1 00:00:00,170 --> 00:00:03,140 Carol Cox: I believe you are the exact messenger for 2 00:00:03,140 --> 00:00:05,351 your idea and your audience. 3 00:00:05,351 --> 00:00:07,640 Hear why on this episode of the Speaking Your 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:12,590 Brand podcast . 5 00:00:12,260 --> 00:00:14,780 More and more women are making an impact by 6 00:00:14,780 --> 00:00:17,510 starting businesses, running for office and 7 00:00:17,510 --> 00:00:19,490 speaking up for what matters. 8 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,520 With my background as a political analyst, 9 00:00:22,550 --> 00:00:24,260 entrepreneur and speaker, 10 00:00:24,290 --> 00:00:27,110 I interview and coach purpose driven women to 11 00:00:27,110 --> 00:00:29,840 shape their brands, grow their companies and 12 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,450 become recognized as influencers in their 13 00:00:32,450 --> 00:00:35,630 field. This is speaking your brand, 14 00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:38,090 your place to learn how to persuasively 15 00:00:38,090 --> 00:00:42,590 communicate your message to your audience. 16 00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:43,850 Hi and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand 17 00:00:43,850 --> 00:00:45,050 podcast. I'm your host, 18 00:00:45,050 --> 00:00:47,270 Carol Cox. If you haven't yet listened to 19 00:00:47,270 --> 00:00:49,790 last week's episode, you'll definitely want 20 00:00:49,790 --> 00:00:51,170 to after today's. 21 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:52,970 I've gotten such great feedback from 22 00:00:52,970 --> 00:00:56,000 listeners. I talked about how I almost got 23 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,040 stuck in the Expert Trap, 24 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,100 but I managed to get myself out of it before 25 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:03,050 the presentation that I delivered at a 26 00:01:03,050 --> 00:01:04,950 marketing conference in July. 27 00:01:04,970 --> 00:01:08,480 So I talk about what my content and my slides 28 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,220 look like, and then I realize, 29 00:01:10,220 --> 00:01:12,240 Oh my gosh, I'm stuck in the expert trap and 30 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,820 how I got myself out of it and the strategies 31 00:01:14,820 --> 00:01:16,440 you can use as well. 32 00:01:16,620 --> 00:01:19,650 Today we're talking about why you are the 33 00:01:19,650 --> 00:01:22,470 messenger for your idea and your audience and 34 00:01:22,470 --> 00:01:25,050 that your audience is waiting for you. 35 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:27,990 I know that you want to have a unique take on 36 00:01:27,990 --> 00:01:30,780 your topic and not sound like everyone else, 37 00:01:30,780 --> 00:01:32,730 but maybe you're worried that you see other 38 00:01:32,730 --> 00:01:35,400 speakers or authors or entrepreneurs out 39 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,760 there who have similar topics to you. 40 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,640 And here's the thing that will always be the 41 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,040 case. There are always going to be lots of 42 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,830 people out there who do or say something in 43 00:01:46,830 --> 00:01:50,910 the same umbrella, in the same topic area as 44 00:01:50,910 --> 00:01:54,300 you. And that's why this is where having an 45 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:58,180 idea is key and it's different from my topic. 46 00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,640 Let me give you an example. 47 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,430 Here's a presentation topic that you could 48 00:02:02,430 --> 00:02:05,640 see at a at a conference or on a lunch and 49 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,380 learn that you're going to something like 50 00:02:07,410 --> 00:02:10,170 five ways to improve your Social media 51 00:02:10,170 --> 00:02:13,470 marketing or how to save for retirement. 52 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:14,700 Those are topics. 53 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:16,680 And yes, you will see those everywhere. 54 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,330 If you go to a marketing conference, you'll 55 00:02:18,330 --> 00:02:20,490 see five ways to do your social media 56 00:02:20,490 --> 00:02:22,590 marketing. If you're going to a business or a 57 00:02:22,590 --> 00:02:23,970 finance conference or an event, 58 00:02:23,970 --> 00:02:25,500 you'll hear about how to do financial 59 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:27,360 planning or how to save for retirement. 60 00:02:27,390 --> 00:02:28,590 Those are topics. 61 00:02:28,590 --> 00:02:31,050 And they the problem with just having a topic 62 00:02:31,050 --> 00:02:32,550 like that is that you become 63 00:02:32,550 --> 00:02:33,630 undifferentiated. 64 00:02:33,630 --> 00:02:35,760 You're what I call a commodity speaker, 65 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,440 which means you're interchangeable with 66 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,480 everyone else. So you're not going to get 67 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,670 those higher profile or paid speaking 68 00:02:41,670 --> 00:02:42,960 engagements that you want. 69 00:02:42,990 --> 00:02:45,660 You're also less likely to generate leads and 70 00:02:45,660 --> 00:02:47,580 clients from your presentations. 71 00:02:48,210 --> 00:02:50,670 An idea is so much more. 72 00:02:50,670 --> 00:02:53,070 And that's what makes your talk interesting 73 00:02:53,070 --> 00:02:54,450 and memorable. 74 00:02:54,450 --> 00:02:57,720 An idea is having a unique angle or twist on 75 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,480 your topic, an original way to frame it so 76 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,910 that it's not like what everyone else says 77 00:03:02,910 --> 00:03:04,080 about your topic. 78 00:03:04,110 --> 00:03:07,380 And this is exactly why your audience is 79 00:03:07,410 --> 00:03:08,700 waiting for you. 80 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:11,430 I've talked in the past on this podcast about 81 00:03:11,430 --> 00:03:13,710 four layers of thought leadership that I've 82 00:03:13,710 --> 00:03:16,830 identified. The foundational layer is your 83 00:03:16,830 --> 00:03:19,140 expertise, what it is you do in your business 84 00:03:19,140 --> 00:03:20,160 and your career. 85 00:03:20,190 --> 00:03:23,090 The next layer on top of that is your idea, 86 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:25,680 your big idea. So what is your take on your 87 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,410 expertise? But you don't stop there. 88 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,130 The third layer is your personal story, 89 00:03:31,140 --> 00:03:32,550 your personal experience, 90 00:03:32,550 --> 00:03:35,370 why you care about this idea, 91 00:03:35,370 --> 00:03:37,560 why this idea came to you, 92 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,130 and then that top layer. 93 00:03:39,150 --> 00:03:42,270 The fourth layer is the emotional courage to 94 00:03:42,270 --> 00:03:45,270 dig deep and to put your idea out there, 95 00:03:45,270 --> 00:03:47,630 even when it feels uncertain and scary. 96 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,180 So I'm going to share with you in this 97 00:03:49,180 --> 00:03:52,750 episode why your ideas are so important. 98 00:03:52,780 --> 00:03:55,720 The two different ways that ideas can come to 99 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,140 you, what oftentimes stops them from doing 100 00:03:59,140 --> 00:04:02,200 so, and how to activate your idea. 101 00:04:02,470 --> 00:04:05,320 Because ideas look for a messenger and it's 102 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,630 up to you to activate it. 103 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:09,430 If you're new to speaking your brand. 104 00:04:09,430 --> 00:04:11,520 And welcome. I'm so glad that you're here. 105 00:04:11,530 --> 00:04:14,530 We help women entrepreneurs and leaders 106 00:04:14,530 --> 00:04:16,960 create their signature talks and develop 107 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:18,670 their thought leadership platforms. 108 00:04:18,670 --> 00:04:21,670 We focus on advocating and champion for 109 00:04:21,670 --> 00:04:24,280 women's visibility, voices and influence 110 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:27,220 because we know it's through women's stories 111 00:04:27,220 --> 00:04:29,290 and challenging the status quo that we're 112 00:04:29,290 --> 00:04:31,510 going to change existing systems for the 113 00:04:31,510 --> 00:04:34,530 better. If you're interested in working with 114 00:04:34,530 --> 00:04:36,750 us. Enrollment in our Thought Leader Academy 115 00:04:36,750 --> 00:04:39,930 is open. We have two dates left for all of 116 00:04:39,930 --> 00:04:44,190 2023 August 29th and October 24th. 117 00:04:44,220 --> 00:04:46,250 Those are the two start dates we have left 118 00:04:46,260 --> 00:04:48,720 August 29th and October 24th. 119 00:04:48,750 --> 00:04:51,720 We work with you over eight weeks to 120 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,960 identify, validate and activate your idea and 121 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,180 turn it into a powerful thought leadership 122 00:04:57,180 --> 00:04:59,310 message and signature talk. 123 00:04:59,340 --> 00:05:01,680 We work with you over those eight weeks and 124 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,740 in group Zoom calls of small groups of women, 125 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:07,740 we have usually 6 to 8 women per group. 126 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:10,170 And then you also get a one on one virtual 127 00:05:10,170 --> 00:05:12,720 VIP day with us to create your signature 128 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,120 talk. And clients say that that process is 129 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,850 magical. You literally say your idea and your 130 00:05:17,850 --> 00:05:19,170 talk come to life. 131 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:20,430 If you would like to join us, 132 00:05:20,430 --> 00:05:21,870 you can get all of the details, 133 00:05:21,870 --> 00:05:23,730 including pricing as speaking your 134 00:05:23,730 --> 00:05:25,800 brand.com/academy. 135 00:05:25,830 --> 00:05:26,790 Again, that's speaking your 136 00:05:26,790 --> 00:05:29,010 brand.com/academy. 137 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,290 You can enroll from there or you can schedule 138 00:05:31,290 --> 00:05:32,340 a zoom call with us. 139 00:05:32,470 --> 00:05:34,900 We are always happy to talk to you about your 140 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:36,700 goals and to make sure the thought Leader 141 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:38,650 Academy is the best fit for you. 142 00:05:38,770 --> 00:05:40,720 Now let's get on with the show. 143 00:05:42,750 --> 00:05:45,480 What do I mean by an idea? 144 00:05:45,510 --> 00:05:47,430 Here's what the dictionary says. 145 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:50,970 An idea is a thought plan or suggestion about 146 00:05:50,970 --> 00:05:54,360 what to do or an opinion or belief. 147 00:05:54,450 --> 00:05:57,630 It's also defined as an entity such as a 148 00:05:57,630 --> 00:06:00,720 thought concept, sensation or image, 149 00:06:00,750 --> 00:06:03,300 actually, or potentially present to 150 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,700 consciousness. Now, that's kind of a weird 151 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:07,440 definition. That last one was from the 152 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,180 Merriam-Webster dictionary. 153 00:06:09,180 --> 00:06:11,910 I like to think of an identity as something 154 00:06:11,910 --> 00:06:15,840 that comes to you and that you then bring to 155 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,090 life that you actually activate into the 156 00:06:18,090 --> 00:06:21,510 world. That's why I say that ideas look for a 157 00:06:21,510 --> 00:06:25,170 messenger. Ideas are like floating around out 158 00:06:25,170 --> 00:06:28,440 there in in the in the in the universe, 159 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,480 in the ether and Jung's collective 160 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,100 unconscious wherever they are. 161 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:34,980 And they're waiting for us to grab on to them 162 00:06:34,980 --> 00:06:37,790 and to activate them, to bring them to life. 163 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,990 And I have been thinking about this quite a 164 00:06:39,990 --> 00:06:42,490 bit from some different movies and experience 165 00:06:42,490 --> 00:06:44,890 that I've had. And then I read Elizabeth 166 00:06:44,890 --> 00:06:47,800 Gilbert's non-fiction book called Big Magic. 167 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,260 This was several years ago. 168 00:06:49,270 --> 00:06:50,950 It is a fantastic book. 169 00:06:50,980 --> 00:06:52,960 You may recognize the name Elizabeth Gilbert 170 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:54,340 from Eat, Pray, Love, of course, 171 00:06:54,340 --> 00:06:57,160 her memoir that became a major film. 172 00:06:57,190 --> 00:06:59,140 She has written so many other things since 173 00:06:59,140 --> 00:07:00,680 then that I think actually are better than 174 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,830 the Eat, Pray, Love. Big Magic being one of 175 00:07:02,830 --> 00:07:04,570 them. I highly recommend it. 176 00:07:04,930 --> 00:07:07,150 I'm going to quote now from the book about 177 00:07:07,150 --> 00:07:10,540 Elizabeth Gilbert's understanding of ideas, 178 00:07:10,540 --> 00:07:12,850 because it very much aligns with the way that 179 00:07:12,850 --> 00:07:14,490 I think about them. Here's what she said, 180 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,680 quote, I believe that our planet is inhabited 181 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,590 not only by animals and plants and bacteria 182 00:07:20,590 --> 00:07:24,010 and viruses, but also by ideas. 183 00:07:24,070 --> 00:07:26,080 Ideas are in disembodied, 184 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,730 energetic life form. 185 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,070 They are completely separate from us, 186 00:07:30,100 --> 00:07:32,530 but capable of interacting with us, 187 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:33,940 albeit strangely. 188 00:07:33,970 --> 00:07:36,220 Ideas have no material body, 189 00:07:36,220 --> 00:07:38,860 but they do have consciousness and they most 190 00:07:38,860 --> 00:07:40,630 certainly have will. 191 00:07:40,930 --> 00:07:44,530 Ideas are driven by a single impulse to be 192 00:07:44,530 --> 00:07:48,130 made manifest, and the only way an idea can 193 00:07:48,130 --> 00:07:50,740 be made manifest in our world is through 194 00:07:50,740 --> 00:07:53,290 collaboration with a human partner. 195 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,230 It is only through a human's efforts that an 196 00:07:56,230 --> 00:07:59,530 idea can be escorted out of the ether and 197 00:07:59,530 --> 00:08:03,040 into the realm of the actual end quote. 198 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,250 And that is your job to do that, 199 00:08:06,250 --> 00:08:09,850 to escort the idea out of the ether and make 200 00:08:09,850 --> 00:08:11,440 it actualized. 201 00:08:11,470 --> 00:08:14,200 That is why you are the messenger for your 202 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:16,510 idea and for your audience. 203 00:08:16,540 --> 00:08:18,960 Now, how do those ideas come to you? 204 00:08:18,970 --> 00:08:20,740 This may seem a little vague and amorphous 205 00:08:20,740 --> 00:08:21,910 right now, and I understand it. So let me 206 00:08:21,910 --> 00:08:23,180 give you some examples. 207 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,290 I see two ways that ideas can come to you. 208 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,220 The first way is that the idea is thrust upon 209 00:08:30,220 --> 00:08:32,350 you so you don't really have a choice. 210 00:08:32,380 --> 00:08:35,260 It comes to you because of a personal 211 00:08:35,260 --> 00:08:37,300 experience that has happened to you. 212 00:08:37,330 --> 00:08:40,210 Sometimes it can come from a positive 213 00:08:40,210 --> 00:08:42,100 experience. Oftentimes, 214 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:45,010 sadly, it comes from a negative experience or 215 00:08:45,010 --> 00:08:47,020 a tragedy, something that happens in your 216 00:08:47,020 --> 00:08:50,980 life that you then want to share with others 217 00:08:50,980 --> 00:08:53,650 to prevent the same pain that you went 218 00:08:53,650 --> 00:08:56,980 through. I think about a few of my clients, 219 00:08:56,980 --> 00:08:58,660 most recently, Karen Keene. 220 00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:01,960 She was on the podcast in July talking about 221 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,630 sharing her story as a transformational 222 00:09:04,630 --> 00:09:07,570 experience for herself and for her audience, 223 00:09:07,570 --> 00:09:10,180 very much coming out of a tragedy that she 224 00:09:10,180 --> 00:09:11,530 experienced three years ago. 225 00:09:11,530 --> 00:09:12,970 If you haven't listened to that episode, 226 00:09:12,970 --> 00:09:14,680 definitely go back. It is incredibly 227 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:17,530 inspiring. Another client that comes to mind 228 00:09:17,530 --> 00:09:21,400 is Tammy Lally, who did a Ted Talk in 2017 229 00:09:21,430 --> 00:09:23,560 that I worked with her on and has since had 230 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:27,190 over 2 million views because of a sadly, 231 00:09:27,190 --> 00:09:29,260 a family tragedy that occurred to her. 232 00:09:29,260 --> 00:09:30,700 But just like with Karen, 233 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:33,880 she knew that she wanted to take the pain 234 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,190 that she had experienced and help others with 235 00:09:36,190 --> 00:09:38,710 this. So, of course, we don't want something 236 00:09:38,710 --> 00:09:40,360 like this to happen to us. 237 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,760 I would not wish a tragedy upon anyone in 238 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,160 order to to get an idea out of it, 239 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:46,300 to help others. 240 00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:50,080 But if it does, we can decide what we want to 241 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,210 do with it. And here's what I will say. 242 00:09:52,210 --> 00:09:54,190 There is no right or wrong answer. 243 00:09:54,190 --> 00:09:56,860 You do not have to activate an idea from 244 00:09:56,860 --> 00:09:58,780 something that has happened to you, but if 245 00:09:58,780 --> 00:10:01,150 you are feeling compelled to do so, 246 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:03,580 then it can be of great benefit to your 247 00:10:03,580 --> 00:10:05,830 audience. In this first case, 248 00:10:05,830 --> 00:10:07,900 where ideas are thrust upon you, 249 00:10:07,930 --> 00:10:11,350 that story, that singular personal experience 250 00:10:11,710 --> 00:10:14,020 is what gives form to the idea. 251 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,470 Now the second way, which is is more common 252 00:10:17,470 --> 00:10:20,020 in and I probably where you're sitting, 253 00:10:20,050 --> 00:10:23,590 is that the way the idea comes to you is that 254 00:10:23,590 --> 00:10:27,220 you're open to the idea and actively looking 255 00:10:27,220 --> 00:10:30,070 for it, and the idea comes to you based on 256 00:10:30,070 --> 00:10:31,990 your overall life experience, 257 00:10:31,990 --> 00:10:34,690 your expertise, your background, 258 00:10:34,690 --> 00:10:36,540 your interests. So you're kind of you're 259 00:10:36,550 --> 00:10:39,070 you're constantly scanning your environment, 260 00:10:39,070 --> 00:10:40,780 what you're reading, what you're. 261 00:10:40,890 --> 00:10:42,600 Listening to what you're watching, 262 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,240 conversations that you have and we start 263 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,760 seeing threads or start or things start to 264 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,400 excite you, you start to get curious about a 265 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:52,230 certain topic or a certain thing and you 266 00:10:52,230 --> 00:10:54,750 wonder, huh, is this something that I can 267 00:10:54,750 --> 00:10:55,890 explore more? 268 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:58,650 So let me give you an example from one of my 269 00:10:58,650 --> 00:11:00,390 favorite Broadway musicals. 270 00:11:00,390 --> 00:11:04,620 Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator of 271 00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:06,390 of Hamilton the Musical, 272 00:11:06,390 --> 00:11:10,020 and he got that idea when he was reading a 273 00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:12,320 biography about Alexander Hamilton. 274 00:11:12,330 --> 00:11:14,520 He says he was on vacation with his wife. 275 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,460 He was sitting there under the beach umbrella 276 00:11:17,490 --> 00:11:19,470 on the lounger, reading this biography, 277 00:11:19,470 --> 00:11:21,690 and all of a sudden it's like that that 278 00:11:21,690 --> 00:11:24,210 proverbial light bulb goes off in his head 279 00:11:24,210 --> 00:11:27,720 and he realizes that he could create 280 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,120 something based on this material. 281 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,820 And then, of course, he took his unique angle 282 00:11:32,850 --> 00:11:36,030 on it to make it into a hip hop musical, 283 00:11:36,030 --> 00:11:39,300 not just the play, but actually creating a 284 00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:41,800 musical, but a hip hop musical that had never 285 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,900 been done before on Broadway. 286 00:11:43,900 --> 00:11:45,760 So he was open to the idea. 287 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,040 He was actively scanning the environment to 288 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,350 see. And then when he knew this one struck 289 00:11:50,350 --> 00:11:52,660 him, this was the one for him. 290 00:11:52,660 --> 00:11:55,210 But like Elizabeth Gilbert talked about, 291 00:11:55,210 --> 00:11:58,690 if he decided not to activate that idea, 292 00:11:58,690 --> 00:12:00,370 if it came to him and he just said, 293 00:12:00,370 --> 00:12:02,140 Oh, this isn't for me, 294 00:12:02,140 --> 00:12:04,630 or I feel a little uncertain about this, 295 00:12:04,630 --> 00:12:06,340 or if this has never been done, how is this 296 00:12:06,340 --> 00:12:07,870 going to work out? 297 00:12:08,220 --> 00:12:09,970 Maybe I'll fail at it. 298 00:12:09,970 --> 00:12:12,130 And he decided not to activate it. 299 00:12:12,130 --> 00:12:15,940 Then the idea very likely could have gone and 300 00:12:15,940 --> 00:12:18,490 found someone else instead because idea wants 301 00:12:18,490 --> 00:12:21,550 to be made manifest and until it is, 302 00:12:21,550 --> 00:12:23,680 it will keep looking for someone to do that. 303 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:25,600 If you think about all of the amazing 304 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,760 discoveries and art and creativity and 305 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:29,350 innovation that has happened, 306 00:12:29,590 --> 00:12:32,380 a lot of times what happens is what's called 307 00:12:32,380 --> 00:12:35,500 multiple or simultaneous discovery, 308 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:39,010 from calculus to the theory of evolution to 309 00:12:39,010 --> 00:12:40,480 the discovery of oxygen, 310 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:42,490 to the invention of the telephone, 311 00:12:42,490 --> 00:12:45,160 different people independent of each other. 312 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:46,990 There was no communication between them. They 313 00:12:46,990 --> 00:12:49,480 had no idea that the other person was working 314 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,480 on this in different places at around the 315 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,930 same time, came up with the same idea. 316 00:12:56,590 --> 00:12:58,480 And I believe this happens because of a 317 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,610 confluence of factors where it's like the 318 00:13:00,610 --> 00:13:03,010 right time, it is the right time for that 319 00:13:03,010 --> 00:13:04,960 idea to be made manifest. 320 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:06,730 So it's looking for the person to do that. 321 00:13:06,730 --> 00:13:09,130 And sometimes it will find multiple people to 322 00:13:09,130 --> 00:13:12,430 do that in Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert 323 00:13:12,430 --> 00:13:15,550 shares a story where she talks about how she 324 00:13:15,550 --> 00:13:18,010 had an idea for a new novel, 325 00:13:18,010 --> 00:13:19,840 and she worked on it for a while, 326 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:20,890 maybe a year. 327 00:13:20,890 --> 00:13:23,590 She was writing out the characters and the 328 00:13:23,590 --> 00:13:26,410 plot. She she knew what it was going to be, 329 00:13:26,410 --> 00:13:28,480 but then it kind of lost. 330 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:29,560 She lost interest in it, 331 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,830 that her curiosity wasn't going any further. 332 00:13:32,830 --> 00:13:35,440 So she set it aside and she didn't look at it 333 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:36,460 for a while. 334 00:13:36,460 --> 00:13:38,440 And then she happened to meet the other 335 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,440 novelist Ann Patchett at a book event that 336 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:42,850 they were both at. They had never met in 337 00:13:42,850 --> 00:13:45,700 person before, and she describes in the book 338 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:47,020 how they kind of, you know, 339 00:13:47,020 --> 00:13:49,150 when they when they met and then when they 340 00:13:49,150 --> 00:13:51,040 said goodbye, they kind of gave each other a 341 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:52,150 kiss on the cheek. 342 00:13:52,150 --> 00:13:54,340 And then they continued to correspond with 343 00:13:54,340 --> 00:13:56,020 each other, actually through handwritten 344 00:13:56,020 --> 00:13:58,000 letters. That's how they corresponded. 345 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,430 And it wasn't too long after that that 346 00:14:00,430 --> 00:14:03,040 Elizabeth Gilbert decided that the original 347 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,320 novel that she had been working on with the 348 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,240 plot, the characters, everything she had 349 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,520 mapped out, she was just it was not for her. 350 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,710 Instead, she had an idea for a completely 351 00:14:11,710 --> 00:14:13,600 different novel. She decided to work on that 352 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:14,650 new one instead. 353 00:14:15,130 --> 00:14:18,310 And what happened, unbeknownst to Elizabeth 354 00:14:18,310 --> 00:14:21,160 Gilbert, is that Ann Patchett all of a sudden 355 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,310 came up with an idea for a new novel of her 356 00:14:24,310 --> 00:14:29,350 own that was almost the same plot location, 357 00:14:29,350 --> 00:14:31,570 characters, even character names, 358 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,780 as an original novel that Elizabeth Gilbert 359 00:14:34,810 --> 00:14:37,990 had had plotted out, but then had set aside 360 00:14:37,990 --> 00:14:39,550 and eventually had abandoned. 361 00:14:39,850 --> 00:14:42,610 And Elizabeth Gilbert says in the book that 362 00:14:42,610 --> 00:14:45,310 she believes that that kiss that they shared 363 00:14:45,310 --> 00:14:48,760 on the cheek literally passed the idea of 364 00:14:48,790 --> 00:14:51,700 that novel from Elizabeth Gilbert to Ann 365 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:54,490 Patchett, because that idea wanted to be made 366 00:14:54,490 --> 00:14:57,880 manifest and a realized with Elizabeth 367 00:14:57,910 --> 00:15:00,100 Gilbert's permission that it wasn't going to 368 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:02,440 be her anymore that was going to make that 369 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:03,900 idea manifest. 370 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,150 Oh, I actually get goosebumps every time that 371 00:15:07,150 --> 00:15:08,440 I think about that story. 372 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,840 And then when I read that story in Big Magic. 373 00:15:11,260 --> 00:15:14,800 Let me give you a third example of how ideas 374 00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:16,070 can come to you. 375 00:15:16,310 --> 00:15:19,100 I recently saw the new Barbie movie. 376 00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:20,450 Perhaps you have, too. 377 00:15:20,450 --> 00:15:21,500 I loved it. 378 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:22,970 I had a feeling that I was going to like it, 379 00:15:22,970 --> 00:15:24,560 but it was. It was funny, 380 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,080 It was witty, it was creative. 381 00:15:27,110 --> 00:15:30,320 All the set design, the musical numbers, 382 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:31,910 the costumes, and of course, 383 00:15:31,910 --> 00:15:34,130 the message that is embedded in it. 384 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,740 Greta Gerwig is the screenwriter and the 385 00:15:36,740 --> 00:15:39,380 director, and she did an incredible job with 386 00:15:39,380 --> 00:15:43,380 that movie. And the idea for the Barbie 387 00:15:43,380 --> 00:15:46,080 movie, the way the Barbie movie would have to 388 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,870 be done in the year 2023. 389 00:15:49,570 --> 00:15:54,040 Greta Gerwig was the messenger for that idea. 390 00:15:54,310 --> 00:15:56,440 Mattel, the toy company, 391 00:15:56,470 --> 00:15:57,880 had decided. 392 00:15:58,410 --> 00:16:00,690 Back in the past decade or so that they 393 00:16:00,690 --> 00:16:02,640 wanted to do more with their intellectual 394 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:03,860 property, with their IP, 395 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:06,180 like Barbie. Margot Robbie, 396 00:16:06,210 --> 00:16:08,880 the actor who plays Barbie in the movie, 397 00:16:08,910 --> 00:16:11,790 had been talking to Mattel about licensing it 398 00:16:11,790 --> 00:16:12,920 to create a movie. 399 00:16:12,930 --> 00:16:14,610 So that had been going. The conversations had 400 00:16:14,610 --> 00:16:15,930 been going on for a little while. In the 401 00:16:15,930 --> 00:16:18,540 meantime, Greta Gerwig had made the movie's 402 00:16:18,540 --> 00:16:21,090 Lady Bird and the Little Women and had gotten 403 00:16:21,090 --> 00:16:22,110 wide acclaim for them, 404 00:16:22,110 --> 00:16:24,020 including Oscar nominations. 405 00:16:24,030 --> 00:16:26,310 So now here is Greta Gerwig, 406 00:16:26,310 --> 00:16:29,490 who was in the right place in her career 407 00:16:29,490 --> 00:16:30,950 where she had done some, 408 00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:33,060 quote unquote, smaller movies. And what 409 00:16:33,090 --> 00:16:35,100 something like a Barbie summer blockbuster 410 00:16:35,100 --> 00:16:37,260 would be. She had done smaller movies. 411 00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:39,150 She had learned her craft. 412 00:16:39,150 --> 00:16:41,070 She had honed her craft as a screenwriter and 413 00:16:41,070 --> 00:16:45,390 director. She was now ready to be the perfect 414 00:16:45,390 --> 00:16:50,220 messenger for the idea of the present day 415 00:16:50,250 --> 00:16:51,300 Barbie movie. 416 00:16:51,980 --> 00:16:54,320 And when Greta Gerwig met with Margot Robbie 417 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,570 to talk about it, originally Greta Gerwig was 418 00:16:56,570 --> 00:16:58,640 going to write the screenplay with her 419 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,350 partner, Noah Baumbach, 420 00:17:00,350 --> 00:17:02,210 but then she wasn't sure she was going to 421 00:17:02,210 --> 00:17:03,590 direct it. But once they wrote the 422 00:17:03,590 --> 00:17:06,530 screenplay, she realized that this was an 423 00:17:06,530 --> 00:17:09,800 idea that she had to make manifest by also 424 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,600 being the director of it. 425 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,400 Again, it's an incredible movie. You haven't 426 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,710 seen it yet. I highly recommend going to see 427 00:17:15,710 --> 00:17:17,180 it, but that's another example. 428 00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:19,610 Sometimes ideas come to you because someone 429 00:17:19,610 --> 00:17:20,870 comes to you and says, 430 00:17:20,870 --> 00:17:22,820 I've seen this other this other work you've 431 00:17:22,820 --> 00:17:24,950 done, and I think you'd be the perfect person 432 00:17:24,950 --> 00:17:27,500 to do this. And you may have some self-doubt 433 00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:30,590 or some uncertainty, but really think about 434 00:17:30,590 --> 00:17:33,170 and sit with whether you are indeed the 435 00:17:33,170 --> 00:17:35,990 perfect messenger for that idea, 436 00:17:35,990 --> 00:17:38,210 for that audience at this time. 437 00:17:38,210 --> 00:17:41,060 And that's why when an idea comes to you, 438 00:17:41,090 --> 00:17:42,650 when you have an experience, 439 00:17:42,650 --> 00:17:44,990 when you see something that's going on in 440 00:17:44,990 --> 00:17:47,570 your industry and the area that you work in 441 00:17:47,570 --> 00:17:49,430 and you think things could be better, 442 00:17:49,430 --> 00:17:50,840 things could be different, 443 00:17:50,870 --> 00:17:53,970 things could be there could be a change here 444 00:17:53,970 --> 00:17:55,740 to make things better for people. 445 00:17:55,860 --> 00:17:58,140 Once you start having that inclination, 446 00:17:58,140 --> 00:18:01,200 then it's up to you to activate it because 447 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,260 you are the messenger for that idea and you 448 00:18:04,260 --> 00:18:06,510 are the one that your audience is waiting 449 00:18:06,510 --> 00:18:09,480 for. Now, sometimes this can be challenging. 450 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,390 What gets in the way of activating ideas that 451 00:18:12,390 --> 00:18:16,160 come to us are fear and perfectionism. 452 00:18:16,170 --> 00:18:19,320 The fear often times shows up as What if 453 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:20,640 other people don't like it? 454 00:18:20,670 --> 00:18:24,390 What if I try it and it doesn't resonate? 455 00:18:24,390 --> 00:18:26,520 What if I try it and it fails? 456 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,770 It doesn't get the reception that I want. 457 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,630 The other side of fear. 458 00:18:31,050 --> 00:18:32,640 Is you do it. 459 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,340 And then what if it's not as good as you 460 00:18:35,340 --> 00:18:37,930 imagine? What if the fantasy of acting, 461 00:18:37,980 --> 00:18:41,340 the idea doesn't turn out to be the reality? 462 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,080 So that is one thing that gets in the way of 463 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:45,520 activating the ideas fear. 464 00:18:45,550 --> 00:18:48,040 The other thing that gets in the way is 465 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:49,300 perfectionism. 466 00:18:50,020 --> 00:18:52,030 And I'm going to quote again from Elizabeth 467 00:18:52,030 --> 00:18:53,230 Gilbert and Big Magic, 468 00:18:53,230 --> 00:18:55,030 because I think she says this so well. 469 00:18:55,030 --> 00:18:56,470 And of course, she's a beautiful writer, so 470 00:18:56,470 --> 00:18:58,040 I'm going to go with her words. 471 00:18:58,060 --> 00:18:59,740 Here's what she says. Quote, 472 00:18:59,890 --> 00:19:03,880 Perfectionism is a particularly evil lure for 473 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,030 women who I believe hold themselves to an 474 00:19:07,030 --> 00:19:09,190 even higher standard of performance than do 475 00:19:09,190 --> 00:19:11,710 men. There are many reasons why women's 476 00:19:11,710 --> 00:19:14,140 voices and visions are not more widely 477 00:19:14,140 --> 00:19:16,300 represented today in creative fields. 478 00:19:16,420 --> 00:19:19,090 Some of that exclusion is due to regular old 479 00:19:19,090 --> 00:19:22,510 misogyny. But it's also true that all too 480 00:19:22,510 --> 00:19:25,300 often women are the ones holding themselves 481 00:19:25,300 --> 00:19:27,910 back from participating in the first place, 482 00:19:28,030 --> 00:19:29,770 holding back their ideas, 483 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,780 holding back their contributions, 484 00:19:31,780 --> 00:19:33,880 holding back their leadership and their 485 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,420 talents. Too many women still seem to believe 486 00:19:37,420 --> 00:19:39,460 that they're not allowed to put themselves 487 00:19:39,460 --> 00:19:42,980 forward at all until both they and their work 488 00:19:42,980 --> 00:19:46,160 are perfect and beyond criticism. 489 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,140 And I know for for so many of us, 490 00:19:50,170 --> 00:19:52,870 we have this feeling like it's never going to 491 00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:53,920 be good enough. 492 00:19:54,070 --> 00:19:55,280 And guess what? 493 00:19:55,300 --> 00:19:58,000 You're right. It's never going to feel good 494 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,190 enough. It's never going to feel 100% 495 00:20:00,190 --> 00:20:03,190 perfect. It's never going to feel 100% ready. 496 00:20:03,930 --> 00:20:06,150 The people don't want perfection. 497 00:20:06,180 --> 00:20:08,640 Your audience doesn't want perfection from 498 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:13,020 you. They want creativity and authenticity 499 00:20:13,110 --> 00:20:14,490 and effort. 500 00:20:14,820 --> 00:20:16,590 I've been thinking a lot about this idea of 501 00:20:16,590 --> 00:20:19,500 effort. I recently took a trip to New York 502 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:21,510 City to celebrate my birthday, 503 00:20:21,780 --> 00:20:23,910 and we went to a Broadway musical, 504 00:20:23,910 --> 00:20:25,620 which I always like to see a performance when 505 00:20:25,620 --> 00:20:28,680 I'm there because I love performing. 506 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,650 I love watching performances and and watching 507 00:20:31,650 --> 00:20:34,920 people do the best that they can in their 508 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,680 craft. And I believe as humans, 509 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,740 we like to see other humans doing things that 510 00:20:40,740 --> 00:20:42,660 we know take effort. 511 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:45,030 And of course, when you have someone as high 512 00:20:45,030 --> 00:20:47,310 caliber as a performance on Broadway, 513 00:20:47,340 --> 00:20:49,680 what they're doing takes extraordinary 514 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:51,150 effort, but they make it look easy. 515 00:20:51,150 --> 00:20:52,830 It's kind of like an Olympic gymnast, 516 00:20:52,860 --> 00:20:55,320 you know that It's so what they do is so 517 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,750 hard, but they make it seem so easy. 518 00:20:58,020 --> 00:21:00,180 And we like to see humans doing other things 519 00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:01,740 that we know take effort. 520 00:21:01,740 --> 00:21:04,570 And it's okay if it's not 100% perfect 521 00:21:04,570 --> 00:21:07,270 because we like the authenticity and the 522 00:21:07,270 --> 00:21:09,220 creativity that comes with it. 523 00:21:09,250 --> 00:21:12,010 It's the effort that captivates us and 524 00:21:12,010 --> 00:21:13,180 inspires us. 525 00:21:13,210 --> 00:21:16,270 And this is why I believe that I created 526 00:21:16,270 --> 00:21:18,790 content. And art will have its limits. 527 00:21:18,790 --> 00:21:21,220 Yes, we will probably get to the point where 528 00:21:21,250 --> 00:21:24,070 they will be. I created TV shows where it's 529 00:21:24,070 --> 00:21:27,430 all digital actors and all of the scripts 530 00:21:27,430 --> 00:21:29,710 were written by AI, and all of the visuals 531 00:21:29,710 --> 00:21:31,570 were created by AI and the music was created 532 00:21:31,570 --> 00:21:33,940 by AI, and there will definitely be a time 533 00:21:33,940 --> 00:21:36,640 where that will be that will seem exciting 534 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,040 and novel. But then I think we're really 535 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,790 going to want to get back to watching humans 536 00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:46,150 make the effort to be great actors and 537 00:21:46,150 --> 00:21:49,330 singers and dancers and performers and 538 00:21:49,330 --> 00:21:52,300 athletes as well as great speakers, 539 00:21:52,510 --> 00:21:55,900 because activating ideas does take effort. 540 00:21:55,930 --> 00:21:57,820 If you think about having a unique angle or 541 00:21:57,820 --> 00:21:59,770 twist on your material, 542 00:21:59,770 --> 00:22:01,930 that original way to frame it so that it's 543 00:22:01,930 --> 00:22:03,700 not like what everyone else says about your 544 00:22:03,700 --> 00:22:06,610 topic, that definitely does take thinking 545 00:22:06,850 --> 00:22:10,180 about what what is it that you want to say? 546 00:22:10,210 --> 00:22:11,830 You want to bring in your particular 547 00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:13,930 background and experiences. 548 00:22:13,930 --> 00:22:16,300 What unique set of circumstances led you to 549 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:18,040 this topic? You don't want to just 550 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,570 regurgitate what others have said. You want 551 00:22:19,570 --> 00:22:22,540 to bring something new to the conversation. 552 00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:26,170 Let me give you an example of a talk that I 553 00:22:26,170 --> 00:22:29,560 gave back in October of 2016. 554 00:22:29,590 --> 00:22:33,490 I was invited to a local TEDx women's event 555 00:22:33,490 --> 00:22:35,290 as about 50 women who were going to be in the 556 00:22:35,290 --> 00:22:39,130 audience. And I was asked to to give a talk 557 00:22:39,130 --> 00:22:42,130 at that event. So I wanted to talk about, 558 00:22:42,130 --> 00:22:44,830 since I'm a political analyst on TV news 559 00:22:44,830 --> 00:22:46,450 during election seasons, and I've been doing 560 00:22:46,450 --> 00:22:48,040 that since 2005. 561 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,390 So this was 2016. 562 00:22:49,420 --> 00:22:51,640 Obviously a big year for politics at the 563 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,580 time. And, you know, we could see how much 564 00:22:54,580 --> 00:22:57,700 sexism and misogyny was going on in that 565 00:22:57,700 --> 00:22:58,840 election cycle. 566 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,450 So I wanted to talk about it in this talk. 567 00:23:01,450 --> 00:23:04,630 And I remember it was an evening in August 568 00:23:04,630 --> 00:23:07,270 2016, and I know sitting down working on the 569 00:23:07,270 --> 00:23:10,090 talk that I knew I needed to deliver in about 570 00:23:10,090 --> 00:23:11,260 six weeks from them. 571 00:23:11,260 --> 00:23:13,840 And I sat staring at my computer and I was 572 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:15,670 working on that talk. And it was about women 573 00:23:15,670 --> 00:23:17,500 in leadership in politics, 574 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:19,840 and I knew it was missing something. 575 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,580 My first draft was good. 576 00:23:21,610 --> 00:23:23,260 It was about the benefits of having more 577 00:23:23,260 --> 00:23:24,670 women in elected office, 578 00:23:24,670 --> 00:23:27,370 the gender stereotypes that female candidates 579 00:23:27,370 --> 00:23:29,470 face, and some statistics thrown in for good 580 00:23:29,470 --> 00:23:31,810 measure. It was informative, 581 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,660 but it wasn't really all that interesting. 582 00:23:34,660 --> 00:23:36,910 I can imagine the women in the audience 583 00:23:36,940 --> 00:23:38,770 nodding their heads along with what I was 584 00:23:38,770 --> 00:23:41,470 saying. But I wasn't sharing anything they 585 00:23:41,470 --> 00:23:43,660 didn't already know. 586 00:23:43,780 --> 00:23:45,940 I needed a hook, a twist, 587 00:23:45,940 --> 00:23:48,310 something that sparked curiosity. 588 00:23:48,310 --> 00:23:50,830 I needed to get to the core of my topic to 589 00:23:50,830 --> 00:23:52,780 find that aha moment. 590 00:23:53,270 --> 00:23:55,490 So as I sat at my computer, 591 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,610 I stopped researching and typing, 592 00:23:58,610 --> 00:24:01,100 and instead I let my mind wander. 593 00:24:01,370 --> 00:24:04,010 Sifting through all the years I spent 594 00:24:04,010 --> 00:24:06,350 studying women's history and gender theory 595 00:24:06,350 --> 00:24:08,350 and undergrad and graduate school, 596 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:11,600 the years I've spent working in politics and 597 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,160 business. So I was just open. 598 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,290 I was open to the ideas that were floating 599 00:24:16,290 --> 00:24:18,990 out into the ether and wondering, 600 00:24:18,990 --> 00:24:22,560 was there one that in particular was going to 601 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,630 be resonant to me? 602 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:26,720 And then I saw it. 603 00:24:26,870 --> 00:24:28,160 And I not just saw it, 604 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:29,620 but I felt it. 605 00:24:29,630 --> 00:24:32,780 And it became so clear that my hands could 606 00:24:32,810 --> 00:24:34,490 barely keep up with my thoughts as I 607 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:36,560 hurriedly wrote it all down, 608 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,690 scribbled it down and then started typing it 609 00:24:38,690 --> 00:24:42,060 out. Now, if you want to hear what that idea 610 00:24:42,060 --> 00:24:44,880 was, you can listen to that talk in episode 611 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,130 92 of this podcast. 612 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:48,570 That was back. Oh gosh, 613 00:24:48,570 --> 00:24:51,570 Episode 92 must have been in 2018 that I did 614 00:24:51,570 --> 00:24:53,430 that. So you can there's a link in the show 615 00:24:53,430 --> 00:24:55,290 notes, but you can also just go back and find 616 00:24:55,290 --> 00:24:56,550 episode 92. 617 00:24:56,850 --> 00:24:59,700 That is what it means to be open to ideas, 618 00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:01,230 but not only being open to ideas, 619 00:25:01,230 --> 00:25:03,330 but also be willing to activate them. 620 00:25:03,330 --> 00:25:05,370 Now, I had some trepidation, 621 00:25:05,370 --> 00:25:08,460 some uncertainty, some self-doubt about this 622 00:25:08,460 --> 00:25:10,080 talk that I was putting together, 623 00:25:10,110 --> 00:25:12,270 the content of it and the delivery of it, 624 00:25:12,270 --> 00:25:14,190 and you'll hear more about that. Also an 625 00:25:14,190 --> 00:25:15,420 episode 92. 626 00:25:15,420 --> 00:25:21,090 But I also realized that I was the chosen 627 00:25:21,090 --> 00:25:25,200 messenger for that idea and for that audience 628 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,720 because there was no one else that had the 629 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,020 unique set of circumstances that I had with 630 00:25:31,020 --> 00:25:34,290 history, politics, business, 631 00:25:34,290 --> 00:25:36,750 technology that could bring all of that 632 00:25:36,750 --> 00:25:39,570 together in a unique and interesting way. 633 00:25:39,670 --> 00:25:42,640 So it was up to me to activate it because my 634 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,060 audience was waiting for it and your audience 635 00:25:46,060 --> 00:25:47,410 is waiting for you. 636 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,900 And this is exactly what we do when we work 637 00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:51,220 with our clients. And the Thought Leader 638 00:25:51,220 --> 00:25:54,490 Academy is we provide them that coaching and 639 00:25:54,490 --> 00:25:57,040 that feedback and that guidance on the 640 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,780 development of their ideas and their 641 00:25:58,780 --> 00:26:00,040 signature talks. 642 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,380 But along with the coaching and feedback, 643 00:26:02,410 --> 00:26:05,410 it really is also validation of their ideas, 644 00:26:05,410 --> 00:26:06,610 letting them know, yes, 645 00:26:06,610 --> 00:26:08,080 you're on the right path, 646 00:26:08,110 --> 00:26:10,510 keep going, keep digging in there, 647 00:26:10,510 --> 00:26:12,070 providing that encouragement and that 648 00:26:12,070 --> 00:26:13,990 support. Because like I said in the 649 00:26:13,990 --> 00:26:15,790 beginning, those four layers of thought 650 00:26:15,820 --> 00:26:17,740 leadership, your expertise, 651 00:26:17,740 --> 00:26:19,960 your big idea, your personal story and 652 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,120 experience and that emotional courage, 653 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,300 all of those are necessary to put yourself 654 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:28,090 out there to become the thought leader that 655 00:26:28,090 --> 00:26:31,300 you want to be and to make an impact on your 656 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:33,520 audience. Again, if you would like to join us 657 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:34,840 in the Thought Leader Academy, you can get 658 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,310 all the details at speaking your 659 00:26:36,310 --> 00:26:38,800 brand.com/academy. 660 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:41,710 Until next time, thanks for listening. 661 00:26:41,710 --> 00:26:44,440 And don't forget, your audience is waiting 662 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:45,070 for you.