Joining VaynerSpeakers: What It Means for my Speaking Career

2018 was rough. All things considered, life and business were going really well but there were some things that just weren’t going the way I wanted them to.

Some things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

One of the trials I was working on was where I stood as a professional speaker. It’s something I enjoy very much. Something I never thought I could be any good at but it has been a pleasant surprise.

When I find out I’m good at something most people would run away from, I know I’ve found a special talent and I lean in. I feel those nervous jitters when I know I have to do something that might be a bit scary. Probably why I make YouTube videos too.

However, when it comes to speaking, fitting engagements weren’t quite happening for me. Not a majority of the time anyway. I started thinking maybe this is just not the best use of my time.

And you KNOW how I am about time. I hate any moment wasted. I have a lot of areas of revenue in my business, speaking being just one of them. The one that requires a lot of travel and prep time. So for a majority of the year, it was getting the side eye from me since I wasn’t walking on the stages that were helping me get beyond the gig to my larger goals.

I came pretty close to deciding it wasn’t for me anymore.

Then, as usual, a ripple came through the universe. And his name is Gary Vaynerchuk.

Gary had announced on Twitter that he was starting a speaking agency. I really didn’t think twice about it. I thought it was brilliant on his part but that was about it.

Not my husband though. Nope. He doesn’t let moments like this get by without a full-on inspection. It’s a talent I do not have and I commend him for. Most of the time.

This is definitely one of those times.

Vincenzo tweeted to the VaynerSpeakers team and asked if they looked at me. I have a little history with Gary that made Vin think they might have.

Turns out he was right and soon after we had a call to discuss whether this would be a good fit for both me and VS.

I was very impressed with Zach Nadler, Gary’s partner in the agency. They are very focused on what they want and how they want to change the speaking industry. As Zach said on my podcast months later, there’s not a lot to change but it’s about how we can contribute more and improve the experience.

At the end of the day, we agreed to partner. So far, I’m over-the-moon about the decision.

I believe that even after 5 years of doing something, you shouldn’t give up. But if you’re doing the same thing over and over again, that’s insanity. If you want a new life and different results, you have to try another idea. In this situation, I’m very excited to have a team of people who believe enough in my message to help me find new ways to bring it to the world from the speaker’s stage.

If you’re struggling to decide whether to let go of something or to just keep going, no one will be able to tell you for sure. No matter how long you’ve been doing this or how hard you’ve tried.

But what I know for sure is that if you want it badly enough, you will exhaust every option to find out if it’s worth continuing or if you need to move on. Be 100% on the decision you make. When you regret, you show a lack of focus. Those who are not focused are not successful.

No matter how exciting or disappointing the decision, go all in.

Thanks to my friends Gary and Zach for asking me to be a part of their inaugural speaking roster. I’m very excited about what more I have to learn in this industry. Diving in. 100%.

For details about hiring me to speak, please visit VaynerSpeakers.com.