let's talk about talking

3-min read: to talk is human...

Hi friends 👋🏾

Welcome to Issue 17 of classroom-2-boardroom. This is a 3-min read, no more no less.

Let's talk about something we don't talk about enough—talking. ✨

let’s talk about talking.

Here's the catch: if you want to build something bigger than yourself, you can't do it all by yourself. 🙅🏾‍♀️

That means your biggest success will come through people and your biggest and smallest failures will come through people. 🫨

In any case, you can't do without people. 🫣

You can ignore them, but you can't deny their role in your journey—good or bad, whether it's holding the door open for you or slamming it shut. 🤌🏾

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the question becomes how do you lean into people?

How do you tap into the strengths of others while acknowledging your weaknesses? 🫣

How do you learn from people? 🤔

How do you build with people? For people? 🫨

How do you tap into your "human being"?

Enter Shift + Talk. 🎯

Whatever you do, talk to people. 🕺🏾

Talk to your colleagues. Talk to your friends. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Talk to your dog (if they're willing listeners). 😁

Talk to your partners. Talk to your parents. ✨

Talk to your coach. Talk to your therapist. 🤌🏾

Talk to your mentor. Talk to your teachers. 👋🏾

Talk to your Uber driver (well, maybe not too much if they seem chatty). 🫣

Talk to even your houseplants – they might not respond, but hey, they'll appreciate the attention. 💁🏾‍♀️

Engage in small talk, big talk, and any other talk that gets your ideas flowing and your connections growing.✋🏾

Engage. Ask questions.

Remember, this isn’t a TED Talk; it’s a dialogue unless you’re literally giving a TED Talk, in which case, kudos.

Be real, be interested. Be nice, be kind. Be open, be curious. 🤔

After the initial chat, follow up. 😇

Send that email, connect on LinkedIn, or maybe even Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter, if that’s your style. 🤷🏾‍♀️

If and when you’re in doubt, just talk it out. 💁🏾‍♀️

Life will not always give you everything but it sure does give you words. 🫨

Most importantly, my friends, talk to yourself- but not in a weird way. 💯

Don’t start talking out loud to yourself on the bus or in the market. 🙅🏾‍♀️

But in a way that fuels your soul and ignites your spirit. 🤌🏾

Ask yourself questions. Explore your thoughts and dreams. ✨

How do you talk to yourself?

Start with gratitude. 🙏🏾

Ask open-ended questions to yourself. 🤔

Write to yourself 1-2 sentences every day or whatever works for you. ✍🏾

I know what you’re thinking. Talking to yourself isn't a sign of madness; it's a masterclass in self-discovery. 🙅🏾‍♀️

It's like a TED Talk just that you’re the presenter and the audience. 💁🏾‍♀️

Talking to other people introduces YOU to them. 😇

Talking to yourself introduces YOU to YOU. 👌🏾

YOU are yet to meet all of YOU (see what I did there? John Legend fans). 😌

The best way to introduce YOU to YOU is by talking to YOU. 💯

My friends, that’s it for this week. 😁

Until next time,
Don’t Forget to be Awesome,

Dulra ❤️
Founder/CEO, Dot.