When a referral or your big break comes, will you be ready? And if you have been preparing, do you have the self-confidence to say yes and take advantage of the opportunity? 

Sometimes the universe will hand you something gift-wrapped. This gift is usually perishable and you’ll have to do something quickly to keep it. And, generally, it will be something that is a little scary.

The first time I was on FM radio was on WGN in Chicago – the station that broadcasts the Chicago Cubs games. Carol Roth had her own show at that point, and she asked me if I wanted to come in later that week to be interviewed, and possibly take some calls from listeners. This was a live show, so I had the potential to make a total fool of myself.

I felt the fear and did it anyway.

The studio looked out on Michigan Avenue and it was such a rush to be there. Carol and I had a blast.

Last week, someone reached out to Carol about potentially facilitating two sessions for their group of 12-14 people here in Chicago. Carol had a conflict so she recommended the organizer contact me. When I heard the group would be veterinarians who had their own practices, I immediately tried to stop the conversation. I don’t know anything about that type of business, but the organizer asked me to hear her out to better understand what she was looking for.

As it turned out, she wanted one session on career transition and evaluating next steps, which is my primary area of expertise. She wanted the second session to be about writing a collaborative book as a group and what that would look like. I have written a book and I know people who have done collaborative books, so that was also a fit.

The kicker was that I received the call on Monday and had to be ready to present on Friday. Normally, you would have weeks or months to do this because speakers are usually booked far in advance. 

I took the challenge and the money.

Was it stressful? A little bit on Monday and Tuesday, but when I dropped in and started pulling talking points together, everything felt easy.

I am pleased to share that it was a fantastic group of driven professionals and I think they got a lot of value from both sessions. The organizer seemed pleased. We’ll see what the group’s feedback is.

This opportunity was truly a gift from the universe. To be honest, I hadn’t facilitated or presented a live event since 2019, but it felt fantastic, and I am truly grateful, even if it was a crazy week.

When the universe gives you a gift, just say yes.

Photo by Matthew Osborn on Unsplash