So...What About this Speaking Thing?

I've had an influx of questions lately, both in person and through messages, about the speaking I've done and where I hope to go with it in the future. I thought it might be easier to just write a post about it and share it with anyone who wants to know! (So if you or someone you know falls in that "anyone who wants to know" category, here you go!

* So...you speak now?

This is a common (and warranted!) question from anyone who knew me in high school, college, or my early adult years. Back in those days, I was painfully shy, and public speaking was not even in the same country as my radar, let alone on my radar. So the answer to that question is yes! Isn't God good? He can take the most shy, terrified, backward girl and equip her to do what He wants, all in His way, and His time. So, yes. I do speak now. And yes, that is a change from days of yore.

* Where do you speak?

My most common audience is adult women, but they're not my only audience! The bulk of my speaking invitations come from women's groups affiliated with churches, so I usually end up speaking at women's retreats or breakfasts/brunches/dinners. But I've also been asked to speak to Bible studies, senior adult groups, church services, book clubs, business groups, college classes, and even an all-men's group! If the message and timetable of the invitation is a good fit for me, I'll speak wherever I'm invited. But women's groups are my main audience, and it's fair to say that group is my biggest passion.

* Is my group too small? (Or too big?)

A dear friend asked me this not long ago. She was arranging a day for me to come to her church and speak for a brunch, and after all her questions, she added almost apologetically that they were only expecting about 50 people. She feared that might be too small a group to be worth my time. Absolutely not! I speak to groups of all sizes!  

*What do you talk about?

Ryan's patients ask him if I'm a motivational speaker. I always hope the people who hear me can walk away motivated to do something, but I wouldn't classify myself as a motivational speaker. Most of my talks are about a blend of everyday life and serving the Lord (and how to combine the two). I have growing list of topics already prepared, but I'm always happy to write something brand new for a group if they have a topic in mind and it's something I've not spoken about before. My goal is always to present in a way that is creative and will cause anyone who listens to think about life and the Lord in a new way. (I'm also a big fan of visual aids. Kindergarten methods ran deep for me!)

* Will you travel to speak?

This is a question I've gotten a lot lately, and the fast answer is yes! I live in central Indiana, but I am not opposed to traveling to speak to a group. Having said that, if I'm going very far, I need to make sure I can work out the travel details with the place inviting me, and I always want to try to bring Ryan with me if at all possible. (He's my "road manager.")

* So Ryan goes with you wherever you go?

If possible, absolutely! He likes to go with me and support what I do, and he wants to be there to do all the literal heavy lifting of my things, pray over me before I speak, take pictures for me, and just be a general support from the sidelines. I have learned that things go much better when he's there, so I try hard to make sure he can go before I say yes to anything.

* Does he ever speak, too? 

Actually, at my last event, he did! It was a Sunday morning worship service, and the church that invited me had brought me in before, so they were familiar with both of us. They said if Ryan wanted to share in the service, he was welcome to do so, and that was all the invitation I needed! We both shared from the platform that day, and it was a joy to have that opportunity! We are currently working on some material about marriage that we would love to present together, so we hope for more opportunities like that!

* How long will you talk and how much does it cost?

I can speak for as long or as short of a time as needed. I've done hour-long presentations before, I do many that are closer to a half hour in length, and I can do single or multi-session events. The cost depends on the number of times I'm speaking and the size of the crowd. I speak because this is what God has called me to do, so I don't let the money talk drive me, but this is also my livelihood, so I want to be sure to be able to contribute to our household financially through my work!

* How can I get in touch with you or how do I tell someone at my church about you?

In an attempt to make all that a little easier, I have a website now! You can access it here, and it has the bulk of the information on it that any organization would need to know to get a sense of who I am and what I have to offer. You can pass along the site or my email, which is listed under the contact section of the site, if you want to share my information with someone at your church or other organization!

* How far in advance do we need to contact you?

I'm currently working on filling up this fall (2017). Most groups I serve don't meet much in the summer, due to vacations and busy schedules, so they're beginning to reconvene and make plans for fall and the Christmas season, so this is when I'll begin to make those arrangements. Having said that, I have one retreat on the calendar already for spring 2018, and I've had another group ask about the same weekend I'm already committed, so sometimes the calendar does fill up a ways out. Just in case, I always recommend checking in as soon as you think you might be interested, because I always hope the time slot will be open for us to serve together!

So there you go! Working on filling up fall and winter...would love to work with you if possible! 

Let me know, and if you're in a position to share the information with someone who is a planner, please do! I would love to see you while I'm out and about!  

Linking up with Tamar today, too!