Some people hurt themselves running marathons, fighting wars, battling blazes, or reaching up to grab a cup off the shelf. Others of us hurt ourselves falling in prairie dog holes.
I was taking my dog Hazel for a walk. Now, I know what you’re thinking:
“Why were you walking out in the open prairie.”
I wasn’t. I was less than one block from my apartment building. I live in annoyingly white suburb that has as much diversity as a typical NFL coaching staff.
Hazel and I were meandering along the sidewalk when I caught a glimpse of another dog and it’s owner ahead. I, doing the correct thing, (since my dog is crazy) stepped off the sidewalk to make way for them and proceeded to fall directly into a prairie dog hole.
2020 has been a year of exhaustion, refocus, more exhaustion, more refocus. Pivoting. Being paralyzed. Stressing. Relaxing. Sleeping more. Stressing more. And frankly wondering what in the heck I’m doing.
In quarantine I’ve been like hamster on a wheel. 1,000% in a cage. Going a hundred miles an hour with nowhere to go. The industry I work in vanished overnight. I found the need to create a new “income stream”. Hence the pivoting, refocus, paralysis….At the end, I’ve accomplished very little.
I “should” have handled it better. After all, I know how to do this. Embrace change. Deal with elements I’m not in control of. Live with the fear of losing a lot. I got this down.
And I do “handle it” considering I’ve been down this road before. With all my lack of grace and competency in 2020, I have remembered and held on to something very important.
The greatest lesson I learned in my past trek of getting sick, almost dying, living in financial straits, having PTSD and struggling with depression (how’s that for a positive sentence) is this:
In the abundance of fear, illness, lack of control, and stress, many of us have had to face scarcity for the first time in our lives. Scarcity of toilet paper beginning in March, scarcity of space in our homes, scarcity of jobs, scarcity of time, scarcity of support and scarcity of security/stability.
The tendency to hoard, to hold on, to hide out when things are scarce is a natural reaction. Recognizing the abundance you still have is a way to release some of the fear. Release some of the stress.
Abundance helps you release that tight grasp. Abundance helps you move towards a more open heart. A more open hand to give.
In the old days (pre-2020) we didn’t recognize all that we had. It was almost grotesque how much we took for granted. We walked into grocery store and got whatever we wanted, paid our bills, sent our kids to school while we worked, met with friends, watched sports, ate out on Tuesday…Wednesday…pretty much any day so we didn’t have to cook.
Yet we complained because, with all we had, we were still discontent.
Then came 2020. With it came scarcity. We crammed into our houses and had to look at the people we lived with in the eye. Some for the first time in a long time. We looked at the décor on our walls and the items shoved in the back of our closets. We looked at our emails and the news wondering if our jobs were next. We looked at the food we ate, the shows we watched, and the photos of the people we missed. We took a long hard look at our life.
With the lack of space, time, friendships and freedom we began to learn a very important lesson. A lesson contrary to every success book, every entrepreneur “secrets to being amazing”, every advertisement trying to entice us to buy more. A lesson I learned in a hospital bed.
-Homeschooling your kids while you worked and finding that little bit of heaven when nobody bothered you in the bathroom for 10 whole minutes. A small thing that meant so much.
-When loneliness crept in and your dog or cat hopped on your lap and looked you in the eye telling you there’s not just you. With him or her there’s always two.
-When taking a walk in the fresh air and open spaces lifted our butts off the bed and our mood in ways we never noticed before. A small thing that changed our whole day.
-When your paycheck came it held more significance. That job you hated was a lifeline you didn’t know you had.
-The phone or zoom call from family or friends – now took top priority.
-When the holidays came and you remembered eating your Grandma’s meal as a child. A small moment in the grand scheme of your life. But now the memories and the meaning hold such sweet abundance.
-Your health meant more. Having 8 rolls of toilet paper meant more. Watching your kids actually grow in front of your literal eyes. It all means more.
-There’s been abundance in our scarcity. Because we are forced to notice all the things we took for granted and missed.
When you think of the happiest moments of your life-most are in the small. Playing outside with your friends until dark. Driving in the front seat of your dad’s pick-up truck. The first time he or she caught your eye. Playing in the snow. Watching the waves. Getting your first small promotion. Laughing uncontrollably with someone you loved. This is where life happened. In the small.
In 2020 we’ve been faced with scarcity which has caused us to live in the small. This is where the abundance of real life-the good, the bad, and meaningful- all happens.
My hope is as life moves forward into 2021 and we find ourselves in something new, yet all too familiar, that we each remember the lessons we’ve learned. For so long we blindly believed the lie that more is always better. Bigger house, better job, more money, better body. Push harder. Be more. Do more.
May we remember what it meant to be squashed in a house full of people we loved and hated and loved some more. May we remember the value of having a small bowl of soup with someone special that far outweighs a fancy meal in a room full of people we don’t know. May we remember the value of a paycheck our hard work brings. May we remember the feeling of gratitude of having good health. May we remember all the small moments, all the small gifts, that made our life abundant in all the scarcity.
I stumbled into becoming a funny speaker by complete accident. I have learned A LOT along the way. What I learned-I actually already knew. Let me explain:
I have a degree in theatre. What I learned and even taught when it came to theatre/acting performance, audience, communication, messaging, etc., has translated perfectly to the speaking world. All the rules seem to hold true for either mode of communication-acting or speaking.
It’s taken making a whole lot of mistakes and performing a loooot of really tough gigs to finally embrace who I am. I’m a performer with a message.
I’ve done free speaking gigs, drove hours for almost no-paying gigs, done back alley gigs, comedy gigs, county fair gigs, festival gigs. My cars broke down. Someone slipped something in my drink the last comedy club I performed at. I’ve traveled 12 hours one way to have the company never pay me. Been snowed in, iced in, dust-stormed in. (I choked on-stage during the dust storm-literally. I coughed and gagged on the dirt so much, I had to walk off after only 8 minutes.) I’ve bombed on stage. I’ve killed it-and a whole lot of in-between.
Now that you know some of my creds-here’s some huge mistakes from an actor’s perspective, I see other speakers make on stage. I’ve done several of these myself.
As a funny female speaker, I get to perform a lot, but it’s always so wonderful to have the opportunity to go back to my acting “roots”. I was very thankful to be a part of this project. I believe in the message.
Tired of dealing with demanding speakers, moody comedians, flaky artists, drunk DJ’s and out of control musicians? Filled with unconventional advice from a fellow moody artist, Stacy tells you how to make your next event a stress free, raving success.
Have a tight budget or not a lot of time to plan an event? Due to availability of décor, venues, color schemes, etc., I’ve found these themes extremely easy to plan with. (Note: they are all generic-no Mickey Mouse, Superhero, etc., If you choose to use a licensed character as a theme, you’ll pay more for party supplies. All of these events below can be done with general color schemes and décor to reduce your overall cost. )
Tropical
Cowboy/Cowgirl/Western
Roman
Princess/Castle/Medieval
Garden
Pirate
Sports/Baseball/Football/Soccer
Cityscape
Theatre/Plays/Comedy
Airplanes/Cars/Trains
Farm
Safari
Time Periods: Such as Victorian/ 1950’s/1980’s/ etc.
Fiesta/Mexican
Ocean-Non Tropical/Nautical
Movies/Hollywood-Especially Retro Hollywood (Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, etc.)/Oscars-Red Carpet/Movie Premier
Mountains/Camping/Hiking/Outdoor
School (especially fun for corporate when having the opportunity to drag in their high school pictures)
Construction (Also great for corporate when revealing new product, changes within a company, or team building)
Space
Technology/Future/Retro Technology
Rock Stars/Music/Funk/Rap/ etc.
Tea Party
Circus
Road Trip/Diners/Route 66
Retro Candy
Zoo
Opposite Seasons-Example: Christmas in July, Summer Vacation in January
Winter Wonderland
Enchanted Forest/Fairies
AND a bonus! Prom. Yep a good old fashioned High School Prom theme complete with cheesy balloon arch for “prom pictures”.
Stacy Pederson is a Colorado based Humorist and Funny Motivational Speaker who is incessantly insecure with a chronic Thai Food / Netflix binge habit.
As an actor, speaker, comedian, and past events coordinator, my work life revolves primarily around events. From weddings to huge corporate conferences to a small backyard bluegrass bbq, I’ve seen and experienced a lot. Every event is unique, but event planning is not. A $100,000 Conference requires the same planning process as a $100 birthday party. This series of blogs is designed to help you break down the planning process into simple steps to help make your event a success.
The Day of Doom
It was a normal workday. Nothing out of the ordinary, until your boss calls you in and tosses a casual comment about you heading up this year’s corporate party/event. As you walk out if his office, you can feel your stomach drop and the questions start to swirl. “Event? What kind of event? For who? Corporate as in, our office Corporate, or the entire across the US/World Corporate?”
Before scanning the internet for a new job, relax and jot down the following questions. You can either ask yourself, the event person from last year, your boss or anyone else in charge.
Who specifically is the Event For?
Is the event for your department? Entire Office? Are Spouses coming? Children? Is it for the community?
-If it is for the community-who exactly in the community?
Once this is answered you need to get specific.
What are Their Demographics?
-What are their age ranges?
-Gender?
-Largely married or single?
-Do they have kids or no kids?
-Economic Status? (This is especially important when planning fundraisers or ticketed events.)
What is the Overall Goal of the Event?
-Is it to raise money?
-Woo new clients?
-Celebrate and acknowledge employees?
-Is it to recognize and appreciate donors?
-Strictly for having fun?
I can’t emphasize enough how important the overall goal of your event is. You’ll need to filter through every idea from food to decorations to entertainment through the funnel of: “Does it help facilitate the overall goal of the event?”
Is There a Theme?
This can make your life much easier if there is a theme. If there’s not, than I strongly suggest you and the planning team come up with one. (I’ll have a blog specifically based on themes.) A good place to start is a company slogan that is being used this year for training or advertising purposes. For churches, a verse that has already been chosen. For non-profits, something that ties in your mission statement. These can be adjusted to fit within a holiday theme if needed. I’ll explain more, including examples, in the future blog regarding themes.
Is There a Budget?
Hopefully, there is a budget from the previous year. If not, you’ll need to start from scratch. The following questions are with the assumption there is a past budget to pull from.
-Where is the budget from last year?
-Is it adjustable at all?
-If so, who do I need to get approval from?
What Parts of the Event Last Year Were Successful/Unsuccessful?
This is a question you can ask to anyone you know who attended the previous year’s event. You will get a myriad of things people liked or didn’t like based on their demographics and personality. However, some things will stand out as unanimous. If the vegan potato bar was a hit-but the fire breathing hypnotist clown who was the board member’s son-was hated by everyone-you know what to nix or keep for this year.
Do I Get A Planning Team?
-Hopefully the answer is “yes”, “yes”, “yes”!
-Who chooses the planning team? (I will have a specific blog based on choosing a perfect planning team.)
-How much time do I get with them? If this is for work, it’s an important question to ask.
How Much Time Can I Spend Each Week on the Event?
-This is important if it’s part of your job. If the answer is 2 hours a week for 3 weeks, then you’ll need to plan a super easy event held at Chipotle’s. If it’s 5 Hours for 15 weeks, I want to come because it’ll be amazing.
Stacy Pederson is a Colorado based Humorist and Funny Motivational Speaker who is incessantly insecure with a chronic Thai Food / Netflix binge habit.
I was one of THOSE kids in school. The kind that sat in the front row…sort of. (I was actually placed there because I had the attention span of a gnat.) My desk was a disaster. My hair was askew. BUT I was a great example to the class. People pleaser to the core. The moment the teacher asked a question I knew the answer to, my hand shot up in a, “Me, ME, MEEEE”, “notice me”, “pick me”, “LOVE ME” frenzy.
Have you ever noticed teachers never call on the front row kids? Their eyes dart frantically across the room for someone-ANYONE-else to raise their hands. We’re the last resort kids because we ALWAYS have our hands up. Front and Center- in a visibly, highly annoying fashion.
NOW as a funny speaker…nothing’s changed. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I have to sit on my hands because that same tendency to throw up my arm and scream, “PICK MEEEE” to meeting and event planners burns within.
Here’s who I’ve discovered Meeting and Event Planners Call On and It’s Not Looking Good for Me:
1. The Good Kid. The kid whose desk is perfectly straight, homework turned in, solid grades, steadfast and follows through like clockwork. When a task needs to be done-such as sending a note to the office-this kid is who gets called on. No messing around, talking in the hallway, tripping over shoelaces…This kid does the job dutifully, responsibly, and does it well. When in doubt-send the good kid/speaker out.
2. The Cool Kid in the Back of the Class. The kid that walks in a room and doesn’t have to say a word. His leather jacket, good looks and magnetism says it all for him. He never needs to throw up his hands. He’s just IT. All that. (Aka-my husband. He was one of those kids… Whatever…) He doesn’t need to even make eye contact with the meeting planners because he knows everyone wants him and eventually-if they know what’s good for their business- they’ll want him, too.
3. The Mad Scientist. The kid who gets written off by his peers that no one pays attention to. Then one day he turns in an earth shattering algorithm that solves world hunger and alleviates class oppression all in the time it took me to locate my lunch box. His appearance and presentation may not be polished, but THIS kid’s a stinkin’ genius. He’ll graduate college with honors before I figure out how to walk, talk, chew gum, and roll my eyes in middle school-mean girl-synchronized perfection.
4. The Class Clown. Witty, lovable, maybe not that brilliant, but always has the class in stitches at just the right time. Attention getting, creative, unpredictable, but the audience’s response is always worth the risk.
5. Me. The kid who eventually gets called on for the mere fact I’ll put my hand down. Ok- not exactly…. (There’s a good chance my hand isn’t even up because I didn’t hear the question. I was distracted trying to locate my ruler that’s buried behind the green and red paper chain I made for Christmas but forgot to give to my parents…2 Christmases ago.) It isn’t until just the right question grabs my attention that my head and my hand shoot straight up… “PIIIICK MEEEE!!!! I actually know this one!! I can do this one! Hire me! ME, ME, MEEEE!!!!”
This article is my passive, completely non-effective, overly obvious way of putting my hand up to be noticed. Think of the movie, “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie gives the teacher a fruit basket…and a wink…
Stacy Pederson is located in Colorado where she can be found second guessing herself as an actor, writer, speaker and clean comedian. She is obviously not a skilled marketer.
2020 has been a year of exhaustion, refocus, more exhaustion, more refocus. Pivoting. Being paralyzed. Stressing. Relaxing. Sleeping more. Stressing more. And frankly wondering what in the heck I’m doing.
rson is a Colorado based Humorist and Funny Motivational Speaker who is incessantly insecure with a chronic Thai Food / Netflix binge habit.
