Public Speaking
In 2017, I boarded a plane for Boston to attend my first communications industry conference. Arriving a day early, I was sure to grab a slice at Regina Pizza in the North end, just past Christopher Columbus Park. I knew if the conference was a bust, I at least had a few moments in one of my favorite cities.
I suited up for the first day of the Advanced Learning Institute's workshops and quickly realized I had made the right decision. I had found my people! Smart, collaborative, subject matter experts I could truly learn from. Day two was a general session featuring diverse, engaging, big thinkers. I couldn't write down all the great ideas I was hearing fast enough.
And then at lunch, the unexpected happened. I was asked if I would sit on the afternoon panel. One of the scheduled panelists had a family emergency.
"Who, me? I am just attending," I said.
"We really liked the things you were saying during the first day of workshops," they replied.
I couldn't leave them in a lurch. I did enjoy public speaking, although I usually had more than a couple of hours to prepare. The moderator prepped me during the afternoon break and the other panelists welcomed me with open arms. It was an incredible experience that has led to my presenting at three ALI Conferences with audiences ranging from 60 to 150.
July 2020: Rethinking Employee Communications in the Age of WFH, Virtual Meeting Panelist
July 2019: Taking Internal Communications from Good to Great, Presenter, Boston
August 2018: Rally Your Team! How to Turn Employees into Brand Ambassadors During Major Organizational Change, Presenter, Chicago
July 2017: Creating Employee Recognition Programs that Stick and Inspire, Presenter, Boston
