How a Networking Event Changed My Life Forever
Photo: Dezirae B Multimedia/Brunch and Boost
One Saturday, I talked about branding, and guess what? It didn’t suck.
Some time ago, I faced my fear of public speaking, and I’m thrilled to finally share my experience with you all. This post took me ages to write, mostly due to insecurity and second thoughts, but I hope my story encourages someone to be fearless. You can achieve anything you want in life; it’s all about how badly you want it.
On Saturday, January 25, 2020, the big day finally arrived. Brunch and Boost was happening. All those late nights at the office, creating a workbook that could grow with our participants and crafting engaging social media posts, were finally going to pay off. Well, that’s what I hoped for.
Video: Dezirae B Multimedia/Brunch and Boost
One day, my friend Iya had a brilliant idea. Actually, I remember exactly when the idea formed in her mind. I was interviewing a young Black film director who was promoting her first full-length feature film for my talk show, Raven Maven. To my amazement, she self-financed her film project with $30k of her own money. Her name is Osaretin Oghomwen, and the film is Strip, set to release during film festival season this Spring.
Osaretin shared with us that being a Black female film director has been quite isolating and lonely. She found it very difficult to meet other Black storytellers. Identifying with that plight, Iya decided she wanted to do something about it. Iya was also tired of not advancing in her career because she didn’t know the right people. She understood how difficult it is for Black women to make purposeful connections. Thus, Brunch and Boost was formed to offer a networking event and community for women of color to connect and form meaningful relationships.
Photo: Dezirae B Multimedia/Brunch and Boost
Once I learned of Iya’s idea, I totally understood the importance of an event like this for women like us. Truth be told, a lot of people advance in life not because they are smarter or highly skilled but because of their social status and connections. Individually, we may not have all the connections, but together our network can be more than enough and resourceful. Alone, I have introduced my talented friends to one another, and they have gone on to amazing things, like Brunch and Boost.
Five to six weeks before the event, I volunteered my design skills because I wanted to ensure that all forms of communication were perfect. That is my area of expertise. I take your thoughts and ideas and make them impactful and functional.
In the beginning, I only wanted to commit to providing design solutions. I didn’t want to be a speaker at the event because I was honestly scared and insecure. If you know me, this might sound ridiculous because I’m very social and talkative, engaging total strangers all the time.
However, the fear came from presenting myself as an expert. I started to doubt whether I was qualified to talk about branding. What made me so qualified to talk about branding?
So, I thought about it and realized that I have been working and building my career in corporate marketing and practicing brand design for over 11 years. At the time, I was the Creative Services Manager for Chelsea Piers and had worked with other businesses on the side from time to time. But nevertheless, I was scared and opted to play the background.
As the event drew closer, literally 2-3 weeks out, I had a change of heart and decided to speak at the event. I wanted to talk about branding in addition to writing about it. My friends were all very excited and supportive. Let me just say, as women of color, it’s integral to keep a good circle of like-minded and motivated women around you. This is something I have managed to do very well.
Photo: Dezirae B Multimedia/Brunch and Boost
Which leads us back to the day of the event, Saturday, January 25. I spoke to 21+ professional women about crafting an effective brand. When it was my time to talk, it all seemed very natural. I wasn’t scared at all because my resolve was resolute. I knew I was qualified to talk to these women about my area of expertise. Now that I reflect on it, I’m glad I did it because many of the attendees didn’t really have a clear understanding of what branding was or how to craft one.
I shared what I know, and so did my fellow speakers. Honestly, it was truly amazing to know that I helped someone. To be reassured that my idea was spot on and needed. Thank you to all the guests and women who I shared with that day. I learned something about myself that day: how to be fearless.
P.S. If you are interested in booking me to speak at your next event about design and branding then please contact me here.