⚡ What I learned about not talking about my expertise.

Whew!

OK, first things first, how are you? I KNOW! It’s been a hot minute.

My Summer was filled with big birthdays (including my own) and new transitions. And, yes, like many of you, I’ve been doing my best to stay calm through the chaos.

And in the calm, I’ve been reflecting on the idea of speaking up (funnily enough) and speaking on it.’ The ‘it’ being the thing that you’ve been diligently working on, and care deeply about; that idea that you want to connect people around, but have been too scared to talk about. So many of us don’t think we’re ready to share what we’ve learned, because we don’t want to be wrong; we don’t see ourselves as an expert, despite the time and effort we’ve spent on quietly learning about that ‘thing,’ or living that life.

And while we’ve been quiet, others have been sharing their half-baked ideas and creating public conversations that, quite frankly, miss the mark.

And as frustrating as that feels, we’re telling ourselves that our work will speak for itself, eventually. Right?

If you’re nodding your head right now, then you’re in luck! I’ve been working on something new for you, but I’ll get to that later. First, I’m going to admit something. I used to think that too.

I was convinced that my tenacity and ability to get results would unlock doors and open conversations, even begrudgingly. The concept is so deeply embedded in my psyche that I can still hear an elder say, “Don’t mind them! Keep going! Show them!” as I type this note!

Then I found out the hard way…

My feelings on that evolved a few years ago, after I discovered that a former colleague had been minimizing and misrepresenting my work to amplify their own achievements.

I won’t share all the details here, obviously. Still, the upshot was this: While I was working hard to solve editorial, team-building, and operational problems in real-time and creating a positive impact, the person I considered a trusted partner was raising doubts about my abilities and minimizing my achievements.

Even though I suspected all of this was happening, I told myself to let my work speak for itself. I didn’t realize at the time that my silence actually reinforced the story. My silence left others to fill in the blanks, and those doubts were false narratives.

It eventually worked out, but not without the help of the people who were paying attention and using their voices. They pushed me to talk publicly about my hard-won expertise. They encouraged me to lean into the trends I spotted ahead of my peers, even if I wasn’t comfortable with not knowing the answers. They highlighted my wins in rooms I wasn’t in. THEY used their voices.

And here’s the thing: I was already an expert; it just took me time to embrace what others saw. When I spoke, people listened because I could back it up with the wisdom of my experience and the skills I’d built over the years. And when I listened to others, people felt valued and started to embrace the value of their own knowledge.

After the pivot in my mindset, I got invited to panels, spoke on podcasts, and now, as you know, lead workshops. 

Look, even experts struggle to share what they know.

But, don’t let indecision about your idea or uncertainty about how to articulate your knowledge to the public leave you, your insights, or your business vulnerable to misinterpretation. You never know what opportunities you could miss out on when you don’t speak for yourself.

Which is why I’ve been working on something that will help you get your brilliant ideas out of your head and into the mic. The event will happen in early November. You’re so close to getting your story into the mic, you need a little guidance and a push.

And I’m excited about helping you find your voice.

As subscribers to the newsletter, you’ll be among the first to receive early access and a special surprise. I’m excited to share it with you, but I’ve got to write that post first! 

Look out for more information next week, right here. 

Until then!

Christabel