The Biggest Crowd…

This week, I spoke to a big crowd...

I was doing an event with the Fairfax County Public School district, surrounding my TedxTalk. I spoke to everyone; teens, parents, faculty, teachers, admin, and anyone else who wanted to come.

I spoke about parenting styles and youth mental health. Milestones in teen development, and understanding Gen Z. How to have better conversations, and avoiding common parenting pitfalls. It was a lot of material… and I’ll be honest, when I was first approached with this idea, I was nervous to accept it. I sat in the car while I was on that phone call, debating saying yes, and decided to throw myself into it.

I have a wonderfully supportive team behind me, and I knew that they would help me get this done, both the way I wanted and the way FCPS needed. The talk turned out beautifully, and I was so happy with how everything came together. But as the event date crept closer and closer, I found myself anxious.

The morning of the event I was sitting in my car, pondering the day ahead. I took a moment to breathe, and remind myself of why I do this.

I want to help people foster better connections. I want to see people reach their full potential. I am passionate about helping our younger generations and supporting and educating those who interact with them most.

I took one last deep breath, and strode into the school, ready to tackle the biggest crowd I’d ever seen… and walked out of that event that afternoon feeling invigorated, proud, and delighted. The presentation went beautifully, and the crowd was engaged. I was asked thoughtful, kind questions, which provoked further engagement. I had more than one person approach me during breaks and tell me they were finding value in what I was sharing.

I am not ashamed to say I cried with joy when I got back to my car. It’s something else being able to see my goals being achieved in real time - and watch others get closer to theirs.

I am beyond grateful for my work as a speaker, and parent/teen/group/1-2-1 coach. At the moment, I am at a loss for words, other than thank you all, and this is just the beginning. Thank you, again.

If you’re interested in an event like the one I just did with FCPS, reach out for a free consultation with me! Like I said, this is just the beginning… Who knows what we could create next.