Below is a synopsis and bio for a talk that I have been giving about climate action. I tailor it slightly for each group and for any major news of the moment.
The past couple of my talks, in my opinion, I have severely flopped. And, if I look honestly, my talks had been going downhill for awhile. This is not any kind of humble-bragging perfectionism. And also it’s nothing that I have heard from any audience feedback. In my experience, audiences don’t typically give feedback when a talk is bad.
No, I actually just have not measured up to the quality standards that I endeavor to provide. And which I feel that people who are looking to me for guidance (and futhermore paying me!) have a right to expect.
Accordingly, I am currently involved in a troubleshooting process. This may at some point include posting five-minute segments on my YouTube channel for anyone to access.
For more than a minute, I took the failures as a sign that I just need to step down from speaking. Which still might be true. Honestly, I feel a lot more comfortable writing. However, speaking reaches some audiences that writing might not reach. And, if not many others are offering these kinds of talks, maybe stepping down is not a public service.
An approach I had been using for years to structure my talks no longer seems to work very well. I used to write out five general “header” points, or maybe seven at the most. It was easy to remember such a relatively small number of points. (And they would be written in big letters on a note page in front of me.) And I could remember a few key things to say about each point. But somehow that’s breaking down. I don’t know if my heart’s not in it, or if my short-term memory is getting worse, or my tendency to ramble is getting worse, or what. Maybe it’s always been bad and I’ve just been waking up to it more. There could also be some Covid brain effects.
For the time being, I am just doing some reflecting and restructuring. One thing I have always said is that if someone hears me give a talk and they think I did a crappy job, I would love for them to take it as a sign that they themselves should get out there and start speaking. Throw your hat in the ring!The world always needs more speakers who help people get motivated and show up more authentically in the world.
PS. This post is not seeking public-speaking advice. I am connected with all sorts of resources and am incorporating them into my troubleshooting. This is more of an inner thing. Another reason for posting this is in case any of you are involved in public speaking or other public appearances, and are starting to face this kind of situation. Questioning your quality control. I’m here to just let you know that you’re not alone, and whatever you decide, I know you will keep finding the best channels for you to serve the people / causes you serve.
Here is the summary and bio FYI:
Convenient truths: Climate action leverage points for everyday people
Contrary to popular belief, everyday people do have the power. And we cannot afford to wait on government or corporations. Distant centralized entities don’t have sufficient vested interest in really attacking climate change. We, the everyday people do, as climate change is destroying our homes and communities and hitting us in the wallet. In this talk I will be sharing some very large, very accessible leverage points that are typically overlooked. And I’ll be talking about the real secret weapon, which is the stories we tell ourselves.
jenny nazak is an eco educator and community activist based in Daytona Beach. She is author of the self-published practical guidebook DEEP GREEN; and a contributing author to Growing FREE: Building Regenerative Wealth without Losing Your Soul or Destroying the Planet. Her ongoing writings, and more about her background, can be found at jennynazak.com. Her eco Facebook page is “DEEP GREEN book by jenny nazak.” You can see video content on her YouTube and TikTok channels.