If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. But, what if it could be yes? Fear holds many of us back from doing things we really want to do. Fear of rejection. Fear of ridicule. Fear of looking stupid.

Recently, I tackled one of my own fears — a radio interview. As I move forward in my career, I need to work on developing new skills. For me, this includes speaking and writing. I speak regularly in front of different groups so I don’t get particularly nervous when faced with an opportunity. This one was a new challenge. I would be promoting a program with which I was not intimately involved to an audience I couldn’t see or know. But, I jumped at the chance. Really, who listens to the radio anyway?

I spent the next 24 hours practicing. I reviewed my talking points. I worked with the staff to do mock interviews. I listened to other similar interviews. Then it was my turn. I channeled my oldest daughter, who loves the theater, and I decided if I was going to do it, I should go big or go home. The first interview went great. The host was very knowledgeable and engaging. The second interview had some technical difficulties, and then we went live. LIVE? That wasn’t part of the deal, but I chose to rock it anyway. The third one threw me a curveball. The host asked something off-script. Wait, are you even allowed to do that? I don’t know the answer to THAT question! So, I went through it as best I could.

In the end, I survived. I gained valuable experience that will make the next opportunity so much better. Were people laughing at me? Probably not. Did I look stupid? I think I did better than more than half the other people out there and that makes me better than average. Taking the risk makes me a leader. 

 

Anna Amselle, CPA, MBA, CAE, is NRPA’s Vice President of Finance and CFO.