On March 14th, I spent my day attending a virtual conference and honestly it was pretty good. In-person conferences are amazing but the software they used made it quite fun and interactive.

While I was mostly impressed with the conference, there were some disappointing aspects. A few of the keynotes were recorded from previous conferences so were not created for this one. The best keynote, though, was made specifically for this conference and I really learned a lot from it. Karla Harris spoke about her book, Lead to Win, and her Pearls of Wisdom. Karla’s Pearls.

“Performance Currency is the currency that is generated by you delivering the work that was asked of you–and a little extra.” However, performance currency goes down each time you do something above and beyond until you reach the point you can’t really deliver any extra because expectations are so high.

Relationship currency is the currency that is generated by the investments that you make in the people in your environment.

Harris insists that we need to take risks. We cannot allow ourselves to be “scaired” (loved her accent). The thing that prevents us from doing something is we’re just scared. Fear.
Fear really isn’t there. The worst that can happen is you fail, and honestly, failure brings you a gift. It gives you experience.

Networking and knowing people is your relationship currency. Fortunately, although I’m an introvert, I am able to meet people 1:1 and cultivate good relationships. I see now how that has really made a difference in my career. I’ve always said it’s not about what you know, but who you know. I see it even more clearly now. It matters.

Authenticity
Your authenticity is your distinct competitive advantage: As a leader, bringing your
authentic self to any environment motivates and inspires those who are working with you
to bring their authentic selves into that environment. Anytime we are in an environment
where we can be who we really are, we will always outperform.

We are all multifaceted. There are more than one side of you. You never know which side of you will connect when you walk into a room but relax. Your authenticity is your distinct competitive advantage.

1. Know who you are.
2. Understand, embrace and own the fact that we are all multifaceted. There’s not just one you. Inquisitive, intellectual, pensive, argumentative, listener, etc. embrace it and own it.
3. Relax and feel the energy that is in that room and then decide in that moment which facet of you can authentically impact and engage authentically with the crowd. You will know in the moment because you are not going in with predetermined ideas. You decide from what is in the room.

Do not allow the doubt to control the conversation. Make sure you articulate your voice. It is at the heart of your power.

This leads me to my second impactful speaker, Hillary Wicht, who talks about our voice. Power Leaks is about communicating with influence. Effective communication is how we make them feel.

• It’s not what you say (information), it’s how you say it that matters
• 93% of your communication is how you make someone feel
• Three most common mistakes made by women:
  1. apologizing
  2. uptalk, where statements sound like questions
  3. Fillers (um, really, like)

• Build a voice that is reflective of who you are
  1. Adjust volume to assert knowledge and expertise confidently.
  2. Enhance diction for clarity and professionalism.
  3. Replace “up-talk” with downward intonation to sound more authoritative.
  4. Minimize unnecessary apologies to maintain a position of strength
• When feeling like you need to speed up to finish, instead pause to stress important points
• Its not about lowering pitch, its about increasing resonance

We need to inform at the same time as inspiring them, not just sharing information. Women tend to have Power Leaks. These are unconscious speaking habits that siphon away your impact. Volume, Diction (Ds and Ts, ennunciate), Uptalk (Down.The.Stairs, no questions at the end of your sentences) and Apologizing are the most common. Stop using fillers. Voice our Power.

Next up, we have Kimberly Brown’s Next Move, Best Move. The part I took away from her presentation was personal branding.

I am providing the Kimberly Brown experience wherever I go.

Your experience is a combination of your character, your actions, your skills and your experiences.

How does your network experience you?

• In the office [at 7am or 6pm]
• During team gatherings
• During the “high stakes” presentations
• When you’re unsure of your next steps
• During “water cooler” conversations
• When you have to repeat yourself
• When there is a change you have to adapt to

This is part of your personal and professional brand. You have to show confidence and adaptability.
How do others see you? The whole brand. Relationships are still everything. Reinforce your brand constantly and consistently.

Make a career strategy.

1. The identification of your strengths and plan to attack your growth opportunities
2. Building your personal and professional brand and finding ways to showcase it
3. Elevating your authority to allow others to experience your brand and position you as a leader
4. Clear short and long-term objectives with corresponding milestones that you’re able to work towards

The conference ended with networking and discussions. I had tried to sign up for “free coaching” experience but sadly it filled up quickly. However, I attended a video discussion group at the end of the day that was moderated by one of the coaches. I mentioned that the couching had already filled up and later she reached out to me and set up a coaching session.

It turned out that a few of the sessions were no shows, so she was really glad she gave me the opportunity. I learned so much from here. I was on the right path for my future plans and just needed confirmation that I was on the right path. Also we discussed personal brands. The best part was when she took my enthusiasm and current job description and matched it into my future goal of systems website manager. I already have the skills, I have the vision, I have a plan. Now I just must follow through and use all the wonderful things I learned at this conference.

This blog is part of a 52 week challenge