President’s Blog- July 14, 2008

Becoming a national speaker in multifamily has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. I take this platform very seriously (with some comedy thrown in) and am grateful everyday for the mentor role I play with my clients and audiences. I work hard to be an inspired life coach, motivator, comedienne and example.

I did not receive my first mentor experience until I had already spoken at the National Apartment Association Educational Conference my fourth year in business. Anne Sadovsky, my idol, gave me the thrill of a lifetime by offering to mentor me, and helped me share my sense of humor. (If she tells you I cried, tell her there is no need to share the details!) Her friendship, advice, mentoring and love has made me better as a person and as a speaker. I want to offer that same special experience to other speakers. I try to pay it forward, sharing advice and professional coaching with many of the current speakers. I would hope that if asked, they would say the advice helped them in building their own speaking careers.

At 50 years old, I realize we need a more organized environment in which to mentor and assist new speakers in multifamily. Many speakers learn by mistake at the expense of their clients. Each time they fail, all speakers fail. The National Multifamily Speakers Alliance will seek to streamline the efforts of meeting planners and association executives who have gotten us this far. Our Alliance will give clients a place to confidently find a professional speaker and, if the unfortunate situation arises, give them a place to report unethical behavior.

Most of us have made mistakes without knowing the impact or understanding that our behavior is politically incorrect. In some of my first seminars, I repeated a story I had heard that touched me deeply. It had a strong message with an emotional tug at the heart. Unfortunately, this powerful “life experience” was from an Anne Sadovsky seminar I had attended and had simply forgotten where I heard it. You can imagine my embarrassment the first time she heard me speak and afterward told me that the story I told was hers.

We can make the worst mistakes with the best intentions. Without a place to learn the “unspoken” rules governing the speaking world someone new is left in a minefield of political danger. Even though we may seem like competitors, I view us as a very special club. Over the years, most clients will eventually hire a long list of speakers to share their unique talents through meetings and seminars. I like to believe that every seminar I book was meant for me, at that moment in time, for that group, my message – all a gift! When a client chooses another speaker, I remind them of my desire to be considered the next time and wish them well with their choice. I can’t lose something that was never mine! I believe in supporting all speakers because they represent my profession. When they do an amazing job and inspire the hearts of the audience toward positive change, the company or association is thrilled to hire a speaker again. One speaker’s success creates even more opportunities for other speakers, and advances the cause of education in the industry.

At the heart of the National Multifamily Speakers Alliance is the desire to create a place for new people to learn, existing speakers to share, each person to grow and develop, and everyone to improve. We are always more powerful, intelligent and fulfilled when we join together. I am excited to see how this Alliance will take shape. I have been inspired by the talented people who have signed onto the effort and are moving us forward. This will be an effort I believe we will one day look back on and be very proud. As for me, if it helps us all to succeed and grow as people, it will have been worth it.

Toni Blake
TotallyToni.com
Founder/President
National Multifamily Speakers Alliance