If you, like many writers, label yourself an introvert, you probably think of speaking as something you’d want to avoid. It involves interaction with groups or crowds, standing up in front to deliver a talk, engaging with strangers, and maybe traveling.

As an introvert myself, all of those things drain my energy. For years, I tried not to admit to myself that they do, but it’s true. There are certain activities that, no matter how valuable they might be, simply drain my emotional batteries.

However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid them. It just means you need to take advantage of those opportunities strategically and prepare for them accordingly.

Speaking can be a great way to get in front of groups to test out ideas. You can meet lots of new and interesting people that you otherwise might not connect with. And, of course, you can build new customers, clients, readers, or fans through those speaking opportunities.

I come from the worlds of church ministry and higher education, so I was regularly speaking in front of groups on a daily or weekly basis as part of the job. But as a ghostwriter and author, I haven’t spent nearly as much time speaking. And honestly, it’s not really part of my business strategy right now.

However, that doesn’t mean YOU shouldn’t consider it. Since the pandemic, the world has opened up a lot more and people are hungry for in-person events. If you’re just getting started with speaking, I recommend doing some local events for free. Try business groups, your library, or church events if you’re a person of faith. Or just invite some friends for coffee and do a short presentation. It doesn’t matter HOW you start… it just matters THAT you start.

You might be surprised at how much you enjoy speaking once you get into it. Even though this might not be your primary strategy right now, it can be a great addition to what you’re already offering.

Question: Do you like the idea of getting into speaking? Do you feel it’s something that would give you energy or drain your battery?

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If you are familiar with the organization Alcoholics Anonymous, you have probably seen or heard about the way people sometimes introduce themselves at these meetings. “Hi, my name is Kent, and I’m an alcoholic.”

Now, I’m not actually an alcoholic and I’ve never been to an AA meeting. But the phrase has been portrayed enough on TV and the movies that almost everyone is familiar with it.

Why do they do this? Why would you state it out loud that you’re an alcoholic, especially in the midst of a room full of people who identify with the same struggle?

One of the reasons is that it levels the playing field. No matter who you are, what your level of success is or isn’t, no matter how much money you have or don’t have, what you look like, or how old you are… everyone at an AA meeting is on equal footing. They are all there for a common purpose—united by their desire to stay sober.

But there is another reason. Saying something out loud, and affirming your identity to others verbally, has great power. To put it in writing terms, you may BELIEVE or THINK you’re a writer, but have you ever said it out loud to anyone? When is the last time you verbally said to someone in a conversation, “Hi, my name is so-and-so, and I’m a writer” or “I’m an author?”

This may sound juvenile, but I can assure you, it’s not. On a recent Daily Writer Community Call, I made everyone in the meeting go around and verbally say that exact thing. It was extraordinarily powerful.

So, I challenge you to tell someone you’re a writer in the next 24 hours. Don’t do it over text, email, or social media. Do it verbally. Even if the only person you say it to is a two-year-old, that counts for something. The very act of you verbalizing it will have great emotional power over you. It will give you amazing confidence and sear in your mind that you are indeed a writer.

Daily Question: In the next 24 hours, who are you going to tell you’re a writer?

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