Tuesday, October 29, 2019
This past July, I had a three-point connection with two women who are also members of one of the business-women’s networking groups I belong to. I know them both as much as I know most of the women in my networking groups. I like them and talk to them at events, but I do not socialize with them. I am not much of a casual social person and my significant other is even less so. You are not very likely to get a dinner invitation at the Whited’s unless you are a friend of our seven-year-old, Mika.
The two women and I had a great conversation, because we already knew a little bit about each other. One of the women, Betsy, is the person responsible for booking the speakers for our monthly networking group’s lunch. The past few years we have had one of our local members speak at our January lunch and the rest of the year, except December, we have speakers from out of town. At the connection, Betsy asked me if I would want to be this coming year’s local speaker.
You would think my answer would have been an immediate, “Yes.” I was ready to get this cancer thing behind me and start rebuilding my business, speaking to our group would be an amazing opportunity. Instead, I said, “Let me get back to you in a few weeks.” I told her my post-chemotherapy appointment with Dr. Doom and Gloom would not be for a few weeks and I wanted to make sure I had a good prognosis.
I let Betsy know at out August lunch that I was available to be our local speaker if she still wanted me. Betsy let me know there were a couple of other contenders for that spot and she would let me know when she finalized the schedule. Before the lunch started earlier this month, Betsy told me they had decided not to have a local speaker this year, because they had gotten a great selection of out-of-town applicants that matched up really well with the responses on the member survey asking what type of speakers we wanted.
Betsy wanted to make sure I did not take the rejection personally. I thought she knew me better than that. I assured her I would not be going home to cry in my Corn Flakes later that day. Then, in the middle of the event, I dropped my bombshell. I have a terminal cancer diagnosis. Betsy came to me after the lunch and said she would figure out a way to get me in next year’s speaking lineup (dying has its privileges).
At our December event, instead of a single speaker, we usually have a drawing in November and choose four members to speak for five minutes each. The speaker drawing is a fundraiser and you put in $20 and your business card. I did not enter last year, because I was too sick. I did enter the two years before last year and was chosen both times. I have recordings of those two, five-minute talks on my YouTube channel. The talks are titled, What Is Your Statistic? and The Best Gift of All.
Betsy came back to me and said she could give me ten minutes in December to speak. I told her, “No.” I was concerned that I would be starting new chemotherapy and possibly be sick. Then I thought about the exceptional exit plan I was implementing and decided it was a message that needed to be heard. I told her I would be happy to speak for ten minutes in December.
My piece of advice to you is to say yes! I finished writing my talk on Saturday and read it out loud for the first time yesterday morning while Mika was sleeping. The part where I talk about Mika choked me up and I almost cried as I said the words (even as I write this). I will still deliver that talk. I have six weeks to break those voice tremors out of me. The talk will be recorded, and I will post it on YouTube so others can hear my message. If I break down in tears of sadness in the middle, the whole world can see I am human after all.
Until next time,
Susanne
P.S. Here is the link to watch the video of my talk If I Die Today.
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
This past July, I had a three-point connection with two women who are also members of one of the business-women’s networking groups I belong to. I know them both as much as I know most of the women in my networking groups. I like them and talk to them at events, but I do not socialize with them. I am not much of a casual social person and my significant other is even less so. You are not very likely to get a dinner invitation at the Whited’s unless you are a friend of our seven-year-old, Mika.
The two women and I had a great conversation, because we already knew a little bit about each other. One of the women, Betsy, is the person responsible for booking the speakers for our monthly networking group’s lunch. The past few years we have had one of our local members speak at our January lunch and the rest of the year, except December, we have speakers from out of town. At the connection, Betsy asked me if I would want to be this coming year’s local speaker.
You would think my answer would have been an immediate, “Yes.” I was ready to get this cancer thing behind me and start rebuilding my business, speaking to our group would be an amazing opportunity. Instead, I said, “Let me get back to you in a few weeks.” I told her my post-chemotherapy appointment with Dr. Doom and Gloom would not be for a few weeks and I wanted to make sure I had a good prognosis.
I let Betsy know at out August lunch that I was available to be our local speaker if she still wanted me. Betsy let me know there were a couple of other contenders for that spot and she would let me know when she finalized the schedule. Before the lunch started earlier this month, Betsy told me they had decided not to have a local speaker this year, because they had gotten a great selection of out-of-town applicants that matched up really well with the responses on the member survey asking what type of speakers we wanted.
Betsy wanted to make sure I did not take the rejection personally. I thought she knew me better than that. I assured her I would not be going home to cry in my Corn Flakes later that day. Then, in the middle of the event, I dropped my bombshell. I have a terminal cancer diagnosis. Betsy came to me after the lunch and said she would figure out a way to get me in next year’s speaking lineup (dying has its privileges).
At our December event, instead of a single speaker, we usually have a drawing in November and choose four members to speak for five minutes each. The speaker drawing is a fundraiser and you put in $20 and your business card. I did not enter last year, because I was too sick. I did enter the two years before last year and was chosen both times. I have recordings of those two, five-minute talks on my YouTube channel. The talks are titled, What Is Your Statistic? and The Best Gift of All.
Betsy came back to me and said she could give me ten minutes in December to speak. I told her, “No.” I was concerned that I would be starting new chemotherapy and possibly be sick. Then I thought about the exceptional exit plan I was implementing and decided it was a message that needed to be heard. I told her I would be happy to speak for ten minutes in December.
My piece of advice to you is to say yes! I finished writing my talk on Saturday and read it out loud for the first time yesterday morning while Mika was sleeping. The part where I talk about Mika choked me up and I almost cried as I said the words (even as I write this). I will still deliver that talk. I have six weeks to break those voice tremors out of me. The talk will be recorded, and I will post it on YouTube so others can hear my message. If I break down in tears of sadness in the middle, the whole world can see I am human after all.
Until next time,
Susanne
P.S. Here is the link to watch the video of my talk If I Die Today.
Please check out my GoFundMe page.