What makes someone the best of the best?
Lighting a fire inside my audience.
DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE THE BEST OF THE BEST?
Shannon’s August update.
A few weeks back I went to the NSA Speakers Influencer Conference. Those of you who know me know that my life bucket list is filled with watching the greatest athletes compete in their biggest event (Superbowl, World Series, Wimbledon, Summer Olympics, etc.). At the NSA conference I witnessed some of the best speakers in the world do what they do best – tell their story in an entertaining way, inspire their audience into action, and light the stage on FIRE with their presence!!
It got me thinking a lot about what it means to be the best. As an athlete it’s all about tenths of a second, the winning score, the fastest time, and the last person standing. It’s black and white, no gray area. I like that about sports. But in so many other areas of life, all there is a gray area, and what an opportunity that is. All of the presentations and speakers I saw were completely different, with their own unique presence on stage. Some were eloquent in their storytelling and some literally lifted you out of your chair with their sheer amount of energy they exuded. It gave me confidence in what I do on stage and brought forth many ideas on how I can improve - which is so exciting for my future audiences!
MY KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Don’t focus on being the best, focus on being the best at getting better!
If you get to a place where you ARE the best, CONGRATULATIONS, but just know that there are millions of other people who want to be where you are and will do whatever it takes to succeed. You must continue to evolve, try new things, make massive improvements and if you are committed to being the best at getting better you will be darn tough to beat!!
2. Be relentlessly focused on your target audience.
Each of the speakers on stage knew exactly how to evoke emotions from their listeners, because they knew who their audience was and what they valued. You can make this same magic happen when you take the time to get to know your audience, understand their wants and needs, and address them. Whether it is a business customer, a spouse or someone else - know your audience better than they know themselves and you’ll instantly become a better speaker, partner, salesperson, or friend.
3. When you do something, go ALL IN!
Whether it’s standing in the spotlight on stage or presenting a project to your coworkers, people will gain respect for you and the ability to trust you in the future if you give it your very best. Even if you fail, it’s ok, you gave it everything you had and that is extremely admirable.
I’ve been doing a lot of improving this summer - trying new things, listening closely to my customer and being relentlessly focused on how I can be the best speaker - and one day be on the stage with the masters. It’s been a great season of discovery and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with all of you and hopefully see you in my audience again sometime soon.
Cheers to giving it your all and making your dreams come true. Keep being extraordinary!
-Shannon :)
Can’t believe I’m already saying this, but… winter is coming!
As winter is right around the corner, my ski days are booking up faster than Mikaela Shiffrin skiing slalom!! If you want to book a day with me for your family or a corporate event please email me directly (mogulmama@mac.com) so I can make sure to get you on my calendar!