Always be keynoting…
Know your audience. Either because you were them, learned about them, or are them. It’s the only way your audience will feel like they are with you instead of just watching you.
Annual convention keynote for the WSFA in eastern Washington, a group I was a member of for the better part of a decade in the early 2000’s when I performed at fairs across the USA, invited back now to keynote their annual convention with Build a Better Now to talk about focus and team building.
Reading the room, and taking a step beyond that to really knowing the room (what people value, what means the most to them, where their pain points are, what they hope for), helps the audience feel seen as well as heard as they generously give their time listening.
WSFA members are the proverbial salt of the earth and it was great to share a few hours with a keynote and then a breakout session where we dove deep into ideas and experiences in the workplace 🙏 Community is everything. Community provides a foundation for human connection, offering people a sense of belonging, support, and a feeling of purpose that is essential for emotional and social well-being. Community and teamwork provide a network where people can share experiences, celebrate successes, and navigate challenges together, fostering a sense of solidarity that transcends individual differences. This is so important given our political and social landscape today.
A strong community creates an environment where resources, knowledge, and opportunities are exchanged, enabling individuals to grow and thrive while contributing to a collective sense of meaning, which ultimately is at the core of our needs and human expeirences.
Community also serves as a buffer against the isolation and alienation often experienced in modern society, reinforcing the idea that no one is truly alone in their struggles or triumphs as long as they have neighbors on their side. How often has a neighborly moment brought a sense of calm? That sense of calm is exactly what we are talking about here.
Community also plays a critical role in preserving culture, traditions, and values, acting as a bridge between generations and ensuring that heritage and identity remain intact. It provides a platform for collaboration and innovation, where collective efforts can lead to achievements far greater than what any individual could accomplish alone.
Beyond practical benefits, community enriches life with meaning, offering a sense of shared destiny and connection to something larger than oneself. Whether through shared interests, geographic proximity, or a common cause, being part of a community fulfills a fundamental human need for connection and gives purpose to individual actions by linking them to the greater whole.
When people come together in genuine community, they create a space of trust, resilience, and hope, where challenges are faced with unity and successes are celebrated collectively. In times of crisis, communities provide the first line of support, offering comfort and resources when institutions may fall short. They teach us the value of interdependence, showing that by lifting others, we too are uplifted.
From the smallest acts of kindness within neighborhoods to global movements fueled by collective action, community demonstrates time and again that together, people are capable of creating profound, lasting impact. It is not just a support system; it is the essence of what it means to be human, enabling us to lead lives that are richer, more connected, and deeply meaningful. By investing in and nurturing our communities, we ensure a brighter, more compassionate future for everyone, proving that community is not merely important, it, like teamwork overall and a sense of meaning, are all indispensable.
Learn more about my keynotes to help you build a better now: here!
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