I love learning. Throughout my almost 30 years of working in business settings, I have always valued the time when I got to be the person who was sitting in the training session or listening to a panel. I also have enjoyed developing and leading training sessions and sitting on panels. I am often asked how these opportunities came my way.

I engage with business professionals from all sectors, and they are often interested in gaining visibility or sharing learnings. Sometimes they are hesitant to ask about these opportunities, as it feels very self-focused. I’m going to ask you to suspend judgment of yourself or others and be open to the possibility that you are not a terrible person if you’re interested in the spotlight. Solo speaking engagements or participating in panels can have multiple benefits. Let’s break them into what I like to call the “big two.”

Supporting your career: Sharing your story and expertise can be a great way to raise your profile beyond your current role or organization. Why does visibility matter? If we’ve learned one thing over the past several years, it’s that the business landscape is a topsy-turvy roller coaster, and the more safeguards you have, the better. Speaking engagements can build your communication and interpersonal effectiveness skills and can also be a great way to build your network.

Early in my career, I focused most of my time and effort on my company. As I grew professionally, I found that many women, particularly women of color, were looking to hear from other women who had achieved professional success in corporate America. They wanted to hear the good and the bad. Not only did I have stories to tell, but I had access to many other women with their own stories to share. Those connections and stories have been invaluable as I ventured out on my own.

Supporting others: When we share our experiences (the good and not so good) with others, we illuminate avenues to success that some may not have imagined. Hearing leaders talk about how they moved through their career or drove business in turbulent times can be just the thing a listener needs to make better decisions in their career or at work. I love the phrase “lifting others as we climb.” You never know whose voice is going to resonate and move someone to their next goal. It could be your voice, friends! The good news is that you do not have to choose between benefiting your career and supporting others. You can do both at the same time, and who doesn’t love that?

With that as background, here are a few tips to get you moving.

Tip No. 1: Own your interest

It’s OK to want to share your story with others. For some, the chance to share insights feels like recognition for hard work. For others, getting out there and sharing can be about finding their next great thing. Whatever your reason, be honest with yourself and go for it.

Tip No. 2: Share your goals

We have to share our dreams to make them happen. Business organizations are often looking for speakers or panelists. Make it easy for them to find you by sharing your interests. I am a walking billboard for this tip. I never saw myself as a columnist in a business magazine, but I shared my dream of writing and supporting small businesses with a good friend. This good friend just happened to be good friends with an editor-in-chief. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here’s an example of how you can make this happen. Imagine you’re at a business conference and a panel discussion just ended. You see Michelle, who coordinated the event.

You say, “Hey, Michelle, I really enjoyed today’s panel discussion. What a great group of leaders! I would love the opportunity to share some of the things I’ve learned around (your topic of interest here). Let me know if something comes up or you hear about opportunities. Thanks!”

Tip No. 3: Get ready now

As much as I would love to say that the opportunity to speak will come with plenty of time to prepare, sometimes it just doesn’t. To be ready, volunteer to speak in front of a group at your kids’/grandkids’ school, a volunteer organization, your church. Pick a topic of interest, think about the types of organizations that might appreciate it, and then go for it.

A fun story: I was participating on a panel, and the coordinators called to let me know one of the panel members suddenly couldn’t attend. We were two days away from the session and had already prepped. I knew a friend from General Mills who would be perfect for the event, so I took a chance and reached out. Not only was he available, but he absolutely stole the show. His insights were well delivered and well received. Now he gets asked to speak all the time. He missed the prep, but he understood the assignment. 

Speaking in front of groups or writing articles or blogs is not for everyone. But if it is for you, own your interest, share your dreams, and get ready!  Your time will come.