03/27/2025
This week, I opened an email from the Social Media Conference, and as I clicked through to explore the agenda for GSMCON2025, I was hit with a surreal momentāthere I was, right on the cover. A photo from last yearās presentation on Instagram Reels. And even more humbling? This year, Iāve been invited back to lead a two-hour workshop:
š¬ Short-Form Video 201 ā Crafting Engaging Videos from Planning to Publishing
Someone recently asked me, āWith all the things you do, do you still get nervous when speaking in public?ā The answer? Absolutely. Every. Single. Time. But I do it anyway.
As an introvert, Iāve come a long way. In high school, I was the student who sat in the back of the classroom, praying the teacher wouldnāt call on me because even that tiny spotlight would send me into full-blown panic. I never volunteered to speak, and when I had toābecause of a class projectāI wanted to disappear.
It wasnāt until college that I started pushing myself. Raising my hand. Volunteering. Speaking up, even when my voice shook. And now? I stand on conference stages, leading workshops, sharing my knowledge, and hoping to empower others.
I wish my younger self could see me now. Sheād be shocked. Sheād be proud. And I hope that anyone reading thisāwho feels that same fearāknows that growth is possible. Courage isnāt the absence of fear; itās moving forward despite it.
