Yes, that’s right: SPEAKING.
At the tail end of last year (and after much deliberation; is it poncy, is it not?) I added a ‘Speaking’ tab to my blog. First, to record all the speaking engagements that I am lucky enough to get/give and second, to serve as a way for folk to not only see the way I work, but also get in touch should they wish to book me.
Last year topped out at three different presentations and talks, and given that 2011’s end number was six, I really don’t think this is good enough.
After reviewing last year’s fairly lacklustre efforts I decided that this year, 2013, I’m going to proactively hunt down new speaking opportunities and get back into the swing of things again. The best thing is, my new responsibilities at Ogilvy now allow me the freedom to pursue this goal, which means I can make the time where appropriate. Brilliant.
Saying it is one thing, but doing it is another – a bit like running, really; you just need to put the effort in. Which is why, after only three weeks gone in the year, there are four slots already on the horizon!
The two I can tell you about?
January 22nd
Tomorrow I’m speaking at the SocialTV conference. The speaker line up looks great and, after my post last year about how hard TV-based social media integration is failing, I believe I’m being pitched in to add a bit of realism to the proceedings. I can’t wait!
January 24th
Then on Thursday, I’m one of the speakers at the SalesForce Social Success Mic-Up. This time speaking about social media trends looking forward into 2013. I made some predictions in August last year and for this sessions I’ll be building on those and trying to see what else we can see coming ’round the corner.
Two confirmed, and two under discussion. If the latter come in, I’ve already beaten last year’s score. Perfect.
It’s amazing what you can achieve when you set yourself a goal like that.
Who’d a thunk it?
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Additional reading: being a better speaker, by Terence Eden