A Not-Back-to-School Essay About What I Did This Summer... (An Introverts Review of the Speak Up Conference)

 

Ever written one of those beginning of the school year essays?

You know the ones I'm referring to. The attempt to ease students back into the swing of things, coupled with the simultaneous attempt to ease teachers back into the chaos of things, which would somehow be achieved by requiring every-single-student to answer the same question they answered last year...and the year before...and so on, ad nauseam. 

This blog post is basically my adult, non-student, never-going-back-to-school-because-I'm-north-of-fifty version answer to the question, "What did you do this summer?"

Spoiler alert: I'm an introvert.

(And, yes, that actually matters when it comes to this blog post. Hang with me and I'll explain.)

As a podcaster and a speaker and an indie author, I keep my eyes peeled for events that will help me grow in my work and expand my horizons in my field. As an introvert, my interest is piqued when said events are available in the virtual space. My motto is: "Online for the win!"

Late in the spring of 2023, I signed up for the writers and speakers tracks with the Speak Up Conference virtual ticket. I've attended several online events before, and so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Except I didn't.

I'm not sure what I thought I had a handle on, or what I thought this event would be like. I didn't have a handle on this event; I simply held on for dear life, because the SpeakUp Conference blessed me so greatly and in so many varying facets...well, it was above and beyond what I was expecting, to say the least. 

It's something like choosing a random item off the dessert cart after a lovely meal and discovering, quite by chance, that the dessert you chose is truly the most amazing delicacy you've ever tasted. And each bit and every bite is better than the last one. 

Speak Up was hands down the best event for speakers I've ever been part of. 

I'm a note taker, as an extra tidbit for anyone reading who may not know me in real life. And what do note takers do? They take copious notes because they subscribe to the belief that note takers are world changers. (That may or may not be true, but I'm going to continue using that as my excuse for owning so many pens and notebooks and for my love of taking notes at every opportunity.) 

Normally, I accrue a fair amount of filled notebook pages during a multi-day event.

Normally!

During the three days I hopped online and viewed Speak Up sessions, my pen could not keep up with all the content I wanted to put down on paper. I earned myself one nasty hand cramp. And I have reviewed those notes time and again in the days since the event took place. 

But I think the thing that struck me the most on a personal level was this: As an extreme introvert, and as a speaker who knows exactly how worn out in-person events and all the "people-ing" that come with those events, I realized that in heartbeat I would attend future Speak Up events IN PERSON. 

Listen, my friend, this is not a decision that introverts come to quickly or take lightly. This is a big deal. I don't do "in person" unless I absolutely have to. And in the case of this conference, I would happily do "in person" because it is the best thing going for the edification and encouragement of Christian speakers and writers.

Let me give you a glimpse behind the scenes, if you will.

First, there is a feel to this event that is unique. It has been prayed over, the whole of it, as well as the individuals sharing and speaking. Prayed for, prayed over, prayed through. This was evident right from the get-go. There's nothing quite like attending an event where you've been prayed for.

In addition, I had a point of contact who reached out to me in the weeks leading up to the conference, emailed me during the event, and followed up afterward. She was so sincere, so kind, and just a blessing to hear from her via my inbox. 

The breakout sessions were wonderful. The leaders of the Zoom rooms were genuine and caring and really just beyond kind and caring, in spite of the fact that they almost certainly were carrying a bit of a workload to pull off an event of this magnitude and manage all the tech issues that come part and parcel with conferences in the online space. And the way the event hosts included the virtual attendees before just jumping into the live feed of the main stage sessions was super inclusive and very welcoming. 

The giveaways were beyond generous, and so were the leaders who offered to give online conference attendees the same kind of time and focus that they offered to the in-person attendees. If they said they would email you about something, they did it. If they said the would add you to their email list or their private Facebook group, they did it. Whatever they offered, they made good on. In a very timely manner. Without feeling spammy. This aspect of the Speak Up Conference was very refreshing for me. 

The closing sessions on the second and third nights of the event were outstanding. 

How outstanding, you may be wondering?

Listen, your girl here is not a crier. It just isn't me. I. Do. Not. Cry. At. Online. Events. EVER. But I did cry during one of the speakers. Tears that were thankful, happy, and convicted. That's a pretty good combo for tears shed by a non-crier. 

In a nutshell, here's what I did this summer: I created and recorded loads of new episodes for my two podcasts. I spent time with my sweet grandbaby. I celebrated as my youngest daughter graduated from college summa cum laude and then moved her out of state to begin her new career. 

And I attended the Speak Up Conference via the virtual attendee option, because I'm an extreme introvert.

But next year...I'm gonna be there in person. Introvert or not, it's too good to stay home for. 

As I wrap up this blog post, can I share about a t-shirt I had made? 

My family despises it, but I had it made via an Etsy Shoppe because it simply is the truth. The shirt says this: "Heart Failure - one star, do not recommend".  (You guessed it, I have a heart failure diagnosis and I most certainly do not recommend it). On the converse, my review of the Speak Up Conference is this: "Five Stars - absolute must-do event for speakers and writers - highly recommended."

If you are a writer or a speaker or maybe a Christian mom who is considering speaking at a local homeschool conference or to your women's ministry, perhaps you'll be leading a Bible study or small group soon, or are considering starting a podcast or a blog, I hope you will keep Speak Up in mind as a resource to encourage and equip you. It really is a tremendous event.

Lord bless!

~ Jan L. Burt