This year when I made the conscious decision to not let fear stand in the way of anything, I had no idea the opportunities I’d be faced with. When Opportunity Knocks… You Answer! I’ve shared in the past that I don’t like public speaking or video content. I’ve always been shy to participate in speaking publicly even though I have so much information to share. I’m awesome at having one on one or small group conversations. I’m slowly relaxing on my need for perfection when I need to record a video.
I know there won’t always be perfect moments and we have to seize the opportunities that we are given. That being said… Last week as I was surfing through Facebook and jumped in the Carolina Blogging Group, there was an opportunity to speak at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. It was in conjunction with the CIE (Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) Creative Writing Course on Interview Skills and Best Practices. I had written a blog post about 10 Tips on Conducting a Successful Press Interview last year. It was perfect!
The icing on the cake was when Sarah Eckert who runs the Carolina Blogger group tagged me in a comment and said they specifically asked to see if I would be interested in speaking. They read my Carolina Blogging Spotlight interview that Sarah did a few months ago and I guess they liked what they read. I was intrigued and excited but, scared! This would require me to get up in front of people and speak! It was a quick turnaround so I had to let them know something within 24 hours. Long story short… I said YES!
It’s not every day that a state University is going to ask and request for me to come and speak to their students. I was humbled and took it as a sign that I’m being tested to keep my word of not letting fear keep me from my greatness this year! To prepare I simply went back to the blog post that I wrote and created a PowerPoint with the key facts so I could elaborate on them. I wanted to keep it short, sweet and engaging. Sarah decided to live stream the presentation on Facebook in the Carolina Blogging Group.
Even though I didn’t physically live stream and was presenting, I can now say that I’ve unofficially done a Facebook Live post. Lol! I am still working up to my own Facebook Live stream on my JenOni, Inc. Facebook Page. Outside of saying “Um†one too many times, I think I did okay! We had a great discussion after all the presenters were finished and I learned a lot because everyone spoke from a different perspective. This will allow me to prepare better and enhance my interview skills.
Bonus: I got to meet Sarah Eckert in person. We’ve been on social media forever and I love when I get to meet all my virtual friends in person. Now we’re making all these future plans… stay tuned! I love being a part of the Carolina Blogging Network because I get to connect with local North Carolina Bloggers as well as South Carolina Bloggers. You also get some amazing opportunities and you never know where they may lead. I previously wrote about my word for 2017, it’s “Own It!”. Be sure you are staying true to your word!