If you feel stuck in your current situation, get off your butt and MOVE! It takes effort. You can choose to sit in front of the TV or choose to take action." —Laura Stack, President, The Productivity Pro, Inc.
You can say that Laura Stack has been living her passion all her life. As a young girl, she dreamt of becoming a professional performer. Laura was always dancing, singing, producing puppet shows, and recording herself "onstage". She was forever exploring creative endeavors.
While most young girls are focused on going to the mall or to a concert to watch their favorite group, at age 14 Laura found herself attending a Zig Ziglar Seminar.
"My mother sent me to a Zig Ziglar Seminar when I was 14 years old", says Laura. I decided then that I wanted to be like Zig Ziglar—I wanted to be a professional speaker."
Who knew it at the time that this young girl with a passion for performing would grow up to become Founder and President of a highly regarded training firm, bestselling author of four books, and one of the leading experts in the field of employee productivity and workplace issues, featured nationally on the CBS Early Show, CNN, the New York Times, and USA Today.
It's rare for someone to go to the business of professional speaking. Professional speaking usually comes to someone after years of professional experience, after authoring a book, or to someone suddenly thrown into the spotlight due to a certain event or circumstance. But this was not the case for Laura. At that ripe age of 14, she knew this was her path and she went for it. "I knew public speaking was perfect for me. It combined my passion for wanting to help people with my love of the stage", explains Laura.
So how did she do it? How did she turn her childhood vision into reality?
Education was always important in her family. Her mother held a Master's degree; her father a Ph.D. It was never a question that Laura and her two brothers would go to college. It was expected.
"I grew up understanding the importance of education and the motto work before play," states Laura, “This was the norm in our family".
It must have been a combination of Laura's upbringing and her natural talent for getting things done quickly and efficiently that led her to earning her MBA at age 21. During this time, she worked for a large aerospace company and eventually became one of their internal trainers. After working for just two years in that role, Laura realized the corporate world was not for her.
She also tried her hand teaching undergraduate students only to realize the academic world was not for her.
"I was young, fearless, and able to quickly determine if a position suited me. When it wasn't a good fit, when it wasn't aligned with my vision of myself, I quickly moved on to something else," states Laura. This style of career exploration suited Laura well and led her to a position that felt like a good fit.
Laura approached Career Track, a company that produced public seminars. Although she was young, it never occurred to her that they would not take her on as a seminar speaker. "I had confidence in myself, worked hard, and was determined," Laura explains. She submitted a video of herself "onstage". They could see her potential. They liked her energy, and gave her a chance.
Being a seminar speaker solidified Laura's vision of herself as a professional speaker. "When I was onstage speaking to large audiences, it felt right. I felt in alignment", states Laura.
While continuing her contract work for Career Track, Laura began building her professional speaking/training business.
Laura had confidence in her abilities; knew her value and what she had to offer. This enabled her to pick up the phone and cold call companies about her speaking programs. She offered her programs for free for the first few years to get her foot in the door. She would go in, wow her audiences, get a referral letter, and quickly move on to the next speaking opportunity. Before long, companies were calling Laura to speak; and the momentum continued, leading to more and bigger speaking engagements, books, and television appearances.
For many, the thought of picking up the phone and cold calling companies is quite intimidating.
"I had done my work, I was prepared" states Laura. "I projected confidence in my voice and knew what I had to offer". “So many people don't do the work and that makes all the difference. You must do the work. My confidence came from doing the work."
Are you confident with what you are bringing to the table? Have you done your work?
Laura was also determined. She was not afraid of rejection. When a company said no, she quickly moved on to the next call.
"When a company said no, I was more determined because I knew if I kept going I would be one step closer to yes" says Laura.
Do you feel in alignment with what you are currently doing? Do you have a vision of yourself? Maybe you have been working your vision on the side? You may be coming from a place where you don’t have the liberty to move from a job that is not suited for you, however according to Laura there comes a point where you must jump. She's not suggesting being foolish but she is suggesting that you MOVE.
"If you feel stuck- not in alignment with your vision of you- then MOVE! Get off your butt and network, get involved in associations or clubs, make an effort" says Laura. "Some people wallow in self-pity but yet they can't tell me a single thing they've done to change their behavior. It takes effort."
Laura turned her childhood vision of herself into reality because she was prepared. She did the work. She was not afraid of rejection. She was determined and she MOVED! And she continues to move toward new goals— like serving as the 2011-2012 President of the National Speakers Association, writing more books, and of course continuing her love of performing on stage as a professional speaker. Her momentum continues!
Laura makes it sound so simple. And you know what? Maybe it is......Get off your butt and MOVE! It's up to you.
To see Laura in action “onstage” check out her great video clips at http://www.theproductivitypro.com/
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