Do you say “yes” to new opportunities?
In other words, when you have the chance to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone, how do you respond? My tendency is to take the chance, and when I’ve done that, I’ve rarely regretted doing so.
Here’s some recent examples of times that I’ve said “yes” and had wonderful experiences.
Last-Minute Invitation to Present a Workshop
Kris Pool, a Toastmaster leader in Wisconsin, and I have been connected for 14 years on LinkedIn. We are not in regular communication, though she occasionally comments on my posts. She’s a member of Professional Career Speakers, a Toastmasters club that meets virtually. Their scheduled speaker had to back out at the last minute. She wrote me this message on LinkedIn on August 3:
“Any chance you are available this Saturday, August 5 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Pacific to give a workshop on using LinkedIn to promote yourself…as a speaker, presenter, and leader? We are looking at about 30-45 minutes (this time includes Q and A). The meeting theme is Leadership Opportunities. Let me know.”
Even though I would have just two days to prepare for giving this workshop, I jumped on this opportunity. I wrote Kris back immediately and said “yes, I’ll be happy to do the workshop.” We also had a Zoom call that night, and Kris told me about the club members. Having that visit helped me to craft the workshop.
Fortunately, I’ve got a wide range of templates for LinkedIn trainings I’ve provided for about this length of time. It didn’t take me long to find the best one to use and then adapt it for this Toastmasters club.
I was delighted to see a familiar face when I logged into the club meeting to give my workshop. It was Rich Hopkins, a long-time Toastmasters friend who also lives in the Denver area. He had seen a post about me presenting this workshop and was excited to see me in action.
My workshop went well, and I got terrific feedback from those who attended. I was so happy I could provide the kinds of LinkedIn tips that these professional speakers appreciated getting.
Another Opportunity Comes My Way
Shortly after the workshop concluded, my friend Rich emailed me and asked me if I would do a longer version of the workshop for his Toastmasters club, Professional Presenters. This club meets in the Denver area, and some members attend virtually. I’ve presented on LinkedIn previously in a hybrid arrangement like this, which can be challenging. Even with this challenge and the fact that I’d speak for nearly two hours, I said “yes” to Rich.
Along with my communication with Rich, I also had extensively messaged with Marty Dickinson. He did a terrific job promoting the event, and 35 people attended. Marty also did a masterful job as the evening emcee, which helped to put me at ease.
Once again, my workshop was a big hit with the attendees and a lot of fun for me. Attendees, both in person and online, brought up many questions, and I enjoyed the challenge of answering them.
When I got home, I found the following message from Erica May, one of the workshop attendees. Erica lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a leader within Toastmasters.
“Hello Joyce, I attended your training tonight and I found it valuable. I am a Toastmaster in District 43. What do I have to do to bring your training to my district?”
Just think about the opportunities that you could be saying “yes” to and the ripple effect of those decisions.
About Joyce
Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those ages 55 and older, to become more comfortable using social media, particularly Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.
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