn’t remember a word I said, but I got through it and no one laughed at me! So every month he would pick me up at my office and escort me to one of the service organizations. But I was better prepared each time.
 
After this routine went on for a year, a young woman approached me after I was finished with my presentation and beamed at me while saying “I had to come and thank you. After hearing you speak six months ago, you saved me from shutting my business down!”
 
When I asked her what I had said that caused such an impact, she reminded me about my “Power Partner” concept and that I had challenged everyone to quantify and track their activities. It might seem like the most logical process to you and me, but when you’re starting a business, it’s a bit overwhelming. There’s so much to do and learn.
 
She went on to tell me that when she did here reconciliation reports, she was running about three grand in the whole every month, but considered it part of the start-up costs. After applying these additional concepts, she was showing a six grand profit after six months.
 
That’s when I realized what a privilege it is to share knowledge through speaking. Even when someone knows what they should be doing, hearing it anew just might be the catalyst they need to run a more profitable business. So I was hooked! That was in August of 1993 and there is no measureable means to define the amount of ways speaking has enhanced my life. I’ve changed for the better in countless ways and influenced thousands of people throughout the years.
 
Everyone has knowledge they should be sharing and speaking in your community will enhance your credibility beyond any other task you will do.
 
My challenge to you is to decide where you will be speaking next?