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A woman once looked across a parking lot and saw us talking to each other, and came over to tell us, "I don't know what you're talking about, but it sure looks like you're having fun, and I'd love to be a part of it." That should have been our first clue that one day we’d become public speakers.
Our second clue was when we were talking to someone about our upcoming self-published book (and that printing in the U.S. doubled our cost) which was intended as the basis of a sitcom yet was going to be launched by Neiman Marcus, and they immediately invited us to speak at a breakfast meeting of professional women.
Not being “professional speakers”, we told our story using a handful of images, playing off one another. To this day, we have no idea what resonated more — the sisterly banter or the topics covered — but we know the Q&A session could have lasted through lunch.
Although not our primary focus, we started doing speaking engagements across the country for a wide range of entities (corporate, schools, community organizations, women’s groups, etc.) on assorted topics.
The Power Of Stories
Looking back, it all made sense. After all, we’re a storytelling society, and that’s what we do. We tell stories. Stories with a message — stories with meaning. Stories that are entertaining, yet educational. But not in a boring “sit and get” way, rather in a “hey, I can take those ideas and use them in my life today!” way. Stories that, from that very first breakfast, audiences have told us (their words, not ours) are inspirational and motivating.
Talking About Speaking Engagements
I still can't believe that Black turned my “crisis” into a bestselling book. Even with my love of the blah-blah-blah, I never dreamed I'd become a public speaker! I still remember how I used to "study" the presentation notes (once a straight-A student, always a straight-A student) only to find that Black would visit with people beforehand and change the script on me. It didn't matter the audience, whether an auditorium full of middle school students (first thing in the morning, no less), women's groups, business professionals, or senior citizens. I eventually got used to her doing that and will admit it makes each event more personal and unique.
I never changed the underlying message … I merely fine-tuned the delivery based on the conversations I had with attendees. I consider it "audience research", and it makes for a better event. Of course, Red now knows she will never get me to stay on script. However, that is part of the fun, for both us and the audience, as being spontaneous and real makes our events more like “conversations” than one-way “boilerplate” presentations.
ZOOM … What A Difference A Pandemic Makes!
We were on a Zoom meeting, Red proud of herself for mastering the "technology" of logging on, and Black commenting on how businesses and organizations were realizing that many things could be handled by a conference call instead of scheduling “another meeting”.
The conversation quickly turned into Red and Black banter, and the other attendees commented that they hoped the call was being recorded and asked if we had ever considered doing podcasts, webinars, or online speaking engagements. (As a slight aside, we started recording our weekly team meetings, and our social media guru is publishing clips on Facebook and Instagram.)
We wonder, if not for the pandemic, how many of us would be comfortable recording our conversations. Let alone doing speaking engagements and Q&A sessions online? Well, we had the opportunity to test-drive (Black’s word, not Red’s) the concept, and we’ve learned that not only does online “speaking” work well for us, but we welcome it.
We were invited by a community organization that was using our book as part of an online book study to join them. It was informal and relaxed, making everyone comfortable asking lots of great questions about a wide range of topics — from “serious” subject matter to curiosity questions about us. And the “instant” interaction with the audience via the chat option kept us on our toes — and everyone engaged.
Looking For Speakers? Looking For Storytellers?
We have extensive experience with a wide range of audiences and topics (the business side of Red & Black, personal finance, soft skills, and “Life 101”), and countless stories that help make our messaging both memorable and relevant.
- All our speaking engagements are custom-tailored
- One size doesn’t fit all, but everyone enjoys our two very different perspectives ("warm and fuzzy" mom and highly pragmatic businesswoman who loves using car and racing analogies)
- Based on experience, we suggest that you leave ample time for Q&A
If you’re interested in learning more or want to arrange for a Red & Black event, email Red (the “nice” sister) at Red@RedandBlack.email.
And if you’re curious about the book that started it all … click here.