The next Lift event is Friday, Nov. 17, 12:15 to 1:15 pm, at the Arts Building at 464 S Fletcher
(Submitted)
The Lift Event at the Arts Building in Gibsons was created by Katherine Scott, a leadership coach and member of Morningstars Toastmasters Club, to offer opportunities for speaking to Sunshine Coast entrepreneurs.
Haida Bolton, Ria Qureshi, and Shannon Woode were the speakers at the first Lift Event this fall.
The next Lift event is Friday, Nov. 17, 12:15 to 1:15 pm, at the Arts Building at 464 S Fletcher Road in Gibsons. One of the featured speakers will be Margot Grant, editor of The Coast Clarion.
More information about the Lift Event can be found at sunshinecoastspeakers.com. You are welcome to join us on Friday.
What is the benefit of the Lift Event?
If you’ve ever thought of public speaking as a tool to amplify your success but the thought of an audience terrifies you, you’re in good company. Nicole Kidman, Richard Branson, Julia Roberts and Winston Churchill are just a few well known people who all suffered from fear of public speaking.
They didn’t let it stop them, obviously.
There’s a reason for the fear: it triggers a fight-or-flight response. Our psyche sees no difference between an audience and a sabre tooth tiger.
Though it’s easy to avoid audiences (and sabre tooth tigers!), there may come a time when the desire to overcome the fear is stronger than all the reasons not to.
That’s one of the reasons behind The Lift Event held regularly at the Arts Building in Gibsons: an opportunity to speak to an audience in a very casual and relaxed setting. If you’re curious, you’re invited to come and support the other speakers by giving them your attention.
If you have a compelling reason for public speaking, here is a five-step process to develop your confidence and ability as a speaker.
1. Showing Up As Your Essential Best
“What we know matters, but who we are matters more'”
~ Brene Brown
When you take the time to ask yourself who you are at your best, you begin to see the world from an abundance perspective rather than a scarcity perspective. You can begin to see that coming from your essential best invites your audiences – whether it’s one person or many – to come from their best as well.
Having this knowledge shifts you from reacting to your nervousness to responding to it and, over time, even using it to be better.
2. Speaking As a Form of Leadership
“Leadership is unlocking peoples’ potential to become better”
~Bill Bradley
People who put themselves in front of an audience have a compelling purpose for doing so. They are taking a stand for something: their values, their gifts, their motivations. They are stepping into a leadership role. Speakers are leaders who are passionate and committed to an ideal.
3. Speaking to Move Your Vision Forward
‘Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others’
~Jonathan Swift
Instead of setting your goals and pushing to reach them, a vision pulls you forward. It’s a guide for helping you make the right choices, even if you change your mind as you go.
Your larger vision for your life and career create a context for developing your speaking abilities to enhance your choices. You can choose where best to apply those abilities; in networking situations, doing workshops, presenting author talks, performing a moderator role, etc.
4. Speaking to Create Community
“There is something special when creative people get together”
~Joy Mangan
Your ideal audience is made up of the people who are interested in what you offer or who want to work with you. They’re the ones who will respond to your vision and your story. The more vulnerable and honest you are in your story, the more easily you will forge a connection with them.
They want to know that you are not perfect, that you’ve had difficult times in your life, and you’re willing to share those stories with them.
5. Speaking as a Tool For Pulling It All Together
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”
~Neil Gaiman
This is where you pull together your essential best, your leadership role, your vision and your community. As you pull it all together your actions will come from inspiration and abundance, not desperation and scarcity.
Whatever form of speaking you choose – live audiences, sales conversations, videos, podcasting, etc – you get to play. You get to build the business and life that you want and public speaking is an integral part of it.