Hello again, I hope you and the people you care about are doing well.
You know that I often speak about the idea of inter-dependence. Which to me means building a community, asking for help, accepting help from others, and showing gratitude.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help, support, and encouragement of so many people who I have met along the way.
I thought I’d share a recent example where my preference for asking nicely worked to my benefit.
I Only Wanted A Breakout Talk
By now you know I recently returned from giving the opening keynote talk for the Wyoming Developmental Disabilities Conference.
But that wasn’t my original goal. When I read on Speaker Hub, that they were seeking speakers; my goal was to pitch them a break out session on one of the many topics I am an expert on.
Those being:
- Self-determination, or deciding to find solutions instead of making excuses.
- Inter-dependence, or asking for help and accepting help when offered.
- Maintaining positivity by being determined to find it.
- Overcoming adversity by continuing to move forward.
- Accessibility and inclusion through collaboration.
However, I had trouble with the third party site they were using for the speaker submissions.
This happens quite often. There are so many factors that can effect the accessibility of a form.
This is why I wrote the post 6 Tips For Making Forms Accessible for the Audio Eye Blog.
Staying Positive Asking For Help
Instead of letting my frustration get the better of me, I did what I hope more people will start doing.
I sent the person who posted the listing a message asking for help completing the application.
When the then Director of the Wyoming Governors Council Aleyta Zimmerman received my message, she did a wonderful thing.
She volunteered to meet me on zoom to help me complete my application.
Having Conversations Not Meetings
I love having conversations whether I have a stated agenda or not. And I think that comes through when I meet people whether online or in person.
We had a great conversation.
I explained the topics I felt I was a good fit to speak about.
I told a few of my better stories.
By the time we were through Aleyta had taken down a lot of information about me.
She Said that I would be considered for both a breakout session and one of the three keynote talks.
It was over a month before I heard from them again, and I was truly surprised to find out they had in deed selected me for one of the keynotes.
Booked, Now What?
I was shocked to find out that they had decided to give me the coveted opening speaker slot.
It meant taking on the responsibility for setting the tone of the entire conference.
It also meant delivering a talk of up to 75 minutes. This would be the longest talk I had ever given.
But they had picked me, and I was determined to give my best talk ever.
No Fears
You notice I didn’t say I was scared.
This is because I remembered my favorite quote from the Empire Strikes Back where Yoda said “Size Matters not, there is no big or small; there only is.”
I decided to just do what Max does.
That being tell honest stories, make them laugh, teach lessons, and finish with a song.
I knew this would be a great opportunity for me because I decided to ask for help.
Tired Of Asking For Help?
As a blind person I sometimes get tired of having to ask.
Then I just remind myself that no one sets out to make things harder for me or others with disabilities.
In fact, many of the things that frustrate me also frustrate sighted people.
And how are they going to know if we don’t tell them.
The trick is to tell them in a friendly nonthreatening way that makes them want to help you.
My dad raised me to believe that the best way to get what you want is with a smile, a handshake, and asking nicely.
I try to apply that wisdom to the online world by making sure my initial emails are positive and solutions oriented.
As a result I had a great experience, I checked off a huge box on my speaking journey, I educated a lot of people, I made many great new friends, and I came one step closer to being a successful full-time professional speaker.
Let’s Share Our Experiences
I’d love to hear your experiences with asking for help from businesses or organizations with problems online.
I’d also love to hear about times when you were the one being asked for help by someone with a disability.
And if there is anything I can help you with, please Just Ask.
Thanks and take care out there, Max