Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Motivational Speaker

Go Beyond Your Fear and Discover the Magic

Filed under: Motivation — by at 9:53 pm on Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Charlie GilkeyEvery so often, if you are fortunate, someone will challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone and to try something new.

My friend Charlie Gilkey was recently that someone for me.

He invited me to be a guest on his not-yet-launched podcast Creative Giants Show. Charlie describes Creative Giants as “naturally compassionate, creative people who have the vision to see how the world might be, the courage to take action, and the capability to actually change the world.”

I was honoured and humbled to be included with the likes of Pam Slim, Seth Godin, Mark Silver and Jonathan Fields. All people I look up to; way up to.

Once I got beyond the star factor, my thought was “Sure, no problem, I have the technology to do this.” I’d write my responses, convert the text to speech and then save as audio files to play during the interview. Like I have done a few other times before. No problem, I’ve got this.

Except…Charlie does not interview from a set of questions. His show is not an interview, but rather a conversation with twists and turns, and therein lies the magic.

No scripted questions meant no prepared answers, which meant I’d be typing and “speaking text” live during the Skype call. Technologically possible (after some testing), but one thing you might not yet know about me is: I don’t feel confident thinking on my feet (or on my butt, as the case may be). Chatting is one thing, but conversing when I am expected to have something profound or wise to share, while it is being recorded. Nah uh, that isn’t me. But…declining the opportunity would not have been my style, either.

Charlie and I decided to give it a shot with the agreement that, if the conversation and audio were crap, we would try again or scrap the idea.

Except for a few typos, which translated into a few misspoken words on my part, the conversation went well. And, considering the mash up of technology, is actually pretty frickin’ awesome!

Click play to have a listen:

Be sure to check out Charlie’s show notes and to listen other episodes.

Thank you, Charlie, for the great conversation and for enabling me to add another check mark in the “can do” column of Life

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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My Most Cherished 2014 Christmas Gift: A Basketful of Rocks and a Writing Challenge

Filed under: Motivation — by at 7:49 pm on Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year! May your 2015 be filled with well-being, health and happiness.

I’d like to take a moment to share a Christmas gift that I received from Mom; a gift that I already know I will cherish throughout the years to come.

The gift: a basket filled with rocks. Yes, rocks! Each was individually wrapped in a paper towel, love and memories.

Small wicker basket filled with rocks

In addition to each rock being uniquely shaped and beautifully polished, each one is embossed in gold lettering. One word per rock.

Believe.

Celebrate.

Joy.

Goals.

Success.

Dream.

Hope.

Remember.

Inspire.

Spirit.

When I asked Mom why she chose the words she did for me, she responded, “Oh, I could go on about each one. You reflect about each. Maybe it’ll be a set of blog posts or something.”

I have been handed a writing challenge for 2015. Thank you, Mom. Challenge accepted; I am looking forward to it.

If you could choose 10 words for a loved one, which rocks would you give? Share in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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Letter to Santa 2014

Filed under: General — by at 11:56 pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Three candles burning in the windowDear Santa,

When I look around, my heart breaks because so many people – near and far – are hurting and in pain. Not only physical pain and un-wellness, but also emotionally, relationally, and even spiritually. Some folks don’t realize they are hurting.

Santa, my one wish for Christmas this year is health, strength and happiness for those who are hurting.

Let 2015 be filled with well-being, health and happiness. Thank you.

Wishing you and the reindeer a safe trip.

Merry Christmas!

With love from, 
Glenda

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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Please Be Boston-bound for InBound

Filed under: Motivation — by at 11:52 pm on Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Glenda Watson Hyatt

in July 2010, I had the pleasure of presenting on a panel Living with a Disability in the Web 2.0 Era at the Plain Talk Conference held in Alexandria, Virginia.

While at the event, I met two women who worked in the web accessibility field in Boston. Upon parting, one of them extended an invitation to meet up, if I am ever in Boston.

My immediate thought, of course, was Yeah, right, when will I ever be in Boston?

Fast forward to May 31st, 2014: I was trying to navigate through the still-under-renovation Main Street Shytrain Station on my way to a speaking gig, when a song line suddenly popped into my head out of apparently nowhere: Please come to Boston.

Huh? That was the only line that came to mind from a song I know I knew, but I couldn’t recall any other words.

While I was searching for the new elevator at the far end of the expanded platform: Please come to Boston.

While I was scooting along the sidewalks, trying to concentrate on finding the venue in a part of town I wasn’t particularly familiar with: Please come to Boston.

Again, huh? Where was that coming from? And, perhaps equally as important, what did it mean?

(Welcome to the inner workings of my brain! Total chaos most of the time.)

I managed to quiet the voices in my head in time to deliver my presentation; my second one using my iPad. And, yeah, I kinda rocked it!

Glenda using her iPad to deliver a speech

Afterwards, Karen, my partner in crime since we were 7 year old Brownies, and I went to Starbucks around the corner. Karen, who also serves as my editor on speed dial, was excited to see me deliver a presentation live. Likely to prepare herself for the next round of editing, she asked what was the next speaking gig I had lined up. At that point, my schedule was open, which is kind of an empty feeling for someone who is trying to get her speaking career going.

While Karen checked her phone for an email message she wanted me to read, I took advantage of the free wifi to check Facebook. Much to my delight, there was a private message from Laura Fitton, who I had first met as @Pistachio on Twitter years ago and then met in person at a BlogWorld Conference in Las Vegas.

She messaged me to invite me to do a 12-minute Bold Talk on any topic I am passionate about, much like a TED Talk. This would be at InBound, with an expected registration of 8,000. The Bold Talks take place in a room with a capacity of 1,000! (I had just finished speaking to a room with 20 attendees, max.) In Boston.

INBOUND 2014 Speaker - September 15-18, 2014 - Boston, MA

Seriously?!

I am presenting my Bold Talk “Go Beyond: Stare Your Fear in the Face and Boldly Go for It!” at INBOUND 2014 next Wednesday, in Boston!

Boston, here I come.

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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Can’t Stop Me: Rock n Roll Singers Provide a Roadmap for My Motivational Speaking Career

Filed under: Motivation — by at 2:51 pm on Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Rod Stewart in concert at GM Place Stadium, Vancouver, August at 2009Over the years, various songs have been anthems or theme songs for my life. These tunes either mark milestones or help me navigate something I am going through.

My current theme song is Rod Stewart’s Can’t Stop Me.

Why does Rod’s song about how he got started in his singing career bring me to tears as I launch my motivational speaking career?

Back in my early years at university, I spent my second summer semester “learning how to use the microfilm and the microfiche in the library just in case I needed to use that technology to research a paper” – yes, I am that old! And, really, there wasn’t much else to do during simmer semesters atop Burnaby Mountain.

Actually, I was searching for anything and everything I could find about Rod Stewart, who I had fallen in love with during the 1989 American Music Awards. Yes, i was also a late bloomer! My excuse: I was raised on country music.

Print outs of magazine articles with post-it notes neatly attached

I spent a small fortune on printing that summer. I also neatly typed each article reference on post-it notes; obviously I had more “free” time back then. I even wrote to his record company, requesting 8×10 glossies.

But I digress.

I became fascinated with his career, particularly how he got started; how Long John Baldry discovered Rod while he was playing harmonica in a train station late one night (not seeing Long John perform while he was living in the area is one of my few regrets), and how, by fluke, a radio disc jockey played Side B and Maggie May launched Rod into stardom:

I was singing in the pubs
Was singing in the clubs
Then along came Maggie May

~ Lyrics from Rod Stewart’s Can’t Stop Me

Around the same time I also had a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. Grabbing a newly-arrived issue and a cold can of Coke and heading to the spot just above the football practice field was one of my few opportunities to read something other than boring university textbooks. I was intrigued with the behind-the-scenes side of the music industry; how the formation of bands was rather fluid and intertwined was fascinating.  

At that time, my fantasy was to become a rocker chick with a searing electric guitar, but, sadly, this white gimp chick has no rhythm. My somewhat-more-realistic dream job was some kind of clerical or office position at the Little Mountain Studios – a local studio where big names like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and many others came to record. I was devastated when the studio suddenly closed; that dream died before I had the opportunity to even pursue it.

I am the kind of concert-goer, when I can afford to go, who enjoys arriving early to watch the last minute set up. And then, afterwards, while I am waiting for the crowd to thin out before I head toward the exit, I watch how quickly the roadies dismantle the lighting and stage:

Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They’re the first to come and last to leave
Working for that minimum wage
They’ll set it up in another town

~ Lyrics from Jackson Browne’s The Load Out / Stay

Ever since beginning to entertain the thought of exploring the possibility of becoming a professional speaker, I have felt an affinity with the careers of singers. Those who have paid their dues by playing the smoky backrooms and who have worked their way up, until they finally got  their lucky start. Not like many of the performers today who gain, what seems like, instant fame.

As I see it, the singer and the speaker does the same thing: move, touch, motivate, inspire, educate, rally, entertain. The only difference is one puts the words to music.

The careers of these old rock n rollers – and country singers, too – have kindly provided me with the roadmap for my speaking career. I am willing (and have been doing) to speak to those groups in small, back rooms, in exchange for “a token of our appreciation”. Those gigs are affording me the opportunities to find my voice as a motivational speaker.

The way I present using a text-to-speech app on my iPad and my “uniqueness in movement” (particularly when I am nervous) doesn’t really fit the image of what a motivational speaker looks like. I totally relate to Rod’s beginnings:

"We can’t sign you, son
‘Cause you don’t fit in the mould.
It’s your hair and your nose and your clothes."
I said, "Thank you gentlemen
For this opportunity.
Now move on down the road."

In time, with enough practice, enough massaging of my message, enough confidence in finding my stage presence, my Long John Baldry or my Maggie May will come along.

They can’t stop me now
The world is waiting
It’s my turn to stand out in the crowd
They can’t stop me now
The tide is turning
I’m gonna make you proud

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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