Crappy Start to the Day

My Day of Accomplishment has started on a sour note.  This morning was my first meeting at my Triad Networking group. I knew the meeting time was 7:15, but I thought I remembered the first 15 minutes were coffee and chit-chat and the actual meeting started at 7:30. 

I was on time leaving the house, but had to go back when I was 5 minutes down the road because I realized I'd forgotten my Toastmaster manual, and since I'm giving a speech today, that's a necessity.  So I pulled into the parking lot for the Networking group at 7:27 and thought "Yes, I just made it."

Then as I'm opening the door I realize the meeting has already started.  And the way the room is set up, everyone faces the front door, so 40 pairs of eyes are noting my late entry AND I have to walk almost directly in front of the woman speaking to get to a seat.

Turns out the meeting starts at 7:20.  If I'd known that, I would have just skipped the meeting today.  It was a horrible way to introduce myself as a potential new member--"Hi, I'm 10 minutes late and have no regard for your groups schedule." 

A small event in the overall scheme of life, but a crappy, crappy start to the day.

Mens Bathrooms & The Dangers of Being Distracted

Perhaps I am working too hard.  Yesterday after finishing some interviews, I sat down with a cup of coffee in a local Panera store to write up my notes.  When I was finished, I packed up my stuff and hit the ladies room before I left. I have been in this Panera store a thousand times, so I was surprised when I walked into the ladies room and thought: "Hey, there used to be 3 stalls in here. Why are there now only two?  And when did they add that urinal...?"

 Of course the next thought that went flying through my mind was "S***!" and I hightailed it out of there.  Thank God no one was in there or it could have been really  embarrassing.  As it was, there was a group of people seated near the bathrooms who I'm pretty sure saw my blunder, but hard to tell as I avoided direct eye contact with them when I left.

Moving on to more pleasant topics, last night I attended a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at UNCG with civil rights activist Angela Davis as the keynote speaker.  In a word, she was brilliant.  I wish I had brought pen and paper to take notes.  She challenged the notion that racism in our country has improved or receded.  "Just because blatant racist laws are taken off the books (I'm paraphrasing) doesn't mean racism still isn't practiced," she said.  The problem, as she sees it, is no one wants to admit racism is still as rampant as it is, which makes addressing any aspect of it that much more daunting. 

She spent a good amount of time talking about Katrina and guarding ourselves against media manipulation. For example, that poor black people who took diapers and water from stores were called "looters," and white people who did the same were "foraging for necessities."  She also implored we not follow the medias lead and consider Katrina related stories old news, but to keep the people still affected in the forefront of our minds.

She is also strongly anti-Bush, which earns her bonus points in my book.  I live for the day we get that man out of office.

There were a few things in her talk I didn't agree with or I thought were over simplification of the facts, but for the most part I found myself moved and inspired. And shamed by how small I keep my world.  In her 75-minute speech she touched on the U.S., Bolivia, Cuba, Vietnam, Africa, and more.   I couldn't even follow half the examples she used from current news.  But I do a poor job of keeping current.

If any of you ever have the opportunity to hear Ms. Davis speak, I'd recommend her.  Whether you agree with her or not, she is passionate in her beliefs and morals and will give you food for thought. 

Toastmaster Speech Topic on...What Else?

On the bright side--remembering my vow from yesterday's post to not delay pulling together my next Toastmaster's speech--I am on it. Yesterday afternoon I selected a topic (Bathroom Renovation--what else??) and wrote the speech.  I was on such a high from getting into the game early that I decided I didn't want to wait until my speech date of Feb. 8th to deliver the speech, but would do it asap.  That would be fine, except my fellow Toastmasters seem as taken with the New Year/New Speeches tact as I am, and almost every speakers spot is filled for the next month.  So I took the only date open--this Wednesday.  As in, tomorrow.  So I'll be mumbling a 5-7 minute speech for the next 24 hours, trying to prepare.

That would be okay, except I am booked minute to minute today and tomorrow.  I figured out that from today until 4pm on Friday, I will conduct 15 interviews - 13 in person and 2 over the phone.  That's a lot of interviews, drive time, and writing time.  The good news is that once this week is over, I will be a month ahead in my assignments for the News & Record and can back off a bit.  If I was smart (if, if, if...), I'd do 2 interviews a week for them and stay on top of it.  Instead, what I do is go into a frenzy like I am this week, let all work for them slide for a month, then go into another frenzy.

But it's 7:15 AM and I have a little over an hour until yoga starts--enough time to practice my speech 3-4 times and get set up for my first phone interview today at 11. 

Triad Networks

Before Christmas I attended, at a friends invitation, a networking group called "Triad Networks." It's a business support and referral group that I think has been around for over 30 years.  I was impressed with the attendance and the breadth of professionals within the group.  I found out later they allow only one member per business category.  So, for example, there is one attorney, one property insurance adjuster, one life coach, etc.

It's a typical networking group in that everyone goes around the room and gives a 30 second commercial on what their business is and what type of leads they're seeking. What's not typical though (because I've been to a lot of these groups) is how much fun this group had with process and the number of connections I saw being made.  Even just attending as a guest landed me a new ongoing writing assignment and 2 possible future assignments.  So I've decided to join and become the groups "writer in residence." Plus, if I do decide I want to grow my speaking career, this would be an excellent venue through which to market my services.

They meet every Wednesday morning in GSO from 7:15 -8:30 am, which means I'll need to leave the house around 6:45 and miss my 6am yoga class.  But I think I can squeeze in a Tuesday session instead, so I'll still be going at least 3 days a week.  I've found anything less just isn't beneficial, and I'm trying to find time to work in 4 sessions a week. 

Wednesdays are becoming my "day in GSO."  I have Triad Networks until 8:30, then meet my friend Bernie for a writing session from 9-11:45, then Toastmasters from noon-1.  After that, I try to schedule auto interviews for my News & Record column.  It's a busy day, but Wednesdays are one of my favorite days of the week.  By mid-week I'm itching to get out of the house and be around other people and going from place to place makes the day fly by.

I have much work to do in the next 2 months for Toastmasters.  I want to reach ATM (Advanced Toastmaster) status this year which means I need to give 8 speeches--some of them over 20 minutes long.  I've signed up for my first 2 in the next 6 weeks and have vowed NOT to wait last minute to come up with a topic and throw them together, but rather to actually put some thought and practice into the speeches.  We'll see how well I do in keeping that vow.

Much work to do today though.  Need to finish up some query letters, work on a new networking column, and spend at least an hour on book PR.

And of course, pause a moment to reflect and honor one of the great leaders and inspirations of our country, Martin Luther King, Jr.