Standing on the Red Dot: Jamie Vanek's Inspiring TEDx Experience

Debra Coleman [00:00:10]:
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Have A Seat, conversations with women in the workplace podcast. I am your host, Deborah Coleman. Friends, I am so excited. You know, you've often heard me say at the end of episodes with guests that I look forward to, round 2, or I look forward to our next conversation. And several of my wonderful and amazing guests have actually taken me up on that, and we have been able to have yet another seat in my virtual living room. And this week is no exception to that. Joining me is miss Jamie Vanek. Jamie is a trailblazing leader in the construction industry who is breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes along the way, especially as it pertains to administrative professionals, which, you know, I am one.

Debra Coleman [00:00:57]:
Jamie's journey has been nothing short of inspiring friends, and she is here to share her firsthand experience in taking to the TEDx stage. Yes. So exciting for Jamie that she was able to be on the TEDx stage, and she was willing to come back, have another conversation with me, and to fill us in on all about it. Like, the the the behind the scenes, the during and after, like, the whole process. I have yet to talk to somebody who has taken the TEDx stage and is able to share with us some of the what it's like to be a TEDx speaker. I mean, so amazing. You have, what, 8 to 10 minutes on stage, and but it's so impactful and so empowering. And I was just thrilled beyond belief doing cartwheels when Jamie offered to come in and share her story about being a TEDx speaker.

Debra Coleman [00:01:46]:
So that is what we are going to talk about today. Listen. Jamie's impact doesn't stop on the stage, however. She has keen insights and innovative strategies, and she has been featured in top publications like construction business owner, construction executive, and Thrive Global. She also has a series of articles that she publishes on LinkedIn. She is just all over the place, and she is doing a tremendous job. She's also an author. She also authored a book.

Debra Coleman [00:02:14]:
It's all the things Jamie will be in the show notes. She is an amazing individual who is definitely moving the needle out there for not only administrative professionals because she gets that. She understands our role. She was 1. She worked with 1. She's now an executive in her own right working with administrative professionals, so she understands exactly the journey that we take day in and day out. But she also is a wonderful leader herself, and she shares all of her experience in her LinkedIn article. So I highly encourage you to check out the show notes to more about Jamie and her thought leadership.

Debra Coleman [00:02:48]:
But without further ado, here is my conversation with miss Jamie Vanek on what it was like to take to the stage as a TEDx speaker. Well, welcome again to Have A Seat, Conversations With Women in the Workplace podcast. I am so excited because this is part 2. Well, round 2, I should say more likely, with miss Jamie Vanek. Jamie Vanek is a influencer out there on LinkedIn especially, but she is also a a returning guest of mine, which I'm so excited to bring her back because she has done a TED Talk. Cue the applause. So exciting. I was so excited for her.

Debra Coleman [00:03:27]:
And so, we got to talking, and we thought, wouldn't it be fantastic to bring her back on the show so she could share a little bit about that experience of what it was like to do a TED talk. So and a little bit about the subject matter that she shared during her talk. So welcome back once again, miss Jamie, to my have a seat virtual studio.

Jamie [00:03:45]:
Woo hoo. Thank you so much. I am very excited to be back here chatting with you, Deborah.

Debra Coleman [00:03:51]:
Me too. And especially about something so fun as a TED talk. So we as you know, I will, listeners, let me just preface this by saying I will have a link to the TED talk in the show notes. I highly, highly encourage you to check it out. It's an engaging and entertaining talk. But, Jamie, you spoke about redefining the rhythm of inclusion, which wonderful topic, by the way. But before we get into that, I would love to know because I haven't really had an opportunity to talk to somebody like this who has done a TED Talk and to kinda get a little behind the scenes. So tell us a little bit of how that TED Talk came to be and where and when you did your presentation or your share.

Jamie [00:04:33]:
Yeah. So I will first say that ever since I learned about TED Talks, I don't know, however many years ago many, many years ago, it was always like this joke, like, I'm I'm gonna be on the TED stage one day. And it's one of those things that you throw out there, and you never actually think it can come to fruition or it's just this wild dream or whatever. And then one day you realize, oh, this could be a reality, And it hits you like, wow. This is something I never thought I could do, and it's not as daunting or as far out there as you may think. So I've always, you know, I've always been following the TED Talks and always thought, oh, one day, one day, one day. And then there comes a point in time where you realize one day doesn't have to be so far out in the future. One day can be now.

Jamie [00:05:26]:
There's really nothing that was preventing me from doing a TED Talk. And, really, my inspiration for it was I had, I had my website, and I put some some blog posts on there and some articles on LinkedIn. And there was 1 in particular that someone I didn't know, a stranger, had reached out to me and just said, I really liked this blog post. You know, it resonated with me, and she said some some really nice things about it. I thought, wow. Now there's a person, a total stranger that I don't even know, and something that I said touched them. And so I thought, well, what if I could take that and make it into my TED Talk? So I I always I've I've looked on the TED website. There's the TEDx events website that you can look at to see which events are coming up near you, and I had browsed around there a little bit.

Jamie [00:06:14]:
And it just so happened that I saw a post of a TEDx event that was going to be happening, like, 1 mile away from my house. And when I saw that, I was like, this is meant to be. It is 1 mile away. I have to do it. I have to at least try. So reached out to the coordinator. I submitted the application. The application has to have, like, a couple minute video of what your topic's going to be, so I basically recreated some of the things that were in that particular blog post.

Jamie [00:06:47]:
They called me back for an audition. And let me tell you, this audition was it was one of those things where, like, everything that could go wrong went wrong during the audition. I'm sitting in my first, they give me a time to log in, and I'm sitting in my bedroom. I tell all my kids I have 3 kids. They're very noisy. I tell them all, you have to be out of the house. I need quiet for this audition. It I was, like, taking it so serious, and I was so nervous.

Jamie [00:07:12]:
And I'm sitting I have it all set up. I've got my background. I've got the video up. I've, like, done my hair and my makeup and my shirt and probably sweatpants, but it was just a Zoom call, so it was fine. And I'm, like, sitting there, and I'm sitting there, and I'm sitting there, and nothing is happening. And I sat there for, like, 2 hours, and nothing is happening. I'm like, what is going on? And finally, I get this message that I'm gonna be up in a few minutes. I was like, okay.

Jamie [00:07:38]:
Here it is. It's coming. And I lose my Wi Fi. Like, right before they bring me on, my Wi Fi goes down, and I was like, oh my gosh. So I'm carrying my laptop, running around the house, trying to get Wi Fi so I can get back on. I use my phone to to email the event coordinator to let her know let her know what's going on. There's only, like, a few minutes left in this whole block of time they have for auditions, and I thought I was gonna lose the whole thing. But, obviously, I didn't since I had the TED talk, so I was able to get on and do it.

Jamie [00:08:11]:
But my goodness, that was the most nerve racking experience I ever had. So pro tip, make sure your Wi Fi works.

Debra Coleman [00:08:20]:
So from there, yeah, then then what happens? Is there, like, some time in between auditioning and when you hear Get Word?

Jamie [00:08:27]:
Oh, yeah. So they tell you they pretty much tell you the timeline of when they're going to announce, and they say, you know, we'll send you an email to let you know. And so the day comes, and I'm waiting for the email, and I'm waiting. And it's, like, 7:30 at night. I haven't gotten the email. I go to my husband. I'm like, hey. I I don't think I made it.

Jamie [00:08:46]:
You know? It's already 7:30. I haven't gotten anything. And so, he's putting our child he was putting our children to bed, our our youngest one at least. And so I'm just hanging out, and I was scrolling through Facebook. And all of a sudden, my picture pops up. And I'm like, I didn't post that, and it was the event announcing the speakers. It was like, I had to find out on a social media post. Now a few minutes later, they did email me, so it was fine.

Jamie [00:09:18]:
But I I had given up and thought that I wasn't it, but they did announce me. And I ran around my house like a crazy person, that I had been chosen for the TEDx, so it was very exciting.

Debra Coleman [00:09:30]:
Oh, I can just feel that. I totally feel that. We we're virtually running around the house with you. That what an exciting moment. Oh my goodness. Wow. Okay. So then what happened?

Jamie [00:09:41]:
So then what happened? So I think, you know, different curators are going to approach it a little bit differently, they'll get together with a group of speakers and give you some guidelines on what's allowed in the TED talk, what's not allowed in the TED talk. There are a lot of guidelines. So anyone who wants to do a TED talk, I would go ahead and educate yourself. They will educate you if you're chosen, but it's good to know ahead of time what's allowed and not allowed and some of the parameters that they suggest. And then you get we were paired up with other speakers, in our group just to get together once a week and talk to each other, run ideas by each other, practice with one another. So I got to do that with my wonderful partner, Charlene, and she gave me some wonderful feedback. And you will rewrite your TED Talk a 100 times before you finally decide what it's going to be.

Debra Coleman [00:10:38]:
Woah. I wondered about that because you look it looks so just fluid and, like, it's just falling off of the tip of your tongue and oh my goodness. So lots of revisions, which is not surprising. Yes. You know? But still yeah.

Jamie [00:10:52]:
Yep. Yeah. It just goes to show your 1st idea is not always your best idea even when you think it's great. After a few revisions, you do go back and realize like, wow. I can't believe I started with that. But it was it was definitely a a a learning experience, and one where I had a lot of there were a lot of lessons. And this is something one of my takeaways from it and one of the things that I really want to share is, you know, I had so many moments during that where I didn't think I was going to make it, whether it was because my Wi Fi went down or because it got late on the day of the announcements and I didn't get my email until the evening. And there were so many times where I felt like, you know, that that feeling of rejection.

Jamie [00:11:44]:
And I had to go through the mental gymnastics of dealing with that rejection because I knew I knew, realistically, many people do are not chosen their very 1st time, auditioning for a TEDx. It depends how big the event is and how many other people are auditioning. And not not everybody is going to be chosen the 1st time, and it doesn't mean they won't be chosen another time. But going through that, it still hurts in the feels. And what I took away from that is when we go through those kinds of, situations where there is that element of rejection or failure, I started reframing it as practice. I told myself, well, if I didn't I didn't get in this time, then this time was just meant to be practice for next time. And every time you get to practice, you're going to get better. And I've been able to use that.

Jamie [00:12:44]:
I mean, fortunately, I was able to get in on this TEDx, but, I've used it in other situations at work where, you know, maybe there's a difficult conversation that you need to have with someone or you're talking to someone for the very first time and it feels a little bit awkward, and I tell myself, this is just practice. If the conversation doesn't go exactly as you plan, you hang up the phone or you walk away from the conversation and you tell yourself that was practice. You know? There'll there'll be another time, and next time will be better, and this time was practice. And that's helped me get through a lot of those awkward situations or difficult moments of rejection. And so that's something that I I really wanna share with a lot of people about the process of something like a TEDx.

Debra Coleman [00:13:34]:
That is a beautiful takeaway and a beautiful reframe. I I first of all, how exciting, though. I mean, I I I I'm low key still so excited to to get that you were that you got to do that, but, that is it's very cool, though, like you said. Yeah. I bet. The emotions, you know, that's a heavy lift, and emotionally speaking. So that's a beautiful reframe, and, you know, this is a practice run. You know? It doesn't have to be perfect right out the gate.

Debra Coleman [00:14:04]:
It doesn't have to be our 1 and only shot. We may get another opportunity. Maybe for whatever reason, this just wasn't the right time, but it's still not a loss. You can still gain something from this experience. So thank you for that, lesson there, sharing that. Well, that's a great perspective.

Jamie [00:14:19]:
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. It's, it's gotten me through some other things for sure.

Debra Coleman [00:14:23]:
Mhmm. Going back to school.

Jamie [00:14:25]:
That conversation was just practice. Next time will be better. You know, just being able and when you think of it that way as practice, it also gives you a little bit more courage, to go after things that otherwise you may not have because of that feel fear of failure, or fear of rejection. If you're looking at as, well, if this doesn't go exactly as planned, that was just practice. It also gives you a little bit more courage to try things that otherwise you wouldn't have tried, whether it's a TEDx Talk or, you know, some other bucket list thing that you'd like to do.

Debra Coleman [00:15:01]:
Absolutely. What comes to mind for me is, like, an interview. My friends laugh at me when I say when I say that when the, you know, when the for an interview and I say, but that's okay if it doesn't go, you know, your way over the if you don't if you're not offered the position, think of this as a drive run. It's a practice run. You know? It's it's still good to go through it, and they're like, what? No. I'm like, you know? Yeah. Really. You know? So that's just Mhmm.

Debra Coleman [00:15:22]:
An example of where I've I've kind of applied that myself, for myself too, not just for friends, but myself too. It's like, okay. That's alright. It was still a great experience, and I still learned how to talk in front of people and answer questions and go through the tough moments. So, yeah, I understand that. Mhmm.

Jamie [00:15:38]:
Yep. That's right on. Right on.

Debra Coleman [00:15:40]:
Good share. Good share. So you find yourself on stage. What is first of all, that's really neat that they kinda pair you guys up and have a little cohort to get to know each other. That's really neat. I love that. Did not know that little behind the scenes. So what happens the day of? Oh my goodness.

Jamie [00:15:58]:
Oh, the day of. That was a long day, I will tell you.

Debra Coleman [00:16:03]:
So we did it.

Jamie [00:16:04]:
It was in my hometown where I live, which was great for me, but we did have they did bring a lot of people that were from out of town. So some some folks did have to travel quite aways, came in, you know, the day or 2 before, and we all got together. Oh, gosh. Must have been 7:30 in the morning at the theater, just to get acquainted with the layout, the theater, the red dot. Did you know that you have to stand on that red dot and not move off of it? That was something I learned. What?

Debra Coleman [00:16:35]:
That's what

Jamie [00:16:35]:
they tell you. Yeah. If you watch a TEDx talk, there's always a red dot on the floor, which is the signature, you know, TED red dot, which everyone thinks is just part of the logo and it's part of the aesthetic, but it's there. Yeah. It's there for the camera because they set the cameras up so that they're focused on the red dot. So they tell you to stay on the red dot so that you don't walk off the view of the camera.

Debra Coleman [00:17:00]:
Oh, okay. No pressure there.

Jamie [00:17:04]:
Yeah. So that's a little behind the scenes, information. Hopefully, I'm not, you know, violating any proprietary information. I think that's public knowledge, but not something that I knew until I got there.

Debra Coleman [00:17:16]:
No. Uh-uh. Me neither.

Jamie [00:17:18]:
So you get to practice on the red dot. But, honestly, the practice run, I was probably more nervous for the practice run than I was for the actual event because that is just the very first time you're doing it without any kind of safety net, on the stage, in front of other wonderful speakers. I mean, I just I have so much respect for the other speakers that were in our event and, at one point, could not believe that I was amongst some of these amazing people. So getting going on to the stage, I mean, there is there's a lot of time that you spend backstage just waiting because, you know, your time is only ours was, 8 minutes limited to 8 minutes, but it could be, you know, 8 to 14 minutes. It seems like a long time, but over the course of the day, it's such a short amount of time. So you're spending most of your time behind the scenes, whether it's in a, you know, in a speaker's room or in a dressing room or even if you're out in the audience. We were able to go up into the balcony and watch some of it. But just to be around so many other really inspiring and powerful speakers.

Jamie [00:18:23]:
Some were very experienced. Some were not. This may have been their 1st time really on a stage, and some of them had been on many stages across the country, across the globe. And to be just amongst so many powerful people was both humbling and empowering at the same time. Our event, the theme, was the power of inclusion. So everybody spoke about inclusion, but it really made me think about being included in this group of speakers, because it's easy to fall into the who am I to be here saying this, why does my message matter. You know, you compare yourself to other people that maybe have done it before, have done things greater than what you have done, and you wonder why why am I part of this, and who am I to be a part of this? But then you look at that power of inclusion and you have to go back and realize there is a reason that you're selected, And there's a reason that you are a part of that group. And to let that just sink in and settle and say, yeah.

Jamie [00:19:28]:
I I belong here. Someone chose thought that this message was powerful enough to be featured on a TEDx stage is just amazing. And you have to take a few minutes to really let it sink in and enjoy those moments because it's easy to just let the nerves take over or go through the day not reflecting on it. But for those moments to just have that lasting impact of, you know, I I really this was a bucket list item, and I made it. I made it to the TEDx stage and let it sink in and not let it just be a check the box item.

Debra Coleman [00:20:09]:
Not let it be a check the box item. Yes. It it it you like you said, it's almost like you put in the work. It wasn't just like a magic wand was waived. You know? You applied. You did your work. They they put you through some of the paces prior, and now is not the time right then and there to have those, oh, gosh. What am I doing here? Thoughts.

Debra Coleman [00:20:29]:
So I could definitely see that. Very empowering.

Jamie [00:20:32]:
Yeah. Yeah. It's and I think we do fall into the check the box items, especially, women, high achieving women. You fall into those achievement oriented goals. And I think goals measurable goals are great. Everybody should have them, but they shouldn't define your success and your worth as a person. I recently put up something on LinkedIn that people had responded to. That is your your paycheck, and this relates to the check the box item and your achievements, but your paycheck is in no way related to your worth as a person.

Jamie [00:21:14]:
Everyone is worthy of everything. There's great people that make lots of money. There are great people that make not a lot of money. There are people that check all kinds of achievement boxes that are pretty shitty people, and there are people that don't achieve as many things that society thinks are valuable that are incredibly wonderful people and have so much immense value to their family, their friends, their community. And we have to stop associating these, these achievements and check the box items with our identity and worth. And so I also had to even though it was a, you know, bucket list item for me, I still had to uncouple my my own self worth from the achievement and realize, number 1, I did belong there, as much as anybody else belonged there, and that it was not an achievement that was going to define me. It was something to be proud of. It was something to really take the time to enjoy, but not something to use as a definition of success or achievement.

Jamie [00:22:23]:
And with that, I would also say it's, you know, it's really the difference between the people who try and the people who don't try. You know, those the big things like being on the TEDx stage, it's not rocket science. You don't have to be someone who has spoken on a 1000000 stages to get there. You just have to be willing to try. If you have an idea, you try. And if you don't get it, that's practice, and you can try again. But so many people are very capable of doing amazing TEDx talks, and the only difference is some people apply, and some people don't.

Debra Coleman [00:23:00]:
That's right. Beautifully said. Beautifully said. It doesn't define you either way whether you make the stage or that we're it's not the time for you and maybe you make the stage again later or maybe you don't, but it like you said, at least you tried, though. Mhmm. But that shouldn't define you. It's just another addition to a wonderful, you know, progression that you're experiencing. Oh, I love that.

Debra Coleman [00:23:24]:
Oh, so you are on stage now looking so sharp, by the way. So pretty and so sharp. Great color for you, by the way, too.

Jamie [00:23:35]:
Thank you.

Debra Coleman [00:23:36]:
So what what is that like? I I, you know, I see, just a you know, the camera shifts and it gives, like, the speaker's perspective for a few seconds. It just looks like darkness. Is that true? Do you see anybody, anything?

Jamie [00:23:50]:
Yeah. Well, funny story. I bought that dress in 2 colors. That was not my

Debra Coleman [00:23:56]:
first color.

Jamie [00:23:58]:
I had a I had a purple color first and and decided it was too dark, so I went for the brighter color. But, to your point, yes, it does look like you're just standing there in blackness, which is why you wanna wear a nice bright color. But when you are on stage, it the lights are so bright that you cannot see a thing. It was like staring into the abyss. I don't know how else to describe it. I knew there were people in the audience. I could not really see them, because the lights are so bright, which makes for great videography. But, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing when you're on stage and you can't really see the people.

Debra Coleman [00:24:44]:
I was just thinking the exact same thing when you said that.

Jamie [00:24:47]:
Yeah. Yeah. It could be good for nerves to not really be face to face with people, but some people really do benefit from being able to identify someone in the audience and really connect with them, and they deliver a more meaningful message that way. I will say there is one point in my speech where, I kinda say tongue in cheek that I don't have anything against white men. And my, husband, who is a white man, is sitting in the front row all the way to the right. And I couldn't really see him because of the bright lights, but I heard him. Like, he did, like, a little, like, woo hoo kind of thing. And I think I don't think you can hear that in the in the video, but you can see me, like, look to the side and kinda laugh for a second.

Jamie [00:25:34]:
And I was like, that might be my favorite part of the whole video.

Debra Coleman [00:25:40]:
Yes. Because of that moment, it it's like it all kinda ties together. You made the comment and then that little reaction by you. It it just all like, okay. Something must have, like, something happened, like, in the yeah. Uh-huh. I love that. So is your talk, like, on a teleprompter, or is it all from memory?

Jamie [00:25:57]:
Nope. It's all from memory. They, I I think that I have heard that some of the TEDx events will, allow, like, a laptop or something that has a teleprompter on it, but we did not. We didn't have anything like that. So mine was a 100% from memory. I can do it fairly well with practice. It doesn't necessarily take the nerves away, but it wasn't something that I was, scared of. There there were some folks that were like, I I can't memorize this.

Jamie [00:26:38]:
That's just not how I do my speeches. And so there were some people that, didn't necessarily memorize it word for word, and that works for them. There are different, you know, speech styles. They do want you to know very well what you're going to say, but they're not they're not going to punish you if you go off script, or if you need to adlib a little bit or anything like that as long as you're staying on topic and staying within all of the TEDx rules. And some people speak better that way. There was one particular speaker. Her name was Malaira, so I will definitely shout her out because I think she's absolutely amazing. I do not think that she memorized her speech, but it was one of the most powerful of the entire event.

Jamie [00:27:23]:
It's one that I definitely remembered, and my daughter was in the audience. She was 14 years old, and that was one that she remembered as well because it was very, very powerful. And Malaira is just a wonderful person, and I'm so honored to have met her through this event. But that's just, you know, 2 very different styles. Mine was memorized. Hers was not. 2 very different messages that landed differently but equally as powerful.

Debra Coleman [00:27:49]:
Oh, wow. That is gosh. The memories and experience as a family that you experienced during this this 8 minute talk for us. You know? And it there's so much impact on the other side. And that's nice to hear that TED, the TED team really works with the speaker and their conversation style or their way they present. That's nice to hear too that you're not locked in necessarily too much. I mean, I'm understand there's guidelines. Absolutely.

Debra Coleman [00:28:15]:
But in terms of your delivery and what makes you comfortable, Oh my goodness. That's so at the conclusion okay. You're like, thank you, and that's it. What what what is going on with miss Jamie in that moment? Like, take us rewind back to that conclusion moment. What what's going on?

Jamie [00:28:34]:
Oh my gosh. I was just so relieved to have gotten through the talk without forgetting anything. I told you I'm I'm one that's okay with memorization. I find a little bit of comfort in it as well because I'm not as much of an ad libber when I speak on stage, but it was just such a when I knew I was approaching the end, it was kind of like this inner, like, cheer of relief that, like, yes. I made it. I didn't forget anything. I got through it. I feel like I landed all the points that I needed to land, and it was just this big feeling of relief and pride.

Jamie [00:29:11]:
Again, you don't see it in the video, but I walk off stage. My, they they let us pick an entrance and exit song. And because I quote Dave Grohl in my speech, I chose Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit, to come out and off to. And so as I'm walking off the stage, they're playing it in the background again, and I I got to do a little, like, fist pump at the end as people were clapping, which, of course, got, like, cut out of the actual video, but it was just that, like, feeling of, like, yes. I did it.

Debra Coleman [00:29:42]:
Oh, wow. I'm, like, totally smiling at just the I you know, again, we didn't get to see that, but that's how neat. That is so. And, yeah, fist pump, major. I mean, oh my gosh. You did it. You did a TED Talk. That is such a wow.

Debra Coleman [00:29:58]:
What a check mark off the bucket list right there. That is amazing. Oh my goodness. So what happens after that? Like, do you do you, do you like, what's the circle back like? Do they give you a timeline on when it'll air? Do you what after you're done screaming running around the room, how does how does Ted handle next steps?

Jamie [00:30:20]:
Yes. You come off the stage. You realize you haven't eaten all day, so maybe you have a snack.

Debra Coleman [00:30:26]:
Oh my goodness. I forgot about that. Oh.

Jamie [00:30:29]:
But, yeah. After that, they they do have a timeline where the curator and the video editors have a certain amount of time to review the videos, edit them, put in the logos, make sure everything's formatted correctly for TED. They submit it to the TED organization, and then the TED organization has to approve it. So they like I said before, they give you guidelines and rules. They wanna make sure you abide by them. So when the TED organizers review it or the big TED organization reviews it, they are checking to make sure you followed all the guidelines. And then once they've approved it, it goes up on the TEDx YouTube site, and then it is live. And then it's out there for everybody to see, and then you realize, oh my gosh.

Jamie [00:31:15]:
This is now out into the world, and you have a whole other mix of emotions that come along with that when it goes live.

Debra Coleman [00:31:23]:
I can imagine because now you are officially a part of the TED Talk community. You are one of them. So amazing. Has what has developed has anything developed as a result of being on the TED stage for you purse both personally and professionally?

Jamie [00:31:39]:
Well, first of all, I'm here talking to you about it, so that has developed. And that is such an honor to be on here again. But it is, it's one of those things that has opened up a lot of conversations. So, you know, sharing it, a lot of my colleagues, a lot of my friends and family and, acquaintances and folks on LinkedIn have just reached out to say how much they've enjoyed the topic. And it is it is one of those topics you and I have talked about before that I think needs to be addressed on bigger stages and brought to the forefront. And we really haven't talked too much about the the actual content. I want people to watch it, but just so everyone knows what we're talking about it about my my title was, redefining the rhythm of inclusion. And so I talk about that through the metaphor of a drummer in a band being equivalent to the administrative professionals in an organization and how they are keeping the rhythm of the organization.

Jamie [00:32:42]:
And by valuing their perspective, we are fostering that element of inclusion because inclusion isn't just about race race and gender. It's about perspective. And, typically, the administrative folks are in the background and may not have the platform to voice their perspectives as often. And by bringing that to the forefront and thinking of them as the drummers in the organization, I want to speak to leaders of the organization to understand that they do have these very valuable resources that see every aspect of the business and have a lot to offer, and that it is time for us to invite those drummers to Center Stage and give them a voice and a platform to give valuable contributions to the business beyond their day to day job description. So with that, it is it's just a great conversation starter to have with folks, who have viewed the TED Talk. And it's been really amazing to hear how many people it has resonated with. You know? I've I've had some folks that you know, strangers and people that I haven't met before be able to say, thank you for that. You know? I am that drummer, and I'm glad that you said those things.

Jamie [00:33:55]:
And that is that's really what it was all about. It wasn't necessarily about the number of views or booking a job after it or be booking a speaking event after it. It's more about having the conversation and bringing that conversation to more leadership teams.

Debra Coleman [00:34:12]:
That is so encouraging and so supportive of you for, I am in that group you speak to. I am, yeah, the one of the drummers in the back, and I love the message that you sent to leaders. And and and, you know, even if you don't I'm in the band, but I'm in the back kind of vibe. Mhmm. Just again and I love how you tied that into inclusion. You're right. There's other ways to be slant you provided. That was so unique and original.

Debra Coleman [00:34:58]:
I celebrate that. That's amazing. I would love the opportunity to bring you back maybe for around 3 so we we can maybe dive a little bit more into that subject because I think that is definitely a message that I would love to help you, convey and share with others. So that's just so important. And in my opinion, it's evergreen. We should never stop talking about that.

Jamie [00:35:17]:
Mhmm. Yeah. I I agree. And I think we more people need to talk about that because there are I've noticed that there are pockets of conversations around this topic, but it should be more prevalent, and it should be more prevalent in the leadership teams. And that's where I really want to bridge that gap, and I'd love to come back for another round and talk more about that because the admin folks are talking about it. They are. You are. We all are.

Jamie [00:35:46]:
But Mhmm. It doesn't always bridge the gap between the leadership team and the support team. That conversation needs to go both ways.

Debra Coleman [00:35:56]:
Agreed. Needs to go both ways. Absolutely. Very well said. Absolutely. Well, until that happens, and I know we'll get something scheduled, where can my listeners hear more or read more about what you have to say on this subject and others?

Jamie [00:36:12]:
Well, definitely go watch the TED Talk. And then I have my my website is jamievanek.com. So that's jamievanek.com. So that's jamievanek.com. So that's jamievanek.com. Post the articles on LinkedIn. So you can find me on LinkedIn at Jamie Vanek.

Debra Coleman [00:36:32]:
And they are wonderful articles, y'all. You've got to subscribe. Absolutely. I will have links to all things Jamie in the show notes. Absolutely worth it. You know? And what's really great about Jamie is she has been there. I'm going to also link our previous conversation in the show notes. Really listen to that as well.

Debra Coleman [00:36:49]:
Jamie knows what she's talking about because she was there. She she had a role similar to ours. She was there on the other side of the table. And so as a leader now herself, she absolutely gets the conversation, and she and she really understands what needs to be said and the the feelings that are involved and maybe the perspective. So highly encourage a follow with Jamie. You will not be sorry whether you're a leader or administrative professional. She speaks to both of us, both groups beautifully, and then some. Both groups plus.

Debra Coleman [00:37:22]:
So definitely connect with Jamie for sure. I'm so glad we have. I know I have grown since, since our relationship formed so long ago, now, but that that's just wonderful. And and I'm so happy for you again. Congratulations. That is huge.

Jamie [00:37:44]:
Aw. Well, I am just smiling ear to ear with our conversation and always so happy to talk to you, Deborah. So thank you for having me on again.

Debra Coleman [00:37:52]:
And that wraps up my conversation with the amazing miss Jamie Vanek. Wasn't that fun? I loved hearing about what it takes to hit that TEDx stage, and I really applaud Jamie for going there with us and sharing all of her emotions and all of what was going through her mind and what she was experiencing and the connection she's made and also to hear her amazement at her fellow speakers and what, you know, what she was able to witness front row seats to hearing their talks. It just I loved the whole process. But most of all, I loved it for her. If there is anyone out there that deserves to take the stage, it is Jamie to share her thoughts on inclusion in the workplace. So so exciting. Definitely, again, check out the show notes to learn more ways on how you can connect with Jamie. There'll also be a link, of course, to her TEDx Talk.

Debra Coleman [00:38:40]:
Please check that out. It is the best 8 to 10 minutes you will ever spend in hearing her talk. It is fascinating. And if you're a music lover, you you'll especially love it. But so thank you once again, miss Jamie, for having round 2 with me. Again, don't forget to take out the show notes for more ways to connect with Jamie. Also, there there is a website a link to the Have a Seat website where you can find more inspiring conversations just like this. So stay safe, be well, and remember, keep having those conversations.

Debra Coleman [00:39:12]:
We'll see you next week.