In my last post, I shared the moment when Corporate Soof learned that "the meeting never happens in the meeting," and it blew her mind. Today, I want to recount a story where I lived out this lesson in the world of entrepreneurship.
Back in early July, I had a meeting with my business coach (I found her through the SBDC—an amazing program that I’ll happily discuss another time). We were chatting about an upcoming tech event. She noticed they were looking for speakers and encouraged me to apply. Initially, I was filled with self-doubt, thinking, "no... I couldn't possibly..." But she nudged me, highlighting that the deadline was that very day, leaving no time for hesitation or overthinking.
So, I clicked the button and started the application. Name, Email, Company name? Easy. Title and summary of the speech? That took a bit longer, but I managed to stitch together a couple of my blog posts into something coherent and relevant. Then came the final question: link to elevator pitch video. My stomach dropped.
It was 4:30 pm on a Friday. My son was waking up from his nap, and my husband had to dash off to a doctor's appointment, leaving me on full-time mom-duty. Plus, I had to get Shabbat dinner going, so with absolutely no time to spare, I grabbed my toddler, brought him into my office (affectionately nicknamed my cloffice because it’s literally in our walk-in closet), and started recording. I used a teleprompter app for my blurb and, with my son on my lap reaching for my computer, I began filming on my phone. Here’s a peek at the final result if you're interested.
After a few takes, I uploaded the video to my website and submitted my application. What a rush.
Then came the waiting game. I heard nothing all weekend. I reassured myself that maybe the conference organizers left work early on Friday and don't check emails over the weekend. Monday arrived, and by 3 pm, still no response. That’s when my old boss's wisdom echoed in my mind, "Soof, the meeting never happens in the meeting." I realized I needed to take action.
I started digging for contacts, looking for anyone I could follow up with. I found a few people posting about the conference on LinkedIn and reached out to one of them. In my eagerness, I hadn't noticed our mutual friends. Once he saw my message and our shared connections, we quickly got on the phone. It turns out a friend and former colleague of mine was close friends with this conference organizer. We chatted about our mutual friend and instantly hit it off. As we talked, he got to know more about who I am and what I do, and he assured me he would touch base with his team and get back to me that week. I cold-emailed yet another organizer, who also promised I’d hear back soon.
That Friday, coincidentally my birthday, we were heading to the beach for a celebratory picnic when I got the email: I was accepted to speak at the conference. What a birthday gift! By the time this post goes live, the speaking event will have passed, and I'll share how it went in my webinar (psst, make sure to sign up). But for now, I want to emphasize how true this lesson proved to be. The meeting never happens in the meeting. The play never happens on stage. Some might call it luck, but I see it as the result of countless rehearsals, sound checks, voice lessons, and late nights painting the set, as it were.
Here are a few guiding principles that helped me seize this opportunity:
Create a Strong Personal Brand - How do you want people to talk about you when you're not in the room? Find those key words and let them guide your work. For me, those have always been reliable, professional, knowledgeable, empathetic, and authentic.
Psssst! If you've gotten to know me in the professional setting, let me know if those words come close!
Value Your Relationships - I'm not the most social person at big networking events; they terrify me, and I'm not the type to approach a group of strangers and start chatting. But where I excel is in one-on-one interactions. I aim to understand people’s needs and create solutions that fit them. This genuine approach has helped me build strong business relationships.
Believe in Yourself - Yes, this does sound a bit Tinkerbell-y, but hear me out. Self-doubt can be such a significant barrier, but recognizing and embracing your abilities is crucial. When faced with opportunities or challenges, remind yourself of your skills and past achievements. Trust that you can rise to the occasion and deliver, like you have so many times before.
Be Proactive and Persistent - When opportunities arise, especially last-minute ones, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or hesitant. Push through that initial doubt. Take the leap and apply. If you don’t hear back, follow up and seek out connections. Being proactive can open doors you never knew existed.
Navigating the business world can be daunting, but remembering that the real work often happens behind the scenes is crucial. If you're struggling with managing your systems or building necessary strategies behind the scenes, or if you need some assistance from somebody reliable, knowledgeable, and authentic, Soof CRM can help. I specialize in handling the groundwork so you can shine when it matters most. Schedule a free consultation today to discover how I can assist you in maximizing your systems' potential.
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