This Speaker Bootcamp Changed My Life... Here's How
Speaker Bootcamp Cohort #000, Coaches, and Organizers (Mohammed and Chanèle).
Recently, I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the Speaker Bootcamp pilot hosted by Women and Color and in partnership with Chanèle McFarlane, founder of Do Well Dress Well and the Confidence Through Conferences initiative. The bootcamp was aimed towards professionals like myself looking to break down their personal barriers and hone their skills in order to launch a speaking career.
By the end of the two-day weekend event, I was in absolute awe at how well it was put together and came away brimming with new skills. So naturally, I wanted to share my experience in the hopes that it inspires anyone who feels like I did to apply for the next one!
Why I applied
I learned the concept of what a “Thought Leader” was about two and a half years ago, from my dear friend and former co-worker, Retail Consultant Phil Chang. At Hubba, he was the resident subject matter expert and his role was to teach our clients how best to grow their business. He would do this in a myriad of ways: one-on-ones, syndicated articles in trade publications, company blog posts, webinars, and of course, speaking engagements at trade shows and conferences.
To me, it felt like he was doing what I wanted to do but at a greater scale. I had always fancied myself a “professional storyteller” of sorts but, up until then, I had only shared stories through my writing. Having always been told that I’d be a good speaker, I started dipping my toes into the waters. First internally, through company Lunch and Learns and eventually, externally, via webinars and volunteering for various mentorship roles. A few months later, when I heard Phil was going to a beauty trade show, I saw my chance to turn it up a notch.
I made my case and, pretty soon, I was flying along with him to Florida to teach small business owners how they could leverage social media and digital influencers to increase customer engagement.
Since then, I’ve done a few more speaking engagements but, somehow, still felt that I couldn’t rightfully call myself a “Speaker”, per se. While this was mainly due to my own personal hang ups, it really didn’t help that I rarely saw anyone who looked like me — both literally and figuratively — at any of the countless conferences and panels I had attended over the past year or so. Aside from making me uncomfortable, this made me wonder if there simply wasn’t a market for my particular voice. Did anyone want to hear from a broke, millennial, Black woman still in the relatively early stages of her career?
That’s when I met Women and Color founder Mohammed Asaduallah and learned about the Speaker Bootcamp idea he formed with Chanèle. To them, it was still just an idea but to me, it sounded like a saving grace. Training from some of the best speakers around? Check. A weekend-only commitment? Check. More affordable than your average Bootcamp? Perfect! I was ready before the idea even came into fruition a mere month later…
What I expected going in
I already knew from my many talks with Mohammed and Chanèle that we held the same values — more specifically around the need for more diverse voices and inclusive initiatives within the tech community. So, from the get-go, I had already surmised that the event would likely be a safe space for someone like me — something that, unfortunately, isn’t always clear until I’m well into an event or initiative.
Despite this fact, I still doubted that my application would be chosen amongst (what I told myself were) the countless, more seasoned, voices applying. I told myself that all my prior experiences meant nothing and there were probably an immeasurable amount of people applying that had a better, more unique point of view. I also had no idea how I would be able to afford the bootcamp despite its relatively low price tag, but told myself I would worry about that bridge when I came to it.
I initially received an email informing me that I had been put on a waiting list and I honestly wasn’t surprised. To me, that email basically said, “You’re good, but not great,” which is exactly what I thought about myself going into the process. As you can imagine, once I got a follow-up email letting me know that I had been selected to attend, I was over the moon.
Then came the sticky conversation of payment. Even with a very generous discount (I disclosed I would require financial assistance in my application), I still couldn’t afford the ticket on my own. Looking back, this was the first lesson I learned as a result of the bootcamp: Know your worth and ask for it.
I put on my big-girl-pants and mustered up the courage to ask my boss to expense the ticket. My argument was that while being a speaker wasn’t my core job, the soft skills I was sure to learn would inarguably transfer to my newly acquired managerial position. To my utter delight, my boss acquiesced and pretty soon, I was looking at a two-day educational experience of a lifetime.
Sidebar: One thing I appreciated before I stepped foot through those venue doors was how, from the very first email, unmistakably intentional the organizers were. There was no doubt in my mind that every word used, every bit of homework (yes, there was homework!), and every step of the process (laid out for us in a handy agenda) was put into place to ensure our utmost success.
One thing was for sure, they definitely weren’t phoning it in, and I was excited to get started.
What it was like once I got there
The bootcamp took place at Make Lemonade, a colourful shared workspace in the heart of downtown Toronto. The space was bright and airy and the sunny yellow and soft pink walls instantly brightened my mood (despite the very early morning start). The next couple of days consisted of the following:
A hearty breakfast at 8:30 am
1.5 hour classes starting at 9 am (ending at 5pm) with 15-minute breaks in between
An hour lunch break at noon
Professional headshots
2.5 hours to work on our talks
A “mini-conference”
A short mixer at the end of the last day
Every detail was thought of, from our dietary needs to having coaches around to ensure any and all questions were answered. The teachers were obviously happy to be there and the overall vibe was one of unconditional support and encouragement.
On the first day, I felt like I had no direction. Sure, I had a bounty of individual stories to tell but I just couldn’t put my finger on how to make them all flow in a cohesive manner. To my horror, I found that I didn’t have a strong point of view. As I got to know my peers — during breaks and through a series of mini exercises — I felt even less qualified than I already had going in. I couldn’t believe all of these people were supposedly combatting the same imposter syndrome I was. After all, they were so much more accomplished than I was.
But as the first day went on, I could feel my mentality beginning to shift. Soon, I was able to put a structure to my thoughts, finding a common thread with which to weave my ideas together.
By the second day, I had a full-fledged talk on my hands but something else happened: I realized how similar it was to many of the same people I had been looking up to while looking down on myself. I knew that, on some level, we had all been dealing with similar issues in the outside world — that’s why we were all there — but it was still surprising to hear my thoughts and feelings and struggles echoed in their own words.
By the time the mini-conference started (during which we all got to present a 5-7 minute talk of our choosing), I was a lot more confident. So much so, that I negotiated (pretty heavily) to be one of the first ones to present! With the help of my brilliant coach, Bailey Greenspon, I finally felt the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. I had something to say. And what’s more, I was pretty sure people would be happy to hear it!
Watching person after person go up and share their thoughts, experiences, and expertise was one of the most enriching and humbling experiences of my life. By the end of the second day, I had never felt more proud of a group of people — all of whom were virtual strangers a mere 24 hours before!
The after party kicked off with much weeping (happy tears!), Thank Yous, and hugs. The mixer was meant to be an opportunity to network but that word feels almost crass in retrospect. What it really felt like was unwinding with old friends. Getting to know new friends. Making long-term, unbreakable connections.
What I learned
Needless to say, the teachers were one of the best parts of the bootcamp. Every single one was so open, candid, and incredibly knowledgeable. If I do nothing with the score of information and real-world, actionable tips I learned from them, it would truly be a disservice to myself.
From Karlyn Percil, I learned the importance of self-awareness. Or, as she so eloquently put it, “emotions are data.” A certified Neuro-Success, Emotional Intelligence, and Habits Coach, she taught us to remember that we’re all humans — and so is our audience. How we speak is just as important as what we say because our words and our actions set off emotional reactions to our listeners.
She also taught us that the same goes for how we speak to ourselves. Her class ended with all of us standing up and reading affirmations together, palpably shifting our collective mood and setting us up on the right foot for the remainder of the weekend.
Hamza Khan taught me the art of storytelling — more specifically the science and common structures found in virtually every story ever told. His class was the hardest to digest at first because, as I mentioned above, my thoughts seemingly had no rhyme or rhythm. But I credit his class for making my talk so much more effective than it would have been otherwise.
Mohammed Asaduallah taught me that less is more. I had no idea PowerPoint presentations could be so simple! I also learned to look at presentation decks in a different light — every single element serves a purpose and has the ability to engage my audience and/or evoke a feeling.
Avery Francis taught me about body language when up on a stage. And how to breathe. No, seriously. To date, her suggestion to practice talking about donuts for 30 seconds without using filler words has been the only tool I’ve ever been given that’s effectively made me stop using “umm” and “ahh” when speaking.
Chanèle McFarlane gave me the tools and tips I needed to start building my career as a speaker ASAP. I learned that, as icky and counter-intuitive as it might feel, there’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion and she taught all of us the most effective way to go about it. While many of the lessons I learned will serve me the most while I’m up on stage, I’ve already taken a lot of what she’s taught me on board (and feel much more confident because of it).
The best part? All of the lessons I learned that weekend are available for review via workbooks and a shared Google Drive. All of the teachers have made themselves available through a shared Slack channel and I genuinely feel like I can reach out to them for anything at any time. I also truly believe that they want nothing more for me to succeed. Me!
So, what’s next?
I have to say I’ve only ever felt this inspired once before (and it was life-changing). Long story, short: I briefly met Pharrell Williams while I was working reception at Holt Renfrew in 2013. I was walking on cloud nine for about a week after that. So much so that, when he tweeted some platitude on how it’s important to go after your dreams, I took that as a sign (and personal message directed at me and me only) to start doggedly applying for writing jobs despite the fact that I had no professional experience at the time. Today, I proudly call myself (and make a living as) a writer.
Today, Mohammed and Chanèle are my Pharrell Williams and that bootcamp is the tweet I needed to push me towards pursuing my dreams. I feel so much more confident and skilled than I did just a short month ago. I’ve updated all of my bios to proudly proclaim myself a speaker, and have begun the process of building a personal brand — complete with a nifty website and some seriously chic business cards. I’ve started actively pursuing gigs.
I got laid off the week after the bootcamp and I honestly believe the experience acted as a sort of mental wellness airbag. Had I not felt so confident after the bootcamp, I think getting laid off by a company that had grown to be such a core part of my identity would have been a deafening blow. I have had some low moments, sure, but above all I feel more optimistic about my future than I have in a very long time.
And I owe it all to Mohammed, Chanèle, their team, and their dream of helping people just like me.
-D.