I grew up transfixed by my dad, who is an amazing speaker and quite a wordsmith. I loved when my parents would have parties. I would just hang out and listen to my dad talking to his friends about this and that, and was so happy to see how people listened to him. Both of my parents were charismatic and engaging, but my dad was the one who garnered the attention of the party - just by speaking.
Throughout my professional life, I've received many accolades for my speaking and presentation abilities. I gave presentations to audiences of hundreds of people for United Way, and it was so much fun, I sort of felt like I was on vacation. Fast forward to the recent past where our neighborhood swim team needed an announcer, so I volunteered. I was continually asked where I was a DJ, and a neighbor invited me to audition for the local NBC News affiliate.
As much fun as all of that sounded, I had a mental block (learned from many years of Corporate training) that said, "If it's fun and makes you happy, it's not an actual occupation." Well, I've finally allowed myself to pursue what has been knocking on my door for decades, and I'm absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to bring words to life!