Some events you attend. Others you actually feel.
TEDx Crawley’s inaugural event was the latter. Your Man With A Van was proud to sponsor the very first TEDx Crawley alongside a brilliant lineup of businesses and speakers, and for Cat it was something of a personal milestone too. It was her first ever in-person TED or TEDx event, and being in the room for a first of anything carries its own particular energy.
A huge congratulations to Wendy Bell, who pulled the whole thing together. Launching TEDx Crawley is no small feat, and the day was a real credit to everyone involved.
Dee Blick Set the Tone
Dee Blick FCIM opened the event, and she did so with a story that stopped the room.
Hearing someone’s story properly, in full, in person, is a different thing from knowing someone online. The strength Dee has shown throughout her life is remarkable, and it’s a reminder that the people around us carry experiences we often know nothing about. Listening properly matters. It always has.
Dee also had the honour of bringing together a group of people who had only ever met through a screen. Michelle Betts from ByJove Media, Lucy Pitts from Sussex Exclusive, Jo Rowe from Rowe Office Ltd, Laura Osman from Beam Coaching, and Nina Goel, HR specialist, were all in the room. Meeting online connections face to face for the first time is one of those small, brilliant things that only happens when someone creates the occasion to do it.
A Room Full of People Worth Being Around
Alongside the speakers, Cat was glad to share the day with some familiar and much-loved faces from the business community. Kazi Quinton, Danny Rowe, Nikki Butlin, and Debbie Gilbert were all there, which made the whole thing feel like a proper gathering rather than just an event.
The speakers themselves were a generous and varied lineup: Dee Mathieson, Dan Ford, Alix Bell, Darren Harding, Daran Bennett, Mandi Lloyd, Vicky O’Farrell, Samantha Kaye, Steve Sawyer, Kate Fuller, Stefan Buss, Sheryl Tipton, Lucy Pitts, and Vern Dercksen. A first event with a lineup like that sets the bar high for everything that follows. TEDx Crawley is going to be something.
Three Things Worth Taking Away
Cat left with three things she’s still thinking about.
The first: in a world of noise, your story is more important than ever. Don’t lose your voice. Don’t give it away.
The second: it’s usually you who gets in the way of you. Not your skills. Not your capability. Just you.
The third: take the chance. Just do it.
Simple. True. Easier said than done, obviously, but that’s rather the point.
Roll on the next one.
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