“No offense but… you’re a kid.”
I wanted to respond.
I did.
But part of me held back.
To just listen.
“Look, I’m sure you’re fun but groups like this need real takeaways.”
Again, it took everything in me to say… Nothing.
“I don’t want to throw you off before you start but just a heads up. They want substance.”
Yea, for sure, not thrown off at at 😂
This conversation took 30 minutes before a keynote.
For 1500 people.
And I was the youngest in the room.
By a healthy margin.
The thoughts immediately rushed in:
“Maybe he’s right.”
“Why would they listen to me?”
“I’m barely 30. Will they take me seriously?”
Just as I’m going through this doom spiral…
The event organizer comes up.
“Ready to rock?”
“Absolutely!”
I wasn’t.
But… Fake it till you make it, right? (not quite)
I couldn’t just ignore the feeling.
They’d see right through it. (and me)
So I did one thing I was ridiculously afraid of.
I told the truth.
I didn’t just tell the truth.
I leaned into it.
And the craziest thing happened:
People were all-in with me.
My guess as to why?
We live in a world that pressures us to…
Seem like the foremost expert.
Have it all together.
Be professional.
And it keeps us from the one thing that helps us really connect:
Authenticity.
The keynote went well and that guy from the beginning came up afterwards.
“Hey, I need to apologize. I judged you way too quickly. I actually learned a lot. Thank you.”
At first, People may be ‘haters’,
But then, they turn into supporters.
As a result of being real.
Something the world so desperately needs right about now.
So, this week, this month, this year,
Decide to bring your full self to the party.
When you do, Everything changes for the better.
Your friend,
Juan Bendaña | Keynote Speaker
WATCH THE VIDEO ➤ https://www.JuanBendana.com
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