I was excited to support Amy Summers at DisruptHR Tampa Bay and help her prepare for her talk. It gave me a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into getting ready to take the stage.
DisruptHR talks move quickly: speakers have five minutes, with 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds. As Amy rehearsed, I focused on her body language and movement, sharing feedback on how she could use the stage to connect with the audience. Working with my boss in this way felt a little different from my usual PR work, but it was also really cool. I’ve learned so much from Amy, and getting the chance to support her was a meaningful change of perspective.
At the event, Amy joined other HR leaders sharing ideas about people and the workplace. I watched her bring the talk we had practiced to life in front of an audience. Seeing her use movement and body language with confidence reminded me how much practice and thoughtful feedback can contribute to a strong presentation.
My biggest takeaway was that mentorship can go both ways. Amy has created opportunities for me to learn and build real-world experience, and this time I was able to contribute by helping her prepare. Coaching her also made me think more carefully about how to observe, communicate feedback clearly and help someone feel ready to share their ideas.
I left proud of Amy and grateful to have been part of the experience. DisruptHR gave me a behind-the-scenes look at public speaking and a chance to put my own communication skills into practice. It showed me that mentorship is built through moments of support, collaboration and trust, and that we can learn a lot when we step up to help someone else.
~ Leah Weiss, Pitch Publicity® #PitchStar