Unfortunately, saying thank you seems to be an afterthought more and more. So at least once a month, I will take a few minutes to publicly appreciate someone that has had an impact on me.
This round: Alison Wade
Don’t quote me on the exact year but I met Alison probably around 2010. I was selected to speak at a conference that Alison helped run (the overall company is now called TechWell and has several events throughout the year). I was super appreciative this this organization as it was one of the first that gave me an opportunity to share. So of course, I took the time to thank the organizers…and that’s when our connection began.
I could go on and on about Alison’s incredible professional skills and contributions to making a difference in this world. But for this appreciation, I want to really focus in on the personal impact that she has had on me:
- She has gone above and beyond to support me. I need a recommendation to help another place make a keynote selection…she gets back to me with a wonderful statement quickly. I need access to a video to help provide an example snippet…she has a link within no time flat. I need accommodations (schedule change, etc)…she makes sure I get what I need while reassuring me that I’m not being difficult. I truly feel supported by her (and the whole team there).
- She sets the bar high of being an example of what it means to create space and opportunities for people. I will frequently get contacted asking for “who have I seen that’s impressed me” or “who might be ready for a keynote”, etc. Obviously, she’s doing this to maximum value of the offering but she’s extremely intentional about increasing our community of amazing speakers. She’s been example of what I try to follow.
- She helps me see the potential. She was the one that said something along the lines, “why are you not including the handstand journey in your keynote”. Heck, she was showing people videos of my journey at the conference before I even did. From that encouragement and then a keynote opportunity, content was developed and is my absolute favorite session to deliver.
I look forward connecting each year and I’m beyond grateful for this relationship in my life. I’m better because of her.
Picture from LinkedIn
