My First Speaking Engagement

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Added: Mon Jun 16th 5:14pm

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 The evening of September 14^th, the night of my first speaking engagement, turned out to be rainy and rather miserable.  But, that didn’t deter about 40 hearty New Hampshire folks who turned out to hear me talk about the Why – the How - the What.  Why I wrote the book, How it went from a dream to a reality, and What it’s all about.

 

The Friends of the Sleeper-Minot Library in Bristol, NH did a great job of publicizing the event.  There were press releases, posters in the windows of local businesses, and of course the big marquee.  Not knowing what to expect in the way of a turnout, and the audience reaction to my book, were probably the most anxiety-producing parts of this whole event.

 

I awoke that morning with big-time butterflies but a good walk took care of them, and I made sure the rest of the day was very low-key.  I did all my errands and other tasks the day before, freeing me up to stay calm, cool and collected on the day of my talk.

 

My strategy worked and at 6:30 off we drove to the Masonic Hall in Bristol.  Once we arrived, I became a bit nervous, but the adrenaline was useful in pumping me up for the talk.  Given the weather I wasn’t sure anyone would show up, but once they started coming in, I knew I would be talking to more than just a handful of people.

 

I had been preparing for the talk for quite a few weeks.  I even had a few props, including an apple and a funny poster.  Things went very well, there were a few laughs, a good many questions at the end, and then we sold and autographed books.  It turned out to be a fun time, complete with coffee and pastries, and I met many very nice people who were incredibly supportive.

 

Now that I know I’ve got the right formula for my talks, I feel more confident about doing more in the future.

 

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