Looks easy, doesn’t it? That’s what I used to think. But I can now say with certainty that it’s a hundred times harder – and more rewarding – than anyone knows.
I spent the better part of my summer writing and re-writing, agonizing and waffling over every last word, then memorizing and rehearsing until those words blurred together in my head. I enlisted friends, family and even strangers to be my devil’s advocates. I watched countless hours of other people’s talks hoping for more inspiration. And yet, something still didn’t feel right. Which only ratcheted my anxiety about the whole thing. But as the plane flew into Sun Valley a couple days before the event, I experienced an unexpected sense of calm. It’ll be what it is meant to be, I told myself. And it was. Except even better.
In the end, I delivered a talk that I’m really proud of, and about an idea that I want the world to hear. It was a fascinating personal journey to bring this story to life and I can’t wait to share the final cut of the video in December. And while I’m glad to have my weekends back, I do miss having a side project so I’ve already got some new ideas percolating around my topic … stay tuned for those, too!