That’s right… It’s conference time again for me so I need stuff to talk about. Of course, since I was unable to procure that Time-Life series on unlocking the untold power of my mind, I’m afraid that I was simply being a bit of an old-timer g33k there. For those of you who remember that commercial, I apologise if you were concurrently consuming a beverage. If you use some cloths and cleaner before it dries, it should be OK.
I love speaking at conferences but I’m always worried that I have nothing of any value to say. I look at people like Rand Fishkin, Graywolf, evilgreenmonkey, and others and wonder what I could possibly contribute to a room full of them. Nothing much since I couldn’t even talk about the latest fashions or shoes (although chocolate might be a talking point…).
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t attached like a Siamese twin to some website or another. I grew up online and I suppose I have this mental image of everyone being smarter than I am. It’s been difficult to realise that I’ve got something of value to share that I’ve worked hard on developing – my SEM skills.
The last time I spoke at a conference, one speaker basically gave my talk (in brief) without realising it. I was chocolate-less and so there was an amount of panic involved. I was doing a basic “top SEO tips you can do yourself” and because I had great practical examples and clear, concise explanations, I got top ratings. That or I scared everyone in to rating me best *grins* That was a fantastic conference and I got invited back!
This time around, the conference I am speaking at has a significant price tag attached to it. It is aimed at corporate marketing types so I rest assured of a lack of people heckling me just for the fun of it. If you’re interested in this kind of corporate marketing conference, please do pop by the Search Engine Marketing conference I’m speaking at and say hi when you’re there – friendly faces are always welcome (as is chocolate)!
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Good luck Judith! The SEO Chicks are very proud of you and honored to have you writing here.
Yeah well done Judith, you rock! If I had the money I would come and cheer you on!
Thank you Julie and Lisa both! I’m proud to be blogging here myself *blushes*
I’m so excited about this - I love speaking at conferences!
Good luck fellow Chick!!! (would ‘fellow’ be the correct word for a female?hmmm).
Judith, on a more deeply philosophical note… I know what you mean - in our field of work it’s easy to feel you might not be giving superior information and so on. And because you seem like a humble chick, that feeling may never completely disappear.
What I think might help is to remember that you’ve been asked to speak for a reason (otherwise we’d all be there :o). If that doesn’t help, you can always lean on the old tried and tested tactic of imagining everyone (except yourself) naked… just avoid giggling too much…
Judith–you got top ratings because you’re you. You have a very unique voice and you inject a lot of humor into your writing. I’m quite sure that your speeches are the same, and it’s a welcome change from some of the dry ones we’ve all listened to. Again, best of luck and I wish we could all be there for you!
Anita - Thank you! I always feel like everyone must know more than me - I think that comes from 20+ years ago when I first went in to programming and back then some of the guys just geeked out all the time and I was a bit left behind - but my stubborn streak came out and I tried to keep up (did and still try to!). I love conferences though and speaking at them. I’ve been invited to another (YAY for Girl Geeks!) and I’m going to bid for an SMX spot. I won’t get my hopes up but I have to try!
Julie - Thank you! I do try and ensure that humour is a big part of my talks because as techie as I am if people are chuckling then they are also learning and that’s my goal. I like helping people figure it out for themselves.
I hope this is the start of a lot more conference speaking slots! YAY!