Minda Harts - Uplifting Voices as a Speaker

Minda Harts is a bestselling author, speaker, and podcaster who casts a light on the inequalities that women of color face in the workplace. She offers practical advice on topics ranging from improving racial equity and managing diverse talent to leadership and career development. She has spoken at various universities and organizations like Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Nike—just to name a few. Her newest book, You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls’ Guide to Finding Your Voice, is available for pre-order now. 

Key Takeaways

• Many people often yearn for rapid growth and change. However, you should not underestimate the power of consistency, incremental improvement, and small wins. These elements have all played big parts in Minda's journey and has lead her into her various endeavors today.
• You don't have to be a jack of all trades when it comes to speaking; just because you can talk about something, doesn't mean you have to or should. Instead, hone in on a couple topics and master them.
• It's important to invest in the continual improvement of yourself and your skills, regardless of which point in your career you are at. 
• You have to be ready for unpredictable situations as a speaker. Know when to break script and lean into specific emotions you are feeling.
• Learn about Minda's speaking goals for 2022.

Memorable Quotes

• "I used to think that I didn't have a voice. Then I realized we all have a voice. We just have to decide how we use it." - Minda Harts
• "The stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves are just as important as the stories that anybody else might tell about us." - Minda Harts
• "You have to speak up for yourself before you can speak up on a stage." - Charles Clark
• "When you can describe what you do as a process, that's when you have a business." - Charles Clark 
• "I have the power to be the medicine that someone else might need." - Minda Harts

Episode Resources & Links

Minda Harts

Website: https://www.mindaharts.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaharts/

Twitter + Facebook: @MindaHarts | Instagram: @mindaharts

Pre-order You Are More Than Magic: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670292/you-are-more-than-magic-by-minda-harts/

Charles Clark

Website: https://thecharlesclark.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesclarkusa/

Instagram + Facebook: @thecharlesclark

To get access to all our episodes, visit our podcast page!

Enroll in our Journey to Paid Speaking Gigs program to find your voice and learn how to create your own speaking business

Transcript

00:00:01 Charles Clark

Welcome to the journey to paid speaking gigs podcasts.

00:00:04 Charles Clark

Here we bring on guests in a speaking world to uncover how to find your voice as a speaker.

00:00:09 Charles Clark

Get paid speaking engagements and develop your speaking skills.

00:00:12 Charles Clark

I'm your.

00:00:13 Charles Clark

Host Charles Clark

00:00:14 Charles Clark

Mental health and resilient speaker.

00:00:15 Charles Clark

And today I'm talking with them in their hearts.

00:00:17 Charles Clark

A bestselling author, podcaster, and speaker.

00:00:20 Charles Clark

Who cast a light on the inequalities that women of color face in the workplace?

00:00:25 Charles Clark

We'll be discussing.

00:00:26 Charles Clark

The importance of knowing your lane, running your race as a speaker, and the power of courage.

00:00:32 Charles Clark

If you like the topic we covered today, check out the journey to pay speaking gigs Academy on my website. Dutchcharlesclark.com/apply the Charles clark.com/apply where you're going to learn everything that you need.

00:00:45 Charles Clark

To know about creating a successful speaking business now let's welcome Linda to the show.

00:00:51 Minda Harts

Hey Charles, thanks.

00:00:53 Charles Clark

Yes, yes.

00:00:54 Charles Clark

I'm so excited to get this thing going.

00:00:56 Charles Clark

I took a little break from the podcast world to really get in this virtual world of of motivational speaking and and now a little bit more in person.

00:01:05 Charles Clark

So I'm excited to to speak one speaker to another before we get started.

00:01:10 Charles Clark

Let me throw out right know a little bit about who you are as a person.

00:01:14 Charles Clark

So who is Minda?

00:01:16 Minda Harts

Great question Charles.

00:01:18 Minda Harts

Of I definitely think Linda myself.

00:01:20 Minda Harts

I am evolving into a better version of myself each and every day intentionally, but I am a speaker.

00:01:27 Minda Harts

I am a daughter.

00:01:29 Minda Harts

I'm a sister.

00:01:30 Minda Harts

A friend.

00:01:31 Minda Harts

I am a catalyst for equity for women of color in the workplace and.

00:01:37 Minda Harts

I used to think that I didn't have a voice Charles, and then I realized you know what?

00:01:41 Minda Harts

We all have a voice.

00:01:42 Minda Harts

We just have to decide how we want to use it.

00:01:44 Minda Harts

And I use it for UM.

00:01:46 Minda Harts

Bringing and showing light on the inequalities that women of color.

00:01:50 Minda Harts

Face in the workplace.

00:01:51 Charles Clark

That's that's rich right there.

00:01:53 Charles Clark

I want to.

00:01:53 Charles Clark

I want to take a step back on what you just said you didn't.

00:01:56 Charles Clark

Think you had a voice?

00:01:57 Charles Clark

Take me to that moment because I feel like a lot of people who are starting out speaking they're at that place where you mentioned where I don't feel like my voice matters.

00:02:06 Charles Clark

What was going through your mind at the time?

00:02:08 Charles Clark

What was the the mental block that you were dealing with that?

00:02:11 Charles Clark

That made you believe.

00:02:14 Minda Harts

Yeah, so many things, but the stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves are just as important as the story that anybody else might tell about us.

00:02:22 Minda Harts

And so I realized that I was telling myself this narrative that you know, you're not like so and so where you're too shy or you know you're introverted, so you can't possibly be.

00:02:34 Minda Harts

You know a public speaker or you know that you're afraid of it.

00:02:37 Minda Harts

And what I realized was we all have a voice and we all have to just decide how we want to use it.

00:02:42 Minda Harts

And I realized that I was going through a really painful time in my career.

00:02:46 Minda Harts

Her as the only one as the only black woman in the workplace at the place I was working at and I realized that, you know, if I don't say something if.

00:02:54 Minda Harts

I don't use.

00:02:55 Minda Harts

My words, if I don't advocate for myself and for others, then I just leave the workplace worse than I found it right.

00:03:02 Minda Harts

And if I want to make it better than I found it, then I have to figure out how I can use my voice.

00:03:06 Minda Harts

In an authentic way to me, and it really had nothing to do with.

00:03:10 Minda Harts

Eventually being a paid public speaker, but I had to be that speaker inside my workplace, right?

00:03:15 Minda Harts

So how was I going to do that?

00:03:16 Minda Harts

And it just drove me crazy that I have these feelings and thoughts and I wasn't using them using my gifts and so that was when I realized, OK, you do have a.

00:03:25 Minda Harts

Voice, but you.

00:03:26 Minda Harts

Have to change the narrative, do you?

00:03:27 Minda Harts

Have the ability to do that.

00:03:29 Charles Clark

And the thing that I I, I gather from that is you have to speak up for yourself before you can speak up on a stage.

00:03:37 Charles Clark

I think sometimes we get it backwards.

00:03:39 Charles Clark

Like yeah, I want.

00:03:40 Charles Clark

I want to speak on stage but wait a minute.

00:03:42 Charles Clark

You're not even speaking up for yourself in the in the situations that you need to.

00:03:46 Charles Clark

Like we don't, we don't, yeah.

00:03:47 Minda Harts

That part.

00:03:49 Charles Clark

We like to ourselves and we expect to breathe life and other people when when we fail to do it ourselves on and and there is a higher degree of accountability that must be held for speakers, especially when we're talking about impacting people's lives and allowing them to leave better than they came from an experience that you provided.

00:04:09 Charles Clark

So like tell, tell me about your story.

00:04:11 Charles Clark

So when did?

00:04:12 Charles Clark

How did you get into speaking to Amazon?

00:04:15 Charles Clark

Google, Twitter Capital One Nike Girl Scout all these amazing organizations and and when did you realize that what you had to say it mattered about leadership?

00:04:25 Charles Clark

And inclusion, gosh?

00:04:27 Minda Harts

Charles, can I be honest with you?

00:04:29 Minda Harts

Like if you would have asked me even three years ago, five years ago, would you be speaking on stages like you know those and I would have been like me not no, you know, because again, I didn't think that I was the one.

00:04:43 Minda Harts

I didn't think that I had, you know, sometimes.

00:04:45 Minda Harts

We like to compare ourselves right?

00:04:47 Minda Harts

I'm not brene.

00:04:47 Minda Harts

Brown, right, but I had to.

00:04:49 Minda Harts

Realize, OK, yes, but you are meant to hearts and what you bring is.

00:04:52 Minda Harts

Unique to the situation.

00:04:54 Minda Harts

And as I mentioned earlier, I was going through this really traumatic time in the workplace, dealing with a lot of racial trauma in the places I was working at.

00:05:04 Minda Harts

And I started just with creating a newsletter. I put out a newsletter back in 2015 every Monday and I started to tell my story because I figured if I was experiencing this in the workplace.

00:05:16 Minda Harts

Maybe there were other black and brown women that were as well, so before I even did a paid speaking event, I thought, OK, there's things that we deal with.

00:05:25 Minda Harts

That uniquely as black and women in the workplace, how can I get this word out?

00:05:30 Minda Harts

How can I let people know that your careers matter even if people don't see you right?

00:05:34 Minda Harts

You belong in every room that you enter, but maybe.

00:05:36 Minda Harts

This room is not.

00:05:37 Minda Harts

For you, right?

00:05:38

Yeah, yeah.

00:05:38 Minda Harts

So be it, make those pivots and it really started with the new.

00:05:42 Minda Harts

Letter, then from there very consistent every Monday, putting that out with my talking points, right.

00:05:48 Minda Harts

That was my talking point.

00:05:49 Minda Harts

And then from there people started to resonate with that and it took years to build that mailing list to find my voice to see what resonate what part of the story people you know could marinate on.

00:06:02 Minda Harts

And those were my early days of speaking right on the newsletter and then from there.

00:06:07 Minda Harts

I created my podcasts and then more came out and then books and then I had this opportunity to put myself out there.

00:06:14 Minda Harts

But I never started with the intent that I was going to be.

00:06:17 Minda Harts

This top speaker out in the on the circuit I just started because I knew I had a pain point and I was hoping that if I shared my story maybe someone else would hurt less.

00:06:27 Charles Clark

Wow wow I I think that that's a lot of richness and what you just said because a lot of times we think we have to to take the the the million step right in order to be successful like I'm just going to take that big.

00:06:41 Charles Clark

Leap and then boom.

00:06:43 Charles Clark

Magic happens, but sometimes there's like that.

00:06:45 Charles Clark

Small little a small

00:06:46 Charles Clark

Little step that today step that right now step that you take that leads to these bigger moments in our life and I can't concur with that like for me.

00:06:57 Charles Clark

When I when I first got into speaking, it was like hey let me start a.

00:07:00 Charles Clark

Nonprofit and let me help students understand the importance of education because I don't want them to go through what I went through when I was sitting out a semester in college before going to college.

00:07:12 Charles Clark

Watching my friends going to college without me and then I just wanted them to understand that they can make it out right and so that was my step.

00:07:21 Charles Clark

And then that step led to organizations reaching out to me, saying, hey, we saw that you know you're doing some amazing things with this nonprofit world.

00:07:29 Charles Clark

Why don't you come into our organization and deliver some of the the content?

00:07:32 Charles Clark

That you have to offer.

00:07:33 Charles Clark

And I'm like, wait a minute like you can.

00:07:35 Charles Clark

Get paid to do this.

00:07:36 Charles Clark

Right here, like.

00:07:38 Charles Clark

Send me your invoice.

00:07:38 Charles Clark

That's what they told.

00:07:39 Charles Clark

Me I was.

00:07:39 Charles Clark

Like invoice like what is that like.

00:07:42 Charles Clark

And and and that that was the journey for me.

00:07:44 Charles Clark

And you know, so I I definitely relate to that to that thing of just understanding, like you don't have to to set this this big milestone right now.

00:07:53 Charles Clark

To like say I want to be the absolute best or I want to speak to these organizations.

00:07:56 Charles Clark

Sometimes it just takes that little step.

00:07:58 Charles Clark

What's that little step that you want to take try?

00:08:00 Charles Clark

I I want to I want to ask you mental like for you.

00:08:03 Charles Clark

You know we talk about our biggest challenges.

00:08:06 Charles Clark

I know one of the things that you mentioned was alright, I I didn't think my voice matter.

00:08:11 Charles Clark

What was the biggest challenge that you had on the journey?

00:08:13 Charles Clark

Actually, like you know, when it comes to the business side of things, what was the biggest challenge that you had to overcome in order to become that page?

00:08:22 Minda Harts

Great question and I'm so glad you have this podcast, Charles, because I think you know when we're early in the game, we don't.

00:08:27 Minda Harts

We don't know what we don't know.

00:08:29 Charles Clark

Yeah, yeah.

00:08:30 Minda Harts

How first of all, I didn't know I should be getting paid to speak in my early days, right?

00:08:35 Minda Harts

I didn't know that was an option.

00:08:37 Minda Harts

I just thought oh I was doing this.

00:08:39 Minda Harts

You know, out of the goodness of my heart because I wanted to make sure that more people got, you know, the information that they needed to be successful and not.

00:08:46 Minda Harts

Just survive, but thrive, right?

00:08:50 Minda Harts

And then I realized, wait a second, this is.

00:08:52 Minda Harts

Actually this is.

00:08:53 Minda Harts

A business right when you have certain organizations and companies coming to you and you're like wait a second.

00:08:59 Minda Harts

OK, I'm now putting together a deck.

00:09:01 Minda Harts

I'm now asking, you know, people are asking me to do keynotes.

00:09:04 Minda Harts

I they're now they're asking me what my price is.

00:09:06 Minda Harts

I don't know what that is, you know.

00:09:08 Minda Harts

So I had to.

00:09:10 Minda Harts

Really, to double down and say part of my business is public speaking and if I want to grow that business then.

00:09:17 Minda Harts

There's going to.

00:09:17 Minda Harts

Be some things that I need to shift.

00:09:20 Minda Harts

I do need to have a.

00:09:20 Minda Harts

Price right?

00:09:21 Minda Harts

I do need to have.

00:09:22 Minda Harts

Have talking points.

00:09:23 Minda Harts

I can't talk about everything right.

00:09:25 Minda Harts

There's certain things that I'm really good at and so realizing that this is what I bring to the table and owning that, and I think sometimes we see a lot of speakers who will say, oh, I could talk about everything.

00:09:35 Minda Harts

We could probably talk about everything, but are we good at talking about?

00:09:39 Minda Harts

Everything right do and.

00:09:41 Minda Harts

Inspire every audience.

00:09:42 Minda Harts

With everything that we say, no, there's certain things about our story and thing, and so I just doubled down on what are those three to four things that I love to talk about, that I'm good at and really just building from there.

00:09:53 Minda Harts

And I think those were some of the things that took time for me.

00:09:56 Minda Harts

To get to and and.

00:09:59 Charles Clark

Yeah 2 two things I I live by like one is when you can describe what you do as a process.

00:10:05 Charles Clark

That's when you have a business, right?

00:10:07 Charles Clark

So when you can do when you can describe what you do as a process, that's when you have a real business and a lot of times like we stay in that mode of just running something and never having something that actually can produce.

00:10:20 Charles Clark

Longevity and change for our lives so that that was that was really big.

00:10:24 Charles Clark

That was really big for me and and understanding that.

00:10:26 Charles Clark

And the other thing like you were mentioning like.

00:10:29 Charles Clark

We don't have to like be the Jack of all trades when it comes to speaking, right?

00:10:34 Charles Clark

Like I look at Chipotle Chipotle, I don't know if you like Chipotle, but

00:10:39 Charles Clark

Some old lace

00:10:41 Charles Clark

Yeah, I don't go every.

00:10:42 Charles Clark

Week, but I I remember one one time I was looking back at my my my tax statements and all of that and I was like how often did I go out to eat and like what restaurants were like, my number one and I I looked at Chipotle, and if Chipotle ranked up at like nine $900, I ain't gonna lie about that.

00:11:00 Charles Clark

So, but anyway, I was like so 111 thing that sticks out about Chipotle versus all the other companies out there is like they specialize in Mexican food, right?

00:11:13 Charles Clark

You go, you gotta you gotta come there and you're going to you know what you want like you want rice, beans, chicken you know you want the guac.

00:11:20 Charles Clark

All of those things they specialize in that one thing.

00:11:22 Charles Clark

Now the one thing that you're not going to see with Chipotle is they're not going to offer fries.

00:11:26 Charles Clark

Right, and we think that like when we become speakers, we need to offer the fries we need to offer the the Mexican dish we need to offer pizza but not like what's the thing that you are are gifted in and focusing and honing in on that.

00:11:41 Charles Clark

Like that's what I'm looking for when I'm working with people, especially people who are more talented.

00:11:46 Charles Clark

Me in certain things.

00:11:46 Charles Clark

Like running ads right?

00:11:48 Charles Clark

I don't want somebody who's who's gifted in Facebook ads running my my Google ads right?

00:11:55 Charles Clark

So don't be afraid to niche down and and know who you serve and specialize in that one thing.

00:12:02 Minda Harts

I I love that Charles and I remember hearing Ava Duvernay once say there's riches in the niches, and there really, really is.

00:12:10 Minda Harts

And you know now, because I was very intentional about what my lane is that I don't do all of these.

00:12:16 Minda Harts

You know, I don't need to juggle it all.

00:12:18 Minda Harts

I don't have to be like everything you need to be because I was positioned to talk about.

00:12:22 Minda Harts

These certain things that contribute to equity for women of color in the workplace, and so I'm very clear about that.

00:12:28 Minda Harts

And I say.

00:12:28 Minda Harts

Yes to those things that align with what my speaking brand is right, and so that's where that longevity comes from.

00:12:35 Minda Harts

Because you don't want to convolute or dilute your message because you're trying to do everything.

00:12:40 Charles Clark

Right?

00:12:40 Charles Clark

Like what what breaks your heart, you know, like the things that break your heart are the things that will.

00:12:46 Charles Clark

That will create a tribe and like for me like I, I go back to to the time where I first started speaking I was hiding everything that made that made me truly who I was truly who I am and I and I felt like.

00:13:00 Charles Clark

I could just throw this little cover up on it like hey, be motivating like be empowering.

00:13:05 Charles Clark

You can do it without being vulnerable and sharing my true.

00:13:08 Charles Clark

Truth, the things that that break your heart are the things that's going to create a trial for you.

00:13:13 Charles Clark

So don't don't be afraid to share that thing that that is your most vulnerable place, right?

00:13:19 Charles Clark

Because that's going to build the connection between those people that are sitting in those seats and they want you to be real.

00:13:26 Charles Clark

They want you to say something that they can feel right.

00:13:29 Minda Harts

Really, you know?

00:13:30 Minda Harts

For me it's really.

00:13:30 Charles Clark

So so tell me like.

00:13:31 Minda Harts

Doubling down on.

00:13:31 Charles Clark

For you like 20 looking into 2022.

00:13:32 Minda Harts

Courage because I still even as a.

00:13:34 Charles Clark

What does it?

00:13:35 Charles Clark

Look like for your career in in.

00:13:35 Minda Harts

Public speaker I am very much an introvert, right?

00:13:36 Charles Clark

The speaking world.

00:13:38 Minda Harts

And realizing that it's OK and and when they use my voice, I also not only set myself free, but.

00:13:39 Minda Harts

I about just the I.

00:13:46 Minda Harts

That there are moments where he things that I've created.

00:13:49 Minda Harts

I get choked up right.

00:13:50 Minda Harts

There's certain things that stories that I haven't heard yet that I know would really set someone free.

00:13:53 Minda Harts

I think about how can I be the medicine in the rooms that I'm in, right that?

00:14:01 Minda Harts

I it's a privilege.

00:14:02 Minda Harts

Be able to share.

00:14:03 Minda Harts

It's a privilege that someone books you and really making sure that like you said, when people engage with me, it's a transformation and really thinking and and honing on my skills, right like realizing, OK, I have a speaking coach.

00:14:16 Minda Harts

What do I need to be working on so?

00:14:17 Minda Harts

That I can.

00:14:19 Minda Harts

Produce that medicine that people need, right, and I think that sometimes people think they get to a certain place.

00:14:23 Minda Harts

In their career that they don't have to invest in themselves and so for me to have that longevity of speaking.

00:14:29 Minda Harts

It's something that I'm spending more time on honing in on certain skills.

00:14:33 Charles Clark

Yeah, and I I think like.

00:14:34 Charles Clark

That's a that's a every quarter thing, right?

00:14:36 Charles Clark

I mean daily of course, but every quarter what is that thing that I'm looking to improve in in my business?

00:14:42 Charles Clark

Like of course, we gotta be great speakers.

00:14:44 Charles Clark

That's something that we work on daily.

00:14:46 Charles Clark

But what are all the other little things like?

00:14:48 Charles Clark

And that's why I always have a coach on me.

00:14:50 Charles Clark

You know, like I don't.

00:14:51 Charles Clark

I don't want to be out there going out there delivering a message.

00:14:54 Charles Clark

That only I heard I want.

00:14:56 Charles Clark

I want I want to filter those things through my coach right?

00:14:59 Charles Clark

And and me doing that.

00:15:01 Charles Clark

I walk away with more value from that experience because so.

00:15:04 Charles Clark

Sometimes my coach has to extract certain things out of me that that maybe I comprehend it, but my audience wouldn't receive well because it wasn't fleshed out.

00:15:15 Charles Clark

So I think I think that's that's spot on when it comes to working with the coaching and having that accountability to to do better.

00:15:23 Minda Harts

Absolutely, absolutely.

00:15:25 Minda Harts

And and I think with your coach you also think about what are those other offerings that you can work with.

00:15:30 Minda Harts

You know, one thing that I.

00:15:32 Minda Harts

Released this year was because I am an author.

00:15:35 Minda Harts

I also put out a course for how do you put out your?

00:15:39 Minda Harts

How do you put out a book right? Whether you go the traditional route or self-publishing and again as speakers, we have the opportunity to really UN UN pull the hood or pull the hood you know up so people can see and feel things and I feel like.

00:15:52 Minda Harts

That's part of it.

00:15:52 Minda Harts

Like, not just leaving people with like sitting with their thoughts, but also giving them some tools to continue on and tell their story so that we're not the only ones out there telling stories as well.

00:16:02 Charles Clark

Yeah, yeah, that's a tribe thing right there?

00:16:05 Charles Clark

Like I, I want the people in that surround me.

00:16:08 Charles Clark

I want them to eat too, you know, I I never want to be the one at the table, that's that.

00:16:12 Charles Clark

That's the only one that's that's surviving and thriving, right?

00:16:16 Charles Clark

I I want everybody around me to enjoy the fruits of the prosperity that's in my life.

00:16:21 Charles Clark

And and that that takes a a different mindset.

00:16:24 Charles Clark

I think sometimes people can become too protective of thinking that.

00:16:28 Charles Clark

There's a limited amount.

00:16:30 Charles Clark

Of of resources available but you know, you look at the speaking industry. It's a $1.9 billion industry speaking industry and there's room at the table, right? There's room at the table because a lot of a lot of older speak.

00:16:44 Charles Clark

Speakers, they're fading out and a lot of newer speakers is room for opportunity for you to to have the the fruit of what's available for us.

00:16:51 Charles Clark

Yeah, so, So what is?

00:16:52 Charles Clark

There's always room at the table and I'm I'm not afraid to let one of my my colleagues in the speaking industry know if I'm not qualified for a speaking engagement.

00:17:02 Charles Clark

Yo, this might be a good opportunity for you.

00:17:04 Charles Clark

You know, so yeah, yeah, that's a.

00:17:06 Charles Clark

That's a different mindset, like what but what makes that mindset happen though what, what, what do you think?

00:17:13 Minda Harts

Yeah, I think you have to be intentional about it, and I think.

00:17:15 Minda Harts

You have to take ego out of it, right and say OK well.

00:17:19 Minda Harts

Well, I may be getting these opportunities, but I also know some other people who are dynamic speakers who they need access to the opportunity as well.

00:17:28 Minda Harts

So one of the things that I do is I have a running list of speakers that I keep in a, uh, a document so that when I even when I can't do something or I don't think it's for me then.

00:17:39 Minda Harts

You know my coordinator?

00:17:40 Minda Harts

I'll say OK, send these lists of names to these to the speakers and you know let them at least if they don't work with them, but at least it puts them on the radar, right?

00:17:48 Minda Harts

And I realize like.

00:17:49 Minda Harts

But I don't have to be the only one eating.

00:17:52 Minda Harts

There's plenty of room out here and that's why I think it's important.

00:17:54 Minda Harts

Again, we can't speak.

00:17:55 Minda Harts

I mean you could speak to everything, but you're not.

00:17:57 Minda Harts

You're not most effective when you are, and so I know what other my lane is.

00:18:02 Minda Harts

I know what lane I, I do really well in I run my own race and and I know that there are other races.

00:18:07 Minda Harts

And other you know.

00:18:10 Minda Harts

Activists and other you know, I think of us as you know athletes as well, right?

00:18:15 Minda Harts

And other athletes and and I like to share that baton, and I think that's what makes it.

00:18:22 Minda Harts

More rich because then people look at then they come to you and ask you because they trust you that you're giving them also other great speakers.

00:18:23

Right?

00:18:29 Minda Harts

So again, like you said there's room enough for all.

00:18:31 Minda Harts

Of us to eat.

00:18:32 Charles Clark

Yeah, and and that's a legacy right there.

00:18:34 Charles Clark

Like well, of course we can speak on the stage.

00:18:37 Charles Clark

And make a lot of money doing this, but it's about those little contacts you know.

00:18:42 Charles Clark

Let's I thought of that person.

00:18:44 Charles Clark

That was a legacy moment, so I'm always trying to look for those like how can I create a legacy today and.

00:18:50 Charles Clark

It's something that challenges challenges you daily when you think about it, like what am I truly doing and does it really build my legacy today?

00:18:59 Charles Clark

I want you to talk about one of your most memorable experience speaking, and where were you and what happened?

00:19:09 Minda Harts

That's a great question, you know.

00:19:11 Minda Harts

Actually, I would say I think I was speaking at a Salesforce conference.

00:19:17 Minda Harts

It was a couple years ago.

00:19:18 Minda Harts

Was a woman conference that they had at Salesforce and I was on this stage doing a fireside chat and a question I can't remember the question that they asked me, but this was in San Francisco and it was right before Kovid and you know those very social distance and those sorts of things.

00:19:33 Minda Harts

But it was on that that cost something shutting down and the moderator.

00:19:38 Minda Harts

Asked me this question and Charles it hit me like I wasn't expecting that and I got so choked up and a little emotional.

00:19:47 Minda Harts

And at first, like I would be the person to try to fight it.

00:19:49 Minda Harts

But I just let it and before you knew it, other people in the audience were.

00:19:54 Minda Harts

Crying, you know we're tearing up as well and we had this collective healing moment when I allowed myself to be vulnerable and it really transformed the room and then we were able to jump back into it and it was just one of the most beautiful conversations I think talks and memorable because it was where it just needed.

00:20:11 Minda Harts

I just let it flow right.

00:20:13 Minda Harts

I wasn't trying to keep.

00:20:14 Minda Harts

Up with errors or egos it it just was what it was and it was the best experience and it was healing not just for for me, but for the audience and I think sometimes those speakers you have to be ready for some of those moments that hit you at any given time and go with it because that's the part.

00:20:32 Minda Harts

Of the of the sauce right?

00:20:33 Minda Harts

That vulnerability that you can't like.

00:20:35 Minda Harts

Conjure up and and I'm glad that I had that moment with the audience because it's it's transformative when you have that connection.

00:20:42 Charles Clark

Yeah, that's that's real I I think.

00:20:45 Charles Clark

To to break the emotional.

00:20:51 Charles Clark

I guess the feeling inside of you that says don't do that.

00:20:54 Charles Clark

Stick to your script and you you know just to say you know what.

00:20:57 Charles Clark

Forget it, I'm just.

00:20:58 Charles Clark

I just gotta be me completely right here that that takes that takes a level of courage, you know, but I.

00:21:06 Charles Clark

The experience from that was so gratifying because that was, uh, that was a moment that you didn't even said you didn't even say anything but it it built it bridged.

00:21:16 Charles Clark

The connection between you and the audience.

00:21:18 Charles Clark

That's powerful.

00:21:18 Minda Harts

Yep, yeah, and I was a little nervous during it and even after you know how you yourself.

00:21:19 Charles Clark

That's probably.

00:21:25 Minda Harts

Talk is like.

00:21:25 Minda Harts

I don't know how that you know.

00:21:27 Minda Harts

I like that band.

00:21:29 Minda Harts

But then so many people like sent me messages just to say thank you.

00:21:32 Minda Harts

Thank you and you don't realize what other people need to write and and that's when I realized just to let let the spirit move you on the stage and just, you know, go with it because whatever is supposed to happen I, I think it's supposed to happen.

00:21:45 Charles Clark

Transcending the script.

00:21:46 Charles Clark

You know, I I, I gotta do that because if it's not, it's just a just a cookie cutter message that I just rehearsed.

00:21:53 Charles Clark

And so, like I got, I got to be like my grandma, my grandma.

00:21:57 Charles Clark

She doesn't use any any type of list of ingredients that she has to stick to, but she just she's just flowing in it.

00:22:05 Charles Clark

But she knows what she's doing in the kitchen, and when it comes out, it's the best thing.

00:22:10 Charles Clark

So I'm always trying to think about that when I'm.

00:22:13 Charles Clark

When I'm speaking, how can I still?

00:22:16 Charles Clark

Be the person that needs to be on that stage in order for people to transform, but also, how can I be led by my soul right?

00:22:25 Charles Clark

The the being my there's the spirit of who I am.

00:22:29 Charles Clark

I'm so important that I tap into.

00:22:32 Charles Clark

So I know you got a book.

00:22:33 Charles Clark

Coming out October 5th I believe let the thrive try it about that.

00:22:39 Minda Harts

Thank you for asking.

00:22:40 Minda Harts

Yes, I'm excited.

00:22:42 Minda Harts

This is my second book, my second baby, it's called right within how to heal from racial trauma in the workplace.

00:22:48 Minda Harts

Available on pre-order right now, and I I'm very much a rap lyrics kind of girl I incorporate, you know, pop culture into my talks and.

00:22:58 Minda Harts

Lauryn Hill's how you gonna win if you ain't right within it, it starts what it's it starts with us and that was, you know my muse. For for writing the next book.

00:23:06 Charles Clark

Yeah, love it, I'm I'm.

00:23:08 Charles Clark

I'm excited for the tribe to get their hands on it chop you heard here first men to any final words before we head out.

00:23:15 Minda Harts

Listen, if you want to be a paid public speaker, you know there's a difference.

00:23:18 Minda Harts

I'm just going to break it down to you.

00:23:20 Minda Harts

You anybody can be a public speaker.

00:23:22 Minda Harts

You could start that today, but if you want to grow and build your business business, bet on yourself.

00:23:27 Minda Harts

Double down on yourself and.

00:23:31 Minda Harts

Oh, bring, bring what those unique, unique pieces of yourself to that stage.

00:23:35 Minda Harts

You don't have to be anybody else.

00:23:37 Minda Harts

We don't need another.

00:23:38 Minda Harts

You put the name out there.

00:23:39 Minda Harts

We need you and so I can't wait for you to continue to grow your business.

00:23:48 Charles Clark

All right, Rob, I hope you enjoyed listening to Linda.

00:23:51 Charles Clark

Here are a few major takeaways from our conversation.

00:23:54 Charles Clark

One understand the power of consistency and incremental progress.

00:23:59 Charles Clark

To know your lane and three be vulnerable, it helps you.

00:24:03 Charles Clark

To connect with your audience and authentic.

00:24:05 Charles Clark

Wait now, I hope you all enjoyed the episode today and if you're interested in learning about how to become a speaker, tell your story, share it on the stage and get paid to do.

00:24:15 Charles Clark

What you love?

00:24:16 Charles Clark

Then follow this podcast and be notified when other.

00:24:18 Charles Clark

Episodes are released.

00:24:20 Charles Clark

You can also follow me at the Charles Clark on all social media platforms.

00:24:24 Charles Clark

I'll catch you guys on the next episode.

00:24:26 Charles Clark

I'll see you next week, peace.