Good morning, everyone!
I hope you had a fantastic week and stayed WARM! At least those of you out on the East Coast and Midwest. Seems to be freezing out there! Here in Phoenix, I've been forced to wear a light jacket when I walk my dog Barkley in the evenings. I may have to wear jeans instead of shorts if it doesn't warm up soon, LOL!
I just got back from the National Trial Lawyers conference in Miami Beach. It was a great show, and I met with a whole lot of awesome lawyers who are fighting for people like you every day! While there, I had the opportunity to speak about ethically advertising for potential plaintiffs for lawsuits, and something strange happened. I freaked out a
bit right when I went on stage. I'm not sure why it happened. I typically speak to hundreds of people at a time at conferences and don't have any issues, but something clicked in me and I stressed out RIGHT as I walked up the steps to the stage and stood behind the podium. Maybe it was because I wasn't introduced by anyone (the previous speaker just said "my time is up!" and left the stage), or because I wasn't on a panel with my peers. It felt like a truly "cold" opening. I felt very alone in a room full of people. I was joking with friends moments before I walked up the aisle of the meeting hall. I had notes to go off of for my presentation. I felt prepared. Yet still, as I gripped that podium in a death grip (a BIG no-no for presenters) I started sweating profusely. Not a little sweat on my brow, oh NO, I started dripping. Sweat was literally running down my
face like I just finished a run in July in Phoenix, my heart rate was through the roof, and my eyes couldn't focus on my notes. I stood there, looking at strangers and friends alike, and said to myself, "take a deep breath, you've got it, act like you don't look like you're freaking out...." So I took that deep breath, got a look at my notes, and started my presentation. I won't say it went great, but I will say it didn't go horrible. I got my message out, I gave everyone attending some REALLY good valuable information to live (and advertise) by, and wrapped up right before my allotted time was completed. Thankfully, my friends are tactful and gave me some positive words when I was done.
So, why tell that story? Well, it was a stark reminder to me that I'm still learning. I was prepared for that meeting but I
couldn't deal with the curve balls that took me out of my comfort zone. I can still screw up, learn from it, and come back stronger next time, just like everyone else! I'm far from perfect and can still dork up a situation, even when people look at me as the "expert," and that's OK! As long as we all work for continuous improvement, we're succeeding! So, I'll keep working hard to do just that! If you get a chance to see me speak at a show or event, I promise I'll work hard to make it GREAT! Just remember that, like you, I can screw up sometimes, too!
OK, on to more lawsuit and settlement updates!
That’s all for now! Make it a GREAT week!
Warm Regards,
Scott Hardy
President & CEO