What I Did to Create Deep Connection in a Virtual Keynote
If you are open to taking a slightly different approach to virtual presentations, pivoting to a virtual keynote can be just as effective, if not more, than presenting in person. When I was invited to speak to the Niagara College Graduate Certificate Public Relations students, I accepted the offer with one condition: every participant was required to do their research and provide questions in advance of the presentation.
The questions arrived a week before the talk and I was fired up to see they were well researched, eclectic and provocative; a mix of questions about my career, marketing, feminism, the music business, social media and success. My hourlong virtual keynote become an interactive Q&A with attendees showing up already invested. Each of them asked me their questions and I was able to personalize the answer with honest conversation. The experience was powerful. Our connection was real, with everyone leaving the talk inspired, including me.
As a follow-up to the keynote, I asked if the participants would share what they learned from my talk. Their answers surprised me by how deeply my conversation resonated with them and how they were able to internalize my presentation to apply the learnings to their lives.
Here’s a snapshot of what they had to say.
Erica taught me that confidence is key, especially when it comes to being a women in this powerful industry. Her discussion on removing words like ‘just’ from our vocabulary was truly inspiring and it really made me think about why I feel the need to shy away from stating my ideas proudly and confidently. Erica is truly a wonderful and powerful speaker and I really enjoyed our time learning from her!
- Brier
What stood out to me was her confidence when applying yourself and sharing your ideas with others. She mentioned that if they don’t like you then it has nothing to do with your abilities…it just means that it’s not the right fit for you. In a time where we are applying to internships, this resonated with me as it gave me the confidence to be myself in my interviews. I understand know if it doesn’t work out, then I will find the right fit for me soon. Erica is truly inspiring for young women and the messages that she shared with us will stick with me throughout my career.
- Rebecca
From the short time spent with Erica, I was able to feel her incredible energy through my computer screen. For the first time, I didn’t feel zoom burnout when watching something live, so powerful. That day, Erica inspired me. I learned from her that you should never have to apologize for being your authentic self, be confident, and always find a way to go that extra mile.
- Rita
A main takeaway from Erica’s talk was about having confidence, taking risks, and stop letting fear control the way we make our choices. If you believe something will happen, and speak it into existence, there is a higher probability it will occur. This is something I have started doing in my every-day life. Erica empowers herself is by waking up and envisioning her end goal. That’s how she makes things happen. We also need to be brave because, as she says, the worst thing that can happen is we are told “no”, but the best thing that can come from being brave in a situation is it goes our way. Finally, Erica explained how fear can hold us back from our true potential. Our fear shows in our body language and the way we communicate. If we stop letting fear get in the way, Erica says we are “unstoppable”.
- Emily
Having Erica speak to our class was an eye-opening experience. The one tip that resonated with me was to be an intrapreneur. Being able to offer your skills within a company and develop innovative ideas and projects is something that I have been allowed to do without knowing how important it really can be. Being able to put the work in to show just how valuable we can be to whatever company we end up working for in the future is how we as Public Relations students can stand out from the rest and become successful in our careers.-
- Alex
Halfway through our class's questions, Erica engaged with my classmate Tianna about the way her question was asked. Tianna asked her question with: "I just wanted to know..." Erica called attention to the patriarchal reduction in starting a sentence with "I just" and how it's something a lot of women, especially young women, in business struggle with.
The chat box lit up with, "I do that too," or, "Guilty of that," from many of my female colleagues. As one of the two male-identifying people in my PR class, I thought Erica's language guidance, "Men don't apologize," was really impactful, and a behaviour my partner also struggles with. I hope as a PR practitioner, I don't just have to wait for the old guard to die off to make these systemic changes, while grappling with the professional advantage my privilege gives me.
- Nicolas
It was a pleasure having Erica join our Media Relations class. My greatest takeaway from Erica was the need to actively take up space as a woman and know that you belong. It was great learning about all the experiences that have shaped Erica into the influential being she is today. Erica's passion and wisdom has inspired me to take the world by storm.
- Tianna
If you’re considering a virtual presentation, I highly recommend this format. By requiring participants to research the guest and provide questions in advance of the event, you will have an audience already invested in the content and conversation. We’re all learning how to navigate our new virtual world. This is one way you can create meaningful engagement in a virtual scenario.
If you’re interested in having me speak to your group, I’m represented by National Speakers Bureau.