I Am a Speaker: Stepping Into My Purpose

“I was born to be on a stage in the front of the room.”

This statement isn’t something I say, but truly believe with everything of my being. I remember the first time I shared my poetry on a stage. The adrenaline, the rush, the thrill danced and zoomed through my veins like a drug. I was addicted to that feeling, that freedom, that confidence.

Throughout my life, I’ve had many opportunities to be in front of a room, presenting workshops to college students and advisors. I dreamed of becoming a motivational speaker. I envisioned traveling around to different colleges, helping audiences discover pieces of their identity they often kept hidden, as I shared my own identity blindness. 

But life happened, and there was always some reason why it wasn’t the right time. I made a million excuses for why I couldn’t do it. I continued to host workshops at the college where I worked and motivated those students. And then I chose to leave Higher Education in 2017.

For almost ten years, I attempted to redefine my purpose. Educating others is in my blood, literally; all my siblings are in the teaching field in some capacity. I followed suit. I became a substitute teacher, which allowed me to teach and be in front of a room. But I was teaching a curriculum that was not mine. The need for something permanent led me to be a secretary in an elementary school.

As much as I loved my job, I knew something was missing. I wasn’t fulfilled. Then the opportunity to assist students in obtaining their high school equivalency diploma at a non-profit appeared, and I couldn’t turn it down. I remember saying in my interview that I wanted to not only support the students academically, but also teach them those soft skills like time management, conflict resolution, etc.

CAPCO hired me, and I felt like I had my chance to be back in front of a room, presenting workshops and making an impact again. Reality hit, and my position challenged me in many ways. I’ve been there for three years and have not built the leadership series yet.

And again, as much as I love my job, I keep going back to my original belief: My purpose is to be a motivational speaker.

So, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I took the plunge and decided it’s time to do it on my own. In my “Behind the Scenes” post, I shared the steps I took to become a speaker and mentioned that I had three gigs lined up for April.

On April 10th, I stood in front of 100 people ready to present “Identity Blindness.” The organizers felt I would be the best option to close out their all-staff, all-day training. The sound in the room wasn’t ideal, but I couldn’t let technology issues stop me from this moment.

Over the next 45 minutes, I connected with the audience to redefine how they perceived themselves and how they could best serve the people they worked with. It was fulfilling on so many levels.

As I watched the videos back, I realized I am not only a workshop facilitator, but a keynote speaker. As I shared my story, I had that audience locked in; their eyes were on me, and they participated in each activity. A few days later, one of the participants thanked me for my workshop and said she could listen to me present all day. She said I was captivating.

A week later, I had the opportunity to again present “Identity Blindness” to a small group of women. The time together went better than I expected. Not only did they all share their stories and connect, but they also asked me to come back and present again. I learned that although speaking to 100-plus people is thrilling, connecting with a smaller audience is just as impactful.

The next day, I had the opportunity to serve on an Alumni Author panel with six other panelists. I answered each question with conviction. I felt like I had come full circle sitting on that stage, knowing that almost 20 years ago I stood on the same stage and performed poetry.

Since then, I’ve been asked to be a keynote speaker at an upcoming women’s event, and an executive director of a non-profit requested I submit a proposal to present at their summer retreat. I submitted applications to present at numerous conferences.

I am putting my purpose into action. I am not just dreaming of being in front of a room, I’m already there. I’m not aspiring to be a motivational speaker; I am one.

This journey has been filled with moments of hope and desire and countless hours of doubt and fear. However, each of those emotions shaped me into the speaker I am today. I know I connect with the audience because I show up as my authentic self. I share moments of vulnerability and provide a safe space for them to do the same.

The greatest takeaway from this experience is that we can never deny our purpose. In my first novel, Speechless, I used the main character to write “Find your voice, know your worth, and purpose your purpose.” I didn’t only need Kennedy to hear those words, but I did. And now I want to inspire others to do the same.

We all have a story to tell, a piece of us that we don’t always share. I cannot wait to help others find their story and connect with others.