One Year Update
One Year Update
It's been a whole year since I made the decision to go fully independent. Here are some highlights!
One year ago I made the difficult decision to go fully independent, leaving the Portland based consulting group I was part of for nearly seven years.
Here are some of the highlights from my first year out on my own!
A Leap of Faith
Last year, I began consolidating my efforts into more purposeful choices and I became choosier about where and how I wanted to spend my time. I started taking bigger risks as I embraced walking my talk (you’ve seen my TEDx Talk on taking risks, instead of playing it safe right?).
Maybe it was a consequence of finally allowing myself to fully emerge from the dramatic shifts of 2020. Maybe it was as simple as realizing that as time is passing I have a limited number of years to enjoy with a school-aged kid at home. Or maybe it was because I had been wanting to really stretch my wings and leap to adventure and challenge, to see if I could truly fly!
But after careful consideration and many discussions with my family and colleagues, I made a life-changing decision to leave the Portland based consulting group I had joined after moving back to Oregon, and go all-in on Art of Change, the speaking and training business that my best-selling author of a dad founded… and then passed into my control when he retired.
I didn’t make any grand announcements, no press release, no party. I just did it. Quietly. Which meant that nobody really clocked the change unless I told them. In retrospect, this was a mistake. Taking risks, can feel scary, it would have been brilliant to reach out to my network and ask you to celebrate with me, and maybe even cheer me on! Not announcing meant taking on all of the pressure of change largely on my own. Strength building to be sure, but I’m counting this as something I would do differently if I could go back. I’ve seen colleagues announce job transitions, becoming independent consultants, and more, and when I ask them about it, they tell me it’s great. Worst case, people celebrate! Best case, people feel motivated to explore possible work opportunities together.
Outcome: I learned a valuable lesson here… and you can learn from my experience! If you’re doing something BIG, and you don’t know how it’s going to go, it’s actually great to let people know you’re taking that leap. Some will show support, and support is a wonderful thing!
An Incredible Project
One of the best projects I worked on all year was with a major automotive manufacturer headquartered here in Portland. I created two train-the-trainer programs for Daimler Trucks North America’s DEIB program champions.
Their Challenge: Each year, a group of volunteers from inside all parts of the company facilitate conversations around topics related to equity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace. These volunteers needed to learn how to facilitate discussions in a way that saw the needs and issues of all of the people in the room, including those who have no interest in having these conversations to begin with.
What I did: I created two customized train the trainer programs.
Session 1: Facilitation Fundamentals, was designed to equip participants with tools (and practice in these tools) that would help them 1) manage their mindset, 2) set up clear expectations for discussion, behavior and desired outcomes 3) manage time and group participation in ways that would enhance their conversations.
Session 2: Facilitating Difficult Conversations, pulled communication tools from my Demystifying Difficult People and Reason in an Outraged World programs, to help the DEI Program champions create environments that foster curiosity, exploration and the ability for their participants to say hard things.
Outcome: These programs were a huge success. The feedback was great, and some of the discussions that we had in simply practicing the tools were enlightening in and of themselves. Often times in facilitating DEI related conversations the emphasis on ‘correct’ vs ‘incorrect’ thinking can be counterproductive to creating the desired outcome of a workplace of belonging. These champions were set up to facilitate discussions where people could actually experience being in a place of belonging, and ideas could be freely shared and explored by a whole group. We are already discussing running these trainings again for next years volunteer cohort!
A Fantastic Conference Experience
My favorite conference experience this year (and let me tell you, this was a super-tough choice) was giving the closing plenary for the California Child Support Directors Association Annual Training Conference & Expo.
The ask: I was asked to adapt my TEDx on taking risks and breaking mental routines in order to create positive change. They wanted the audience, who like many of you are facing massive operational changes, to leave the conference feeling inspired to do something new rather than forced to do something new. A BIG ASK!
What I did: Exactly what I was asked to do! I delivered a 1-hour keynote speech that is personal, relatable and interactive. This talk inspires and invites audience to risk doing new things in new ways in order to reach the peak of what is possible. And to acknowledge that just because something is familiar or comfortable does not mean that it’s good to continue.
Outcome: I thought it went great! But more importantly here is the feedback I received from the client as soon as I concluded my speech,
“I’ve been part of this conference for years. Your closing plenary speech was *exactly* what I wanted for this years conference. The tone, everything… perfect. Instead of shoving the idea of positive change down people’s throats, you gave a beautiful invitation. This was such a meaningful way to close today!” - CSDA’s Interim Director, Marcus Mitchell
What’s in store for this year?
I think that’s the million dollar question! I’ve just spent the last 6 weeks enjoying some much needed time with family and friends, pursuing artistic endeavors and allowing my brain and shoulders to relax. I’m renewed, I’m refreshed, and I am excited about what’s ahead!
This year I hope to have several exciting things to announce including a brand new signature keynote…. and maybe a book, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. Ultimately my favorite thing is delivering inspiring speeches, collaborating on custom workshops for your team’s interpersonal communication needs and helping to make this world a little sweeter one audience at a time. As long as I am doing this work, it’s already the best year ever.
Whatever happens this year, I’d love for YOU to be part of it.
I have room on my roster for more client work. If you know someone looking for an event speaker to help make their internal or external conference a success you can send them to my website or better yet connect us by email. And if you could use some training support to help your team improve their communication or collaboration, or address conflicting points of view more effectively, I would love to help with that too!
Thank you for being part of my first year out on my own! Here’s to round two!