Is Anyone Out There?

I love our profession! Being a professional speaker has brought me more joy, not to mention personal and financial fulfillment, than I ever thought possible before I even knew it was a profession!

But let’s face it, this can sometimes be a lonely business.

We’re on the road many days, often alone, traveling to places where we know few, if any, people. And when we write our blogs, articles, podcasts and posts, it can sometimes feel as though everything’s dropping into a “black hole” and we’re not really making a difference at all.

But my advice to you, if you really want to make a difference, is to keep it up, even when it feels like no one is out there, or at least not out there listening to your podcasts, or reading your blogs and articles.

The fact is that, even though many people may be reading them, very few will comment or let you know, in any way that they saw and appreciated what you had to say.

But every once in a while, you get confirmation that what you’re doing is really having an impact.

Take today, for instance, when I received several emails in a row that gave me welcome validation that what I’m doing matters!

First, I received a Facebook notification that an article that I wrote on dealing with disrespect has become one of the top four most-read articles for Executive Secretary Magazine, a London-based magazine with worldwide reach! I know I have received many comments and emails on that article – one of which resulted in my conducting a Skype “coaching” session with an executive in Saudi Arabia who was himself dealing with perceived disrespect from others! But I had no idea that that many people had read the article!

Then, I received an email from someone who told me that he had been watching my YouTube videos (unbeknownst to me, as it often is for all of us) and wanted to thank me for putting them out there. They were helping him realize that they were on the right path at their organization and loved the confirmation of some of the actions they’re taking that are helping them succeed! I loved hearing that!

However, full disclosure: I have not put out a public YouTube video in a while, partly because I’m busy, but also partly because I don’t always know if it’s worth my time or if anyone is benefitting from it. But this email has strengthened my resolve to resume putting high quality public content out there for others to enjoy and use.

And finally, a video that I created using one of my songs (yes, I’m a singer!) and royalty-free photos and published on YouTube has recently crossed over 231,000 views! I originally created it just for my own enjoyment and never could have anticipated how much others might enjoy it!

So, if you want to make a difference in this world – and I believe you do, or you wouldn’t be in this profession – please don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear from others regarding whether or not your content is being consumed. You never know who is listening and receiving inspiration from what you’ve done. You may go for a long time without hearing anything, only to get wild confirmation later on that others are thankful for your efforts!