No Notes, No Teleprompter, Five Minutes On the Clock
Saturday, March 7, I stepped onto a stage with no notes, no teleprompter, and five minutes on the clock.
It was for NSA Carolinas Last Story Standing, a storytelling competition among professional speakers.
It was a long day.
Up at 5:30am.
On the road to Raleigh by 7:00.
Pulling into the parking deck by the venue at 9:40.
Then I waited.
I was speaker #10 out of 12, which meant I had the opportunity to sit in the room and watch some incredible storytellers before my turn.
And let me tell you. These speakers were 🔥.
At one point I realized something funny. I had been sitting next to one of the other speakers all morning. She was kind enough to take several photos of me when it was my turn on stage.
What I didn’t know at the time was that she would go on immediately after me as speaker #11 and ultimately win the competition.
And she absolutely brought the house down.
I didn’t place in the top three this time.
But what I gained was something just as valuable.
It was for NSA Carolinas Last Story Standing, a storytelling competition among professional speakers.
It was a long day.
Up at 5:30am.
On the road to Raleigh by 7:00.
Pulling into the parking deck by the venue at 9:40.
Then I waited.
I was speaker #10 out of 12, which meant I had the opportunity to sit in the room and watch some incredible storytellers before my turn.
And let me tell you. These speakers were 🔥.
At one point I realized something funny. I had been sitting next to one of the other speakers all morning. She was kind enough to take several photos of me when it was my turn on stage.
What I didn’t know at the time was that she would go on immediately after me as speaker #11 and ultimately win the competition.
And she absolutely brought the house down.
I didn’t place in the top three this time.
But what I gained was something just as valuable.
I got to see, up close, what the next level of storytelling and stagecraft really looks like. Watching great speakers work is one of the fastest ways to grow.
The craft of speaking is never finished.
We practice.
The craft of speaking is never finished.
We practice.
We refine.
We experiment.
We pivot from the rehearsed script when the moment calls for it.
And we continue developing new stories and formats as we grow.
Then my name was called.
And we continue developing new stories and formats as we grow.
Then my name was called.
The story I shared is called “I Never Stood Down.”
It’s a deeply personal story about courage, family, and the moment you realize that standing up for someone you love can change everything.
It’s a deeply personal story about courage, family, and the moment you realize that standing up for someone you love can change everything.
Video footage will be coming soon.
A giant microphone hanging from the ceiling.
Bright stage lights on either side.
A large camera pointed straight at you.
Several production screens in front of you.
And a phone off to the side counting down from five minutes.
But no teleprompter. No script.
Yesterday I stepped into a different format and shared a different part of my story entirely from memory. Standing between the two X’s taped on the floor.
A giant microphone hanging from the ceiling.
Bright stage lights on either side.
A large camera pointed straight at you.
Several production screens in front of you.
And a phone off to the side counting down from five minutes.
But no teleprompter. No script.
Yesterday I stepped into a different format and shared a different part of my story entirely from memory. Standing between the two X’s taped on the floor.
With no notes.
That alone makes it a win.
I made it back into Charlotte around 6pm, called a few friends on the drive home, and celebrated with a glass of wine and brown butter chocolate chip cookies from Whole Foods.
Because sometimes progress deserves a small celebration.
That alone makes it a win.
I made it back into Charlotte around 6pm, called a few friends on the drive home, and celebrated with a glass of wine and brown butter chocolate chip cookies from Whole Foods.
Because sometimes progress deserves a small celebration.
Next week, “Beyond Burnout Weekly” returns to what we do best. Shining a light on the realities of caregiving and the employees quietly carrying it every day.
Congratulations to the top three speakers: Trina Rodriguez, Eve Keil, Ruth Pearce. You raised the bar and reminded all of us what great storytelling looks like.
And to the amazing NSA Carolina organizers for all their tireless work bringing this event together.
To my fellow NSA speakers, you blew me away!
Thank you to everyone who sent encouragement, messages, and prayers yesterday. I felt the support.
Now it’s time to level up for the next stage.
Congratulations to the top three speakers: Trina Rodriguez, Eve Keil, Ruth Pearce. You raised the bar and reminded all of us what great storytelling looks like.
And to the amazing NSA Carolina organizers for all their tireless work bringing this event together.
To my fellow NSA speakers, you blew me away!
Thank you to everyone who sent encouragement, messages, and prayers yesterday. I felt the support.
Now it’s time to level up for the next stage.
More to come.
Chef Maria
