Finding Our Superpower: Why I’m Not a Keynote Speaker

Hello everyone 👋🏻 It’s October, and we are well into the Q4 conference season. At the end of last month, I spent an amazing few days in Chicago at the GAINS summit, where I moderated an expert panel talking about some of the biggest industry challenges right now, from data and prediction to visibility, and how technology can help us tackle them. I stayed in Chicago for Inland24, where I caught up with old friends, hosted Inland TV and made some new connections, too. 

At the end of this month, I’ll be in Cleveland attending the NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference – which you NEED to be at, by the way. Cybersecurity is the biggest threat to supply chain right now, but so many organizations just do not know where to start when it comes to mitigating that risk. This event has some of the biggest names in cybersecurity speaking, so if you want to protect your organization, and your supply chains, make sure you register now.

And, for my birthday next month, I’ll be flying to Atlanta for the Women in Supply Chain Forum, one of the best events of the season. There are few things I like to do more than celebrate the incredible achievements of the hardworking, and oftentimes overlooked, women that drive our industry forward every single day. 

And this is totally normal for me. I attend multiple events and conferences every single year. I’ve spoken in the past about anxiety and my struggle with public speaking and, look, I can’t lie. I often still get nervous beforehand. But I’ve gathered the tools I need to manage those nerves, from special breathing patterns to distraction techniques – to taking a spare shirt, when I just can’t stop the anxious sweats from kicking in! I even have a pre-performance routine like athletes do (something I learned from my years of baseball!) 

But the other huge part of what has both liberated and empowered me – as I go from event to event, panel to panel, networking session to networking session – is constantly working on my self-worth, so I know my strengths. 

Last month, I talked about how I truly believe in trying new things – it’s the advice I give to everyone. You might discover a wonderful but unexpected talent; learn what you love, and what you don’t; learn what you’re good at, and what you’re not. 

And, for me, I’ve learned: I’m not a keynote speaker! 

It’s definitely unusual for a professional podcaster, for someone whose job is constantly speaking! What can I say, I’m a paradox! 

But standing up on a stage, alone with a PowerPoint, is just not for me. 

I’ve been asked, many times, to take keynote speaking opportunities. And my answer was always no. But that decision to say no, time and again, was something I really had to reflect on. Why was I standing in my own way? Was this my fear of public speaking rearing its ugly head again? Was it a fear of putting myself out there, or of going it alone? It was painful to confront myself like that. 

Then I realized I was coming at the problem from completely the wrong angle ...

Instead of asking myself about my weaknesses, I should have been thinking about my strengths. My superpowers. 

And my superpower is conversation. It’s engaging with people. Why has Let’s Talk Supply Chain become so popular? The insightful, fun, and unique conversations I have with my guests. How have I grown such a huge industry community? Through open, honest, two-sided conversation. And why am I booked, time and again, to moderate panels and host networking sessions? Can you see a pattern emerging?! It’s because I create engaging conversations.

And speaking AT people is not a conversation. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, keynote speaking is a vitally important resource, a hugely popular form of learning. My scheduled playlist of TED Talk’s is looooong. 

But it’s just not my superpower – and that’s OK!       

Figuring that out was huge for me, but it was only part of the story. Because, in a world of TED Talks and keynotes and inspirational after dinner speakers, how did I communicate the value in my superpower? How did I secure opportunities, and work with my dream brands and individuals, without compromising my boundaries? 

Those of you shouting “COLLABORATION!” at your screen right now – you’re my people! I always say that collaboration is the future of business, and it works in pretty much every single situation. I was honest with brands. I communicated the potential in my superpower, and opened up collaborative discussions through which we could achieve the best results for everyone. 

Take my first Women in Supply Chain Forum appearance, for example. They asked me to be the keynote speaker and I said yes – there’s no way I could’ve turned down that opportunity! But I then worked with them to make that opportunity what I wanted it to be so, together, we could make the most impact. I started my speech with my own story, and pulled in Marina (the brains behind the forum!) to tell hers. Then we asked the audience questions, gave them a chance to discuss the answers amongst themselves, and asked them to share those questions and answers with the rest of the room, stimulating more discussion and creating opportunities for relationship-building.

And, let me tell you – magic happened.

Attendees were inspired and empowered; they left that room and went into networking sessions with a greater sense of confidence, having already been introduced to others, which made them feel more comfortable, and set them on a positive path for the rest of the event. 

And that experience solidified my belief in my superpower, and that I can do things my way. 

Often I’ll bring a keynote element to an appearance, so I’ll speak for a short time before engaging the audience and making it interactive. Whether that’s through a poll or Q&A, or doing my best performer impression and asking the crowd where they’re from! I demonstrate the value I can bring to panels, coaxing answers to tough questions and gleaning the best insights, from industry experts. And I take my ‘roving reporter’ alter ego out for informal interviews and to keep the energy high on the show floor.  

None of these things were necessarily offered to me, at first at least. But I thought outside the box, thought about how I could make an opportunity my own; how I could take a situation and flip it, align it to my superpower – and still deliver the best results for the client. 

So, I want you to think about that. If something is out of your comfort zone, absolutely try and push yourself if you can. But don’t forget to ask yourself if you’re saying no out of fear, or if you’re saying no because the opportunity fundamentally doesn’t align with who you are and what you do. 

What is your superpower? 

-Sarah