When I returned to the world of Conference Speaking I wasn't sure that a message based on complex ideas like the interaction between our DNA, behavior and the environment was going to be taken up. Other speakers thought the ideas would be over people's heads. Matt Church, on the other hand, kept me accountable to the Thought Leaders' mission of idea innovation, clear message delivery and commercial accountability. He pushed me to write my a book on the subject, and that's how The Energy Bucket was born.
With the help of a great team I've been able to get my message out more quickly and effectively than I though possible: Mike - my office manager who proofs everything, makes sure I validate it, and ensures I have a beginning, middle and an end to each stream of thought; Aquila - my sister - who does everything IT, from website to logo, to newsletter; and John - my partner - who believes in me, my ideas and supports everything I do. Matt Church, Elle and the Thought Leaders community are an extension of that team.
And that's the point. Great ideas and new IP have to be nurtured, tested and validated. That takes a team. New IP is embryonic at first, it takes a lot of thinking and testing of your ideas before clarity comes. The Thought Leaders community is part of that process. Thought Leaders provides a platform where we can test our ideas, re-work and re-test. Each iteration gets a hearing, the superfluous fluff is stripped away, and if your idea really is good, it gets refined. Presenting your ideas to a community of really bright people is scary, and confronting, but because we're all in the same boat - Thought Leaders provides a forum where the fear of failure is reduced, where you can get honest feedback, and where you are encouraged to think deeply, have audacious ideas and get them out into the world.
I've done Matt Church's Million Dollar Expert Program three times, and each time I've been able to distill more of my IP. Pink Sheets are crucial to this process, they force you turn what you know into something you can share. World Class Presenter reinforced how to deliver my message and the Winter Showcase was the platform that allowed me to put it all together. Matt's mentoring throughout this was priceless, the contribution of other presenters in Showcase - invaluable.
Yesterday I spoke to over 500 Real Estate Agents at Pittard's National Real Estate Conference at the Brisbane Convention Centre. I was the last speaker in a jam-packed day. I spent 90 minutes talking about the latest discoveries in quantum biology, and how our DNA, personality, behavior and emotions interact. I showed how this effects performance and productivity. I started at 3.30pm and finished at 5pm. Not one person left the room. I looked at the faces in front of me and I saw a group of highly engaged individuals who were furiously taking notes and participating in the exercises. They got it!
Marg Booth from Great Expectations brought clients to see me and they got it. After the event, in the cafes and restaurants around the Convention Centre conversation was buzzing with the realisations people were having about their own personalities, moods and performance. People were owning it and hungry for more. So many attendees hit my website all at once that it crashed momentarily!
Earlier this month I presented in-house to the employees of a fitness centre about the importance of treating each client as an individual, and how their attitude as professionals effects their clients at a cellular level. They couldn't get enough.
Last month I spoke to a room full of parents and teachers about the effect of DNA, personality and behavior on bullying. The got it!
The next day I spoke to 100 public servants at the Department of Infrastructure. The presentation was simulcast to 1000 staff members across two departments. They got it!
So don't be afraid to have big, hairy, audacious ideas. Just invest the time and energy to go through the process. Engage with the Thought Leaders Community. Do the programmes, take the feedback from those qualified to provide it, and get out there. You never know who your ideas will help, or how they might change the world.
Hi Lis,
ReplyDeleteWhat shines for me hear is conviction. I agree absolutely with everything you've said but beneath it all is your absolute passion and conviction. That is irresistible and contagious. It's a timely reminder of WAY BIG
Hi Lis
ReplyDeleteIts amazing what we don't realise we know, what personal life and business experiences are unique to us and more importantly how that information knowledge and experience can assist others. It is a fantastic journey, taking the lid of our own intellectual DNA and sharing it with the world.
In their great book 'Made to Stick', Chip and Dan Heath talk about 'The Curse of Knowledge' - once we know something we cannot know what it's like to not know it. This is often expressed by the expert who spends a lifetime researching, sorting and developing their body of knowledge. Alas, they spend much less time on packaging the idea so others will get it. As Thought Leaders we need to be working on both sides of the coin.
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