No Step of Your Life Journey is Ever Wasted

This is the first time I was speaking in public since 2019 so there was a bit of trepidation on my side. I was also afraid that my public speaking skills might be a lot rusty. Life is always much easier when you’re doing virtual classes than physical ones.

Anyway, I accepted and then started to worry as the day got closer. I almost talked myself out of it and even wanted to recommend that we do a Zoom session instead. I’m truly happy that I didn’t give in to my fears!

As I prepared the talk, something told me not to do a PowerPoint presentation. I always follow these nudges so I crafted my presentation points on flashcards…42 of them. I remembered to number them because I’ve seen people lose it when their cards fall and they can’t remember the sequence.

When I arrived at the event, the first thing I noticed was the income disparities amongst the audience. I knew this would also mean language disparities and I was so glad that I had not come with a flashy Powerpoint presentation! That would definitely have overwhelmed almost half of the participants.

But then I had a new problem: My examples and some of the content would not be easy to translate across the board. So I had to think fast and come up with new examples.

Then, as I worried about that, two people asked me if I could speak Kiswahili fluently. I smiled and said “Yes.” They didn’t look like they believed me. Oh, the shock!

That day, my experience in all places I’ve worked as a social science researcher came in handy. A short prayer before starting also helped immensely.

I always pray before coaching sessions and presentations and my prayer is “Holy Spirit guide me.” Deep breathes and this prayer combined work to help to ground me. They also act as a reminder to get out of my own way.

My Swahili during the presentation was on point and effortless. The ease with which I was able to move between English and Swahili and to localize my examples and amplify them when needed…that was pure magic.

Looking back I can see that this seeming effortless presentation actually came from years of training as a social science researcher. My training included speaking in barazas, meetings and conferences; and conducting interviews and focus group discussions in villages in Nyanza, Western, Rift Valley and Coast provinces.

Add in my experience as a coach and also in my own business…plus all the presentations I’ve done over the years, and hosting video presentations and coaching sessions since February 2020. It all came together that day.

We connected.

Some women cried.

Some labelled me a woman of faith.

There was learning on all sides, even for me.

On my side, I left the event feeling highly fulfilled and totally drained. So much so that I blacked out by 8pm!

Today I woke up thinking about claiming your expertise. The talk on Saturday had far-reaching effects on my psyche than I thought. I’m still feeling as if something shifted inside and outside.

The interesting thing is that I don’t feel excited. There’s just a settling in my heart and spirit. This goes beyond my business Vision and right into changing people’s lives at whatever level they are. Some of the women mentioned that they were going to teach other women what I had taught them. This, for me, is how we change society: one person at a time.

Every week, I hear from people who are struggling to find their space in the world. Some are employed, others are in business, and there are others who are in that space where they’re not sure whether to get a job or start a business.

My advice as of today is: Wherever you are right now is the space to start. One of the best questions to start with is, “How can I be of value to the people around me or to my organization?“ This goes beyond just working and getting paid a salary or for whatever you provide through your business. It’s about helping people and organizations transform even as you get paid to do what you do.

If you can identify what people are suffering from and tap into their deepest fears and doubts, and then bridge the gap into helping them get from there to a more positive and empowered space, then you have a winner!

So if you’re struggling to get your footing, don’t worry…it will come. Just pick what is in your hands now. Work with that. Improve. Borrow from your life and professional or business experiences. Then take action and see what unfolds.

Growth will come. One day, it will be your turn to look back and marvel at how the seemingly unrelated steps of your journey have landed you exactly where you need to be at that time!

(Images courtesy of Pexels)

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you scale up with less stress and in less time

1. Eliminate self-sabotage, overcome imposter syndrome, get unstuck and soar in Break Free, Live Your Life. This is my signature personal growth program for high achieving professional and business women. Take the program in a group or sign up to work with a coach 1-1.
2. Monetize your expertise in 12 Weeks to Startup. This 3-month business startup program is ideal if people are always coming to you for help or if you’ve been sharing information for free and you want to monetize this. The program requires only 10-12 hours a week so you can take it even if you’re in full-time employment.
   Find out more about 12 Weeks to Startup.
3. Learn and connect with like-minded women in Elevate Community. I set up Elevate in 2020 when my former business coaching clients asked for a way to continue learning and connecting with each other without being in a coaching program. We meet weekly on Zoom to learn from an expert and also connect with each other in a separate Q&A call. Find out more about Elevate.
4. Work with me 1-1 if you’re ready for exponential growth and you have a mission to create an impact in your community and beyond. Let’s talk…