How did you become a public speaker?

I am asked this question a lot! So, here's my story.

I graduated from St. Cloud State as a Communications major. I always wanted to do public speaking - but it seemed I had nothing to talk about. I recognized that all the great speakers I had heard to date had been through some life-changing experience. This was not me, nor did I want it to be. I like my life. Not looking for a tragedy here just so I could speak in front of people.

So, I looked at motivational speaking, pulling from the good experiences in my life. Turns out my youth hadn't given me the material just yet to be interesting enough. My mom lovingly teased me that I wasn't motivated enough to become a motivational speaker. There was some truth to that - but more importantly, I just enjoyed proving her wrong.

So there I was one day, working as the school manager of Josef's School of Hair Design in Grand Forks when I got the CALL. A lady on the phone was wondering if our school would donate a gift certificate to the Administrative Professionals luncheon for their silent auction. I said, "yes". She then asked if I could like to attend the lunch. I said "Who is your guest speaker?" She said "We haven't chosen one yet, do you know of someone who would be interested?"

A voice, not of my own, the one we all have, DEEP DOWN, that doesn't have reason or disbelief in our abilities said "I would like to do it!"

With that, she asked me to pitch my idea and she would take it back to the board members.

I went home that night and researched IAAP - wow, they were a BIG deal! What was I thinking? All of a sudden the voice of reason and disbelief said to me - Heather, this is too big for you. My friends and family actually said - Heather, this is too big for you. I was panicked and it was everything I could do to NOT pick up the phone and back out.

I sat at the computer, lost. Empty. What was I thinking? Then all of a sudden, it happened. My fingers started typing. They just typed and typed and typed. My husband came to check on me and I said "Don't talk to me, don't look at me, please just bring me a glass of wine."
Twenty minutes later, Shoes of Life was born. Not entirely, but the idea was there. Typed on my computer. Looking back, thinking of how mindlessly my fingers were typing away, I KNOW that this core idea for a speech could only come from one place: Our Heavenly Father.

I pitched the idea - and they thought it would be great for this event.

It was only a 10 minute speech, but I practiced for hours and hours and hours! I practiced in front of everyone who would listen. (Thanks to everyone who would listen.) I fell in love with a HOT PINK suit and bought it the minute I found out I was giving the speech. My shoes were much harder to find. I looked in EVERY shoe store in town. No kidding. The pair I found was perfect. This outfit was harder to put together than my wedding gown/shoes/veil.

My big day came. I had two tables full of family and friends that were there to support me. Ten minutes before it was time, I panicked. I mean, freaked. Thank God I had my husband there to calm me down - and then pull me out of freak zone right before I went on stage.

I got on stage and began my speech. I said my thank yous, etc. etc. and then BLANKED OUT. I mean BLANKED. I had no idea how to begin Shoes of Life. For what seemed like an hour - but was really maybe 35 seconds - I finally began. My ten minutes of fame went great from there. I walked away feeling so amazing, so accomplished. I had done it! And my mom was there to see it!