Important notes for our guest speakers: In order to maintain a broad appeal, we have made the decision not to include talks that include clinical, psychotherapy or psychological content (for example, meditation, hypnosis, commentary on mental disorders, etc). While mental health and well-being are incredibly important, there are many different modalities and approaches. As such, seek talks centred around areas generally applicable learning, actionable insights and strategies, or inspirational stories. It's completely fine to briefly acknowledge the importance of well-being or work-life balance as it relates to professional growth, but always tie it back to practical advice (e.g., "Effective time management strategies can help reduce stress and improve productivity"). This keeps the focus on actionable, work-related outcomes.
If you are new to speaking, here are some tips to help you develop your talk:
- Everyone loves a story - some of our best speakers have shared a personal journey that included real-life use of skills or resources that helped overcome a severe problem or barrier. The story is often inspiring and sometimes hard to tell. If you have a story you'd like to share, the Elevation Networks community will very likely be keen to hear it.
- You can emphasise on practical specific skills or tools that the audience can apply immediately in their work or personal lives, like problem-solving, productivity, leadership, or tools for industry-specific challenges.
- Sharing case studies is a great way to make your talk more relatable and allows others to draw from your own personal experience, whether they were losses you learned from, or wins you gained from.
- Providing insights about current trends in your industry are a great way for attendees to see how they can leverage those trends for their own success and growth. This could include new tools, technologies, or methodologies that can improve efficiency or drive innovation.
- Tailor your content to answer the "how-to" questions attendees might have. People love skill-sharing and solution-oriented talks.
- Rather than providing "one-size-fits-all" answers, you can encourage participants to reflect on how they can adapt strategies to their unique circumstances.