Last night I had the opportunity to Co-Host a Webinar with my friend Jeremy Watson. Our special guest was Mr. Daegan Smith. We called it Date Night with Daegan.
I’m here to tell you I learned a lot. First, let me start off by saying, I’ve done a lot of webinars in the last 2 years. Too many to count. And you know what? I still get nervous. Bigtime. So, last night when we had a full house of 100 people, which was what our line would hold, and we were having a few technical challenges I was beyond nervous. Not only did I have one of my mentors and friends on the line but we also had a whole bunch of people who didn’t know Jeremy or Me. Ok, remember those nerves? You know what I do when I get nervous? I talk. And I talk fast.
Yes, instead of doing what would be better, which is listen with my two ears and talk with my one mouth proportionately, when I get nervous I talk. So, we’re going through the webinar, dealing with some tech stuff and I’m just praying it’s not looking too silly (not Daegan and Jeremy – just me). And I can tell I am starting to talk – trying to reign myself in while the nerves are taking over. We’ve got one of what I believe is the most genuine and transparent marketers on the line…and 100 people. Lesson learned…work on the nerves and the tech stuff.
So we’re cruising along and Daegan is just knocking it out of the park with value and insight and some POWERFUL mindset stuff. (No, I am not surprised). We’re talking some seriously awesome learnings. I was taking some notes, trying to flip slides and monitor questions to help people feel heard.
Jeremy is rockin it in his laid back Southern Style while he’s engaging with Daegan. Did I mention Jeremy is an amazing 21 year old who’s been marketing on the internet since he was 16? So, we’re cruising and time is getting later and later. Now I am watching the clock. We were hoping to go 60, maybe 75 minutes.
We went a FULL 2 hours! I know Daegan loves to help people and he was amazing. And I was feeling bad it was way late on the East Coast. Why do I tell you all this? I’m sharing this story to let you know we’re all human.
Here’s what I learned from last night:
1) It’s ok to be nervous. You just have to practice working through it. I promise I’ll work on it!
2) If you provide value people will stick with you as long as they can. We were full almost the entire two hours. Some folks were even up until 4am in the UK.
3) Technical glitches happen and it is best to just roll with them. I’m getting over being perfect – the internet and life just aren’t perfect.
4) Folks are generally interested in learning and want to improve themselves. They ask great questions and appreciate answers.
5) We can all become the guru we were meant to be. One of Daegan’s general themes was — just because others seem to have guru status doesn’t mean someone else can’t get there. We all improve and get better at what we do. There’s room for all of us.
6) Stepping out of your comfort zone leads to growth. Never be afraid to ask the question, even if the answer turns out to be no. Weeks ago when we asked Daegan if he’d do a webinar with us, while I wasn’t shocked that he agreed because he’s such a giving guy, I was more honored and humbled that he agreed to spend time with us and help introduce us to the world on a larger scale. This meant he felt we were worth his time and energy. To me there’s a trust factor there. A true leader helps their followers and students become better.
7) I continue to be proof that a general person like me (a mom, entrepreneur, community volunteer, normal person) can continue to grow and thrive in this industry – especially through collaboration and partnerships. This is a WE game not a ME game.
Those are some of my takeaways from Date night. I want for you to be the best you can be in your endeavors. You just have to want that for yourself and then take action on it. Wanting is not enough. It is in the action and implementing that we grow and move forward. So, even with nerves, tech challenges, and whatever else comes your way – if you’re learning and growing you’re moving forward.
Hope to see you in the next webinar or at the next event!
All the best,
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