Why events must always host welcome to country
I attend a lot of events all over Australia as a professional speaker and I have noticed a trend. When events are hosted by government, they are always opened with a Welcome to Country from a local indigenous person. At the very least there’s an Acknowledgement of Country from one of us blow-ins. However, outside schools, government departments and council events, this basic sign of respect for the traditional custodians of the land is a bit hit and miss in the event industry.
Procrastination: how I punched it in the face
Procrastination: I usually bake cakes when I have something big and important looming that I know I need to knuckle down and get done. Procrasti-cakes I call them. Sometimes I even write Procrasti-blogs. When I am in the office I dive down the rabbit hole of the email inbox rather than do something I’ve been avoiding.
Book club notes: Get the girls out
Thank you for choosing Get the Girls Out for your book club! I can’t tell you how fabulous the happy tingles feel throughout my little body, now that people are reading, enjoying and talking about this book. And book clubs take the discussion to the next level.
Kissing a stranger: my first day on a film set
This year I did something I have never done before. I auditioned for a part in a feature film. The casting people asked me to make a self-tape monologue audition video, which I filmed on my phone on a cold Sunday in June, hit send and hoped for the best. I didn’t get the part I auditioned for but was asked to be an extra in a pivotal scene. A fantasy scene – on a real film set.
Run for your life
Have you ever wondered why African nations have the best middle and long distance runners on earth? Ethiopians and Kenyans have high altitude on their side with lungs developed from the day they are born to suck every last bit of oxygen from the air. So when they run at sea level, the higher oxygen levels turbocharge their blood supply like jet fuel. But why is running such a popular and prestigious sport all over Africa?
Travel hacks from the speaker’s trail
The last few years have put me on a lot of planes. After spending 10 years toing and froing from Ethiopia and then a torturous stint in Cambodia, I was well accustomed to rough travel. The longest I went without a shower was ten days in the boondocks of rural East Africa. Fast forward to today and I am on the speaker’s trail, giving keynotes to corporate audiences on doing business differently, courage, killer communication and maverick thinking.
How to crack the speaker circuit
I am asked how to crack the speaker circuit by aspiring professional speakers at least twice a week, so to save you buying me a coffee, here are my top ten tips for how to get your story on the stage, paid.
Lucy’s top ten tips for self-publishing a bestseller
Saddle up for my hard-earned tips on self-publishing. My first book, Cheers to Childbirth was published in 2010 and while people keep breeding, that book keeps selling. I never recommend paying for a “self-publishing program” with a consultant. Honestly, if they were so ace at it, they’d be publishing books, not showing you how for cash. Do it yourself with these pearls of wisdom in your corner, and reap the rewards.
42 things I know, now that I’m 42
I never read introductions to list blogs, so let’s just dive in. These are in the order they fell out of my head. Lucy’s top life learnings from 42 years on Earth. Ready, spaghetti, go.
What Cambodia has taught me: lessons from a legend
For the last little while I have been traveling in Cambodia. When a legendary Aussie asks you to come for a visit, you don’t say no.
