Speaking Out Loud

While I am getting much more comfortable with public speaking, my interview at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore made me more nervous.  Mostly because I didn’t know the questions and therefore couldn’t rehearse my answers.  I’ve never been someone who felt confident speaking off the top of my head.  And then there was the reading out loud – I had to read two or three sections from my book. 

First, which ones do I choose?  And second, and probably more important, I suck at reading out loud. I always went to great lengths to avoid this at school, where there was the expectation that the students in leadership roles (I was one)  would frequently read to the whole assembly.

Well you know what… it was OK.  Actually it was more than OK, it was pretty good.  What I had forgotten is that when you know your topic (which was me and my book), you know the answers.  On reflection there were a couple of things I probably shouldn’t have said – being critical of a well-known entrepreneur – but hey, take a number,  there are many who take pot shots at him.

My thanks to friends who came in to be supportive, especially those who drove in from Oakville.  It was lovely to see some familiar faces and it made the whole event seem like a friendly conversation between friends. Annemarie Shrouder was a charming host who made you feel comfortable and at ease and she seemed to have genuinely liked my book, which helps.

So my advice to those of you facing a demon or taking a risk – just do it.  It is usually worse in your head than in reality.

Taking Risks

If you had to come up with a name and song that represented your industry or sector, what would be your answer? This was the challenge facing over 70 members at the recent Company of Women mix & mingle dinner.

We’d pre-arranged for people to sit at tables with their peers and encouraged a sense of abundance instead of competition among the women.

As I wandered around the room, I could see that some groups were really getting into it, while others struggled, particularly those in the finance industry. “we’re black and white, not creative” explained one member of the group, and you certainly could feel their anguish at the task assigned.

One group – the coaches – had us all on our feet, clapping our hands and singing “yes I can” and another did a take on Desperate Housewives, but guess who won? The financial planners or the “Money Honeys” as they may prefer to be called. And their song – the 12 months of financial planning, sung to The Twelve Days of Christmas.

All of which goes to show, that when you step outside your comfort zone, take a risk – you’ve got nothing to lose, and sometimes you actually win.

As the late Dr. David Viscott, author of Risking wrote “If you cannot risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot become your best. If you cannot become your best, you cannot be happy. If you cannot be happy, what else matters.

So kudos to the Money Honeys.