Mic Drop

Energy, Passion, and More Energy (ft. Cassandra Worthy)

Episode Summary

This week, speaker and beam-of-pure-energy Cassandra Worthy shares what she did to dramatically reduce the risk of taking the full-time plunge into the speaking field, how she recharges her own energy after sharing so much of it with the world, and why she's a full-time keynote speaker— and why it has nothing to do with money or fame or applause or accolades.

Episode Notes

Energy, Passion, and More Energy (ft. Cassandra Worthy)

Going beyond the surface with one of the most vibrant, passionate, and strategically savvy speakers in the industry

OPENING QUOTE:

“Every day from the day that I landed the engagement to the day that I actually did it, I did that keynote message in my kitchen. Every day I got up and I was like, "All right, time to deliver my keynote." And gave the same energy and passion if I was in front of an audience. And by the time I did it, all the words were there, they just dropped, just came out of my mouth. And I was able to look in eyeballs, see the energy, engage with folks, and I had a blast.”

-Cassandra Worthy

GUEST BIO:

Cassandra Worthy exploded onto the speaking scene in 2018 and is already seeing fees and volume that make even the most seasoned industry veterans blush. Before that, she spent 15 years in corporate America and began as a chemical engineer. Today, the only label that really fits the bill for Cassandra is change enthusiast.

Links

[4:35] - Be Free-Spirited, but Intentionally So

How to combine a sense of rebellion with a sense of purpose

Cassandra gives the impression of someone carefree and even downright whimsical, but behind that free spirit is a focused, driven, and intentional personality honed in her time as a chemical engineer, a field where process makes perfect. She combined intuition and process to create a career unlike anyone else’s.

[18:15] - Service First, Everything Else Second

Cassandra wins by not focusing on winning

If you love your work so much you’d do it for free, then you’re ready for a lasting keynote career. Be purpose-driven and purpose-filled, and eventually everything else will follow.

[20:55] - Surprise: Practice Matters

What starts at the kitchen table dominates the keynote stage

When Cassandra landed a massive engagement, she didn’t just celebrate. She sat down in her kitchen every single day and delivered her keynote to an audience of nobody, giving it the same energy and passion she would onstage. By the time the event arrived, the words flowed naturally and she was able to be fully engaged with her audience.

[25:42] - Be 100% Yourself

If they want somebody else, they already have them.

Cassandra quickly realized that trying to adapt existing messages or approaches to her own personality wasn’t going to work. The thing she did best was be herself, and so she molded her message and presence around who she is at her core— someone enthusiastic about change.

RESOURCES:

[7:47] National Speakers Association National Speakers Association National Speakers Association
[9:15] Change Enthusiasm
[11:01] Stories that Stick by Kendra Hall

Follow Cassandra:

Follow Josh Linkner:

ABOUT MIC DROP:

Brought to you by eSpeakers, hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter it’s starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is produced and presented by eSpeakers; sponsored by 3 Ring Circus.

Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOST:

Josh Linkner is a Creative Troublemaker. He believes passionately that all human beings have incredible creative capacity, and he’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar.

Josh has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million and is the author of four books including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention. He has invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners.

Today, Josh serves as Chairman and Co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, training, and consulting firm. He has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

Josh is also a passionate Detroiter, the father of four, is a professional-level jazz guitarist, and has a slightly odd obsession with greasy pizza.

Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com

ABOUT eSPEAKERS:

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eSpeakers is where the speaking industry does business on the web. Speakers, speaker managers, associations, and bureaus use our tools to organize, promote and grow successful businesses. Event organizers think of eSpeakers first when they want to hire speakers for their meetings or events.

The eSpeakers Marketplace technology lets us and our partner directories help meeting professionals all over the world connect directly with speakers for great engagements.

Thousands of successful speakers, trainers, and coaches use eSpeakers to build their businesses and manage their calendars. Thousands of event organizers use our directories every day to find and hire speakers. Our tools are built for speakers, by speakers, to do things that only purpose-built systems can.

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Episode Transcription

Cassandra Worthy:

And so every day from the day that I landed the engagement to the day that I actually did it, I did that keynote message in my kitchen. Every day I got up and I was like, "All right, time to deliver my keynote." And gave the same energy and passion if I was in front of an audience. And by the time I did it, all the words were there, they just dropped, just came out of my mouth. And I was able to look in eyeballs, see the energy, engage with folks, and I had a blast.

Josh Linkner:

Welcome to Mic Drop, the podcast for professional speakers. We cover the ins and outs of the business, helping you deliver more impact on bigger stages at higher fees. You'll gain an inside edge through intimate conversations with the world's most successful keynote speakers. Mic Drop is brought to you by eSpeakers. I'm your host, Josh Linkner. Get ready for some inspiring Mic Drop moments together.

Josh Linkner:

Today's show is sponsored by 3 Ring Circus, the industry's top training and development program for professional speakers, they've helped hundreds of speakers launch or scale their speaking business, earning tens of millions in speaking fees, landing bureau representation, securing book deals and rising to the top of the field. If you are looking to take your speaking business to the next level, they'll simply help you get there faster. To learn more and schedule a free 30-minute consultation, visit 3ringcircus.com/micdrop. That's three, the number three, ringcircus.com/micdrop.

Josh Linkner:

Mic Drop is produced and presented by eSpeakers. If you want more audiences and organizations to be moved and changed by your message, you owe it to yourself to find out why thousands of top experts use eSpeakers to manage and grow their business. When you use eSpeakers, you'll feel confident about your business, package yourself up for success and be able to focus on what matters most to you and your business. For more information and a free 30-day trial, visit eepeakers.com/micdrop. That's espeakers.com/micdrop.

Josh Linkner:

We have a really special guest on today's show. Cassandra Worthy may actually be the most energetic person I've ever met. She exploded onto the speaking scene in 2018 and is already seeing fees and volume that make even the most seasoned industry veterans blush. Before that, she spent 15 years in corporate America and began as a chemical engineer. But today the only label that really fits the bill, change enthusiast. In fact, the change enthusiast.

Josh Linkner:

Today, she's leading a movement and crushing it for audiences around the world. In our fast-paced and caffeine-infused chat, Cassandra shares what she did to dramatically reduce the risk of taking the full-time plunge into the speaking field, how she recharges her own energy after sharing so much of it with the world, why she's a full-time keynote speaker and it has nothing to do with money or fame or applause or accolades.

Josh Linkner:

Cassandra also muses on purpose, managing negative emotions and how she plans to expand her platform into a consumer brand. On today's episode, Cassandra's contagious energy makes us all want to leap into action and sprint toward our potential. She's a dear friend, a powerhouse speaker, and the original change enthusiast. Cassandra Worthy, welcome to Mic Drop.

Cassandra Worthy:

What up? What up, Josh? Thank you for having me. This is cool.

Josh Linkner:

So just back it up a second. You are this incredible dynamic speaker, one of the highest demand speakers that I know. Help us understand how you got here. Take us back to the beginning. You used to be obviously a corporate executive. Maybe tell us how you transitioned from that world to the world of professional speaking.

Cassandra Worthy:

Oh, what a starting question. And just so the listeners know, Josh just told me to keep my answers concise. So I want to tell you this journey in a very short, short way. So yes, I'm a chemical engineer by trade. I spent 15 years working in corporate America all in consumer package goods and mostly at Procter & Gamble. During that time, I went through a lot of shift and change notably in the acquisition space. So I have been a part of getting acquired as well as being a part of a company that acquired a different business.

Cassandra Worthy:

And so I saw and felt a lot of those dynamics and a lot of that challenge, and a lot of the emotion that come when you're going through big change and big disruption in your career. And it was through going through those change experiences, as well as listening to my intuition and that whisper that we all hear of telling me there was something bigger and better that I could do to use my natural talents and gifts to serve the world that I started to pursue a curiosity. A curiosity of what could it look like sharing my gifts, the things that I've learned, how I've managed these changes in a different and better way.

Cassandra Worthy:

And that path of curiosity led me into speaking. And so I started building my consulting firm while still working full-time, leading a huge innovation for the Duracell organization doing basically two careers at once which was fun, but very stressful and very difficult. And then about two years ago, I sunset my corporate career and have been doing my consulting and speaking, and traveling a world full-time.

Josh Linkner:

How did you know when it was the right time to make that plunge? So you're obviously doing both in parallel process. Was there a moment, Cassandra that you said to yourself, This is it. Time to put in my notice"?

Cassandra Worthy:

So here's the thing I am, like I said, I'm an engineer. So I have a very pragmatic, the way my mind works is very structured. So of course I had success metrics. I had numbers that I wanted to see in my business as far as how many booked engagements, as far as how much revenue I was making. I had some other things, levers that I had to pull as far as having a cushion to depart from corporate and taking that risk.

Cassandra Worthy:

But because I was building it on the side while basically funneling the money I was earning in corporate to build business when it came down to it, it was just the right next step. So my departure didn't feel like this great plunge, this great departure like holy cow, you're just going out to the unknown. I was already building the business and I'd gotten to the point where I had more booked engagements than I had vacation days left. And I had met all my success metrics. So I was just like, "Okay, I'm here." And it was the right next step.

Josh Linkner:

It's so funny that you say that. People ask me all the time, "When should I take the plunge? Do you have to go all in before you're ready?" And I always say the best indication is when you run out of sick days. Because that means you know that there's momentum. So it's really funny that you said that. Of course, we hadn't talked about that before. That's awesome.

Josh Linkner:

So tell us, take us back to some of those early days. So you cut the cord you're you're now on your own, and how did the business get momentum and how did it start to scale to where you are today?

Cassandra Worthy:

Sure. I'm so very grateful to have developed and nurtured the network and corporate that I did while working in it. My very first paid engagement was back with Procter & Gamble. I had a vast network within Proctor. I kept folks in the loop on what I was doing, where my interests lie and my passions lie. And my very first pain engagement was with their African American network in the technical community. And so it was through leveraging that connection that I got that first gig.

Cassandra Worthy:

Now I of course had to already have had to marketing materials, a website, reels, some video. And so I did a couple free engagements so I could create that content. I was so grateful that my local chapter of the National Speakers Association allowed me to do one of the morning like energizing sessions. I got that recorded, put that in the reel. And so really was just looking for any way to get in on a stage in front of a live audience so that I could create that content, which is so important. So once I had that-

Cassandra Worthy:

So that I could create that content, which is so important. So once I had that, had a website, I could shoot that over to my contacts at Proctor and say, "Yo, if you're looking for a speaker for your upcoming event, let me know. I'd love to support." And that's how it happened. I remember, I was fortunate to have really strong mentors in the speaking industry that helped me grow and cultivate my message. And they told me, from the start, how important your website and your video is, notably your video. And, of course, when they first told me that I was like, "How am I supposed to make a video when I'm not getting any gigs? You tell me I have to have a video to get a gig, but I can't get gigs."

Josh Linkner:

Check [crosstalk 00:08:38]-

Cassandra Worthy:

So it's this thing where it's like, "Okay, well, how can I go and speak for free? How can I just find a stage with some people in front of me, so I can say some stuff? And that's what I did in the beginning.

Josh Linkner:

Love that. I love how you just took charge and made it happen. That's so inspiring, really. So, today, as mentioned, I know you're just rocking it out. You're one of the most in-demand speakers. When people ask you, "What do you speak about?" how do you describe your topic matter, your body of work, and what you bring to the stage?

Cassandra Worthy:

Sure. So I uniquely have created the niche of speaking about the emotions of change. So my message, my consulting firm, it's called Change Enthusiasm Global, and the message and the tools and the practice that I teach is called change enthusiasm, which enables anyone who practices it, the ability to harness the power of emotion to grow through change. And the emotions that we typically call negative, I don't see them that way, emotions like frustration, anger, grief, fear, how to harness the power of that to fuel your growth through change.

Josh Linkner:

Love that. And I would say it's resonating because you're getting booked a ton, and clients keep having you back for more.

Cassandra Worthy:

Well, I mean, people have been going through a lot change over this past year and a half, but yeah, I had already built a lot of momentum even before the pandemic hit. But I think now it's really opening people's eyes to the fact that we are not just human capital, the folks working in corporate, working out in business. We're these real emotional beings, and this emotion has to flow, this is energy. And so I think a lot of people have embraced that. I think the pandemic was a way to enable them to do that. And I'm grateful to work with great partners and rock stars that have helped me clarify the message. And so when you look at myself, I think it's crystal clear of what I offer. And when clients come to me, the first thing they say is, "I love what you say and how you teach people to harness the power of emotion to grow through change." So it's like, "All right, it's working. You know what I do."

Josh Linkner:

To me, and again, I just adore you, as I've said so many times, but to me, a great keynote is the intersection of inspiring and actionable. It's got that high energy. It's exciting. You fire people up. They're buzzing about it. They're calling their loved ones. And, at the same time, they're walking away better equipped. They're walking away with practical, specific, substantive material that they can be better in the coming months and years. And I think you're just a shining example of that. I was going to ask you a question. So a friend of mine named, Kendra Hall, who's also a wonderful speaker-

Cassandra Worthy:

Kendra.

Josh Linkner:

You know Kendra?

Cassandra Worthy:

I do. Storytelling.

Josh Linkner:

Love her. Wrote a book called Stories That Stick. And she said something in her book, which she calls think, know, do, feel. So she says, "Look, if you're setting out to build a keynote, reverse engineer it a bit. So when the audience is leaving, what do you want them to think? What do you want them to know? What do you want them to do? And what do you want them to feel?" And that actually was really cool because it becomes your north star when you're choosing content or stories or structure, et cetera. And I know we haven't talked about this. I don't mean to put you on the spot, but when your audiences leave, what do they think, know, and do and feel?

Cassandra Worthy:

Yeah. So I want them to think about the emotions that change differently. I want them to know that they are not alone in the feelings that they're experiencing, whether that be anger, frustration, fear. They're not alone. Those feelings are real and they're valid. I've been there. I've experience them. What I want them to feel is educated and invigorated and really ready to tackle the day. So I want them to be feeling just high and high. And then what I want them to do, and how you preface this question talking about how important it is that we're offering our audience as practical tips and ways that they can go off and put what you've conveyed in the message into practice, this is something that I've continually had to learn. When I first started delivering my signature keynote message, I had some a few challenges, but it wasn't as concrete as I brought it today. Each one of my keynote messages, everyone gets a take-home little worksheet that actually gives them exercises that I've pulled from my new book so that they can go and put what I've just taught to them into practice. And it's so important for what I teach. It's a mindset. So it's something that you have to practice to get your neural pathways rewired and all of that. So I want them to do the exercises that I give them on the handout when they leave.

Josh Linkner:

Becoming a keynote speaker is an amazing profession. The top performers earn millions in annual income, while driving massive impact on audiences around the world. But the quest to speaking glory can be a slow route, with many obstacles that can knock even the best speakers out of the game. If you are serious about growing your speaking business, the seasoned pros at 3 Ring Circus, they can help. From optimizing your marketing and business efforts to crafting your ideal positioning to perfecting your expertise and stage skills, 3 Ring Circus is the only speaker training and development program run by current high-level speakers at the top of their field. That's why the major bureaus like Washington Speakers Bureau, Premiere Speakers, SpeakInc, Executive Speakers, Harry Walker Agency, Kepler, Gotham Artists, and GDA, all indoors and participate in 3 Ring Circus. From interactive boot camps to one-on-one coaching, 3 Ring Circus will help you reach your full potential in the speaking biz, and they'll get there faster. For a free 30-minute consultation, visit 3RingCircus.com/micdrop. That's 3RingCircus.com/micdrop.

Josh Linkner:

I have a question for you. So I often am accused of being enthusiastic. I'm a high-energy person. I was like, "Hey, you're really enthusiastic," but next to you, I feel like it's watching paint dry because you are this ball of enthusiastic fire, this beautiful, warm-

Cassandra Worthy:

That's not true.

Josh Linkner:

...smile. Oh man-

Cassandra Worthy:

Don't lie to yourself. Not Cool.

Josh Linkner:

...it's just the best. But anyway, my question is, so obviously there are a lot of good things in life, but there's some challenges. You got COVID. I mean, we don't need to list them all out there. There's some tough things out there, from political strife to economic turmoil and racial injustice, on and on. How do you stay as enthusiastic as you are? How do you fire yourself up? How do you recharge to have that incredible enthusiasm that you bring to audiences?

Cassandra Worthy:

So let me tell you that, and I tell most of my audiences this, I am the biggest student of what I teach. Yes, I have a lot of vibrance, I have a lot of effervescence, and enthusiasm about life because it's life. Man, this is cool. But also, I am one who, if not practicing change enthusiasm, one to ignore and suppress all of those difficult emotions because I like to stay so positive and so upbeat, but it's so important that you don't suppress and that you don't ignore those emotions because they're signaling you into something. And they're information that you can learn from. And so through my work, I've actually learned how to embrace those emotions, see them as gifts, as signals, and then using that energy to grow through my own journey. But I also know the importance of nurturing me. And I tell people now that a part of my work is staying vibrant and staying in a way that I can bring all my energy to an audience, so that means I got to give back to me. So I'm an avid journaler. It's a spiritual practice of mine. I journal every single day, emotion.

Cassandra Worthy:

It's a spiritual practice of mine. I journal every single day, emoting expressing feelings, thoughts, stream of consciousness, writing, ideating, all of it goes into my journal. And I also love to just take time for me, whether that be a long walk, whether that be a yoga class, whether that be just going for a drive around the city with the windows down, listening to music. I always give back to myself and enabled when I do that, I can make sure that tap to what I think is this divine energy that connects all of us, make sure that tap stays wide open and all of this good energy just keeps flowing from our source.

Josh Linkner:

I love that. It's funny, people ask me a similar question about creativity, which is my topic area, innovation and creativity. And by staying real creative, you don't get less creative. You don't get depleted, you become more creative and same thing with energy. It sounds like what you're saying, like your energy by giving and pouring it into the world doesn't deplete it, it expands it.

Cassandra Worthy:

Yeah. Yeah. And I think the other thing that helps me now stay as upbeat and really just joyful as I am is that I'm now seeing the data that I saw in myself when I was putting this mindset into practice in my corporate life and the successes I saw, I'm seeing that data replicated thousands of times with my client base and seeing that this stuff actually works. And that I'm telling you, Josh, it just lights me up. And I'm sure you feel the same way when you see somebody take the concepts, the lessons that you bring and see a transformation, see their outlook change. That's the stuff right there. That's the stuff.

Josh Linkner:

Well, that is the stuff. And a lot of people misunderstand the industry. They think it's about you as the speaker, when really it's an act of service.

Cassandra Worthy:

Yes.

Josh Linkner:

It's about those you serve and the real juice, look, it's not the wrong with making money. That's great. And there's nothing wrong with getting a standing ovation. That's fun, but the real juice is when you get that call or email two years later, "Cassandra, you changed my life. Cassandra, you made a difference. Cassandra, I'm doing something, I'm pursuing my calling now because you put something in motion that has become unstoppable." And that by far as the real juice, which actually I'm glad we chatted on that. In addition to that, as a misunderstanding, that a speech is about the speaker, not the audience. What do you think some of the other common misunderstandings are about keynote speakers or the business of keynote speaking?

Cassandra Worthy:

Oh gosh. I think the first point is a lot of the misnomers, that we are completely full of ourselves. That we are just attention seekers. We just love hearing ourselves talk. Now, in earnest, some of these might be true for some people, not going to lie, but I think in large part, it's not. And I certainly didn't get into doing this for the money, this work that I'm doing right now, I'd do for free. And I have done for free just because it fills my tank and fills me up so much. But yeah, as you said, this is definitely work of service. And for me, very, very purpose driven and purpose filled. And I think that's true for many speakers that they're doing this because this thing, this intuition, their draw, their passion, that's what's bringing them to the stage.

Cassandra Worthy:

And they're here to make the world a better place, not to just listen to themselves talk, not to see photos of themselves, not to see themselves in video. They want to change the world. I think we, as a speaker community, want to help change lives and it's an awesome industry. I love it.

Josh Linkner:

Yeah. I couldn't agree more. Furthermore, another myth that I often see is people think it's easy and it's weird because if someone said, "Hey, you want to become a professional tennis player." You'd of course have to practice and really work on the craft and sacrifice. But because we speak in conversation every day, many of us don't realize that it's actually built a whole different thing. I often have people say, "Hey, I gave a great speech at my aunt's wedding. I'm ready to be a professional speaker." And nothing wrong with that, by the way. That's awesome.

Josh Linkner:

But it does require work and sacrifice. And you're one of the hardest working people I know. You're working on the craft. You're building your body of work. You're running all over the country. So, that to me is also a myth. Can you maybe give us a little peek, I know it's always different, but a little day in the life of Cassandra Worthy. People only see the glam. You're up on stage crushing it, but maybe they don't see all the work that goes behind it.

Cassandra Worthy:

Sure. Before I share that, let me share this one other piece about when I was first getting started to give you a flavor of that this is work. So of course, I had 15 years of experience speaking to large organizations, doing presentations, which I loved being in front of folks, but never actually creating and cultivating a message that comes from here. And in order to inspire and to put folks into action. Like I said, my first keynote was with Proctor & Gamble and I booked it in the fall of whatever that year was. I think it was 2018. And the keynote was in 2019. And I knew that I needed to be able to give this speech in a way that was second nature so that I could engage in a very authentic way and I didn't feel like I was saying words that I memorized.

Cassandra Worthy:

So it's got to be like I've said this speech a hundred times. And so every day from the day that I landed the engagement to the day that I actually did it, I did that keynote message in my kitchen. And I told myself, I need to have delivered this message as if I'm in front of an audience a hundred times. And I did that. Every day I got up and I was like, "All right, time to deliver my keynote." And gave the same energy and passion as I was in front of an audience. And by the time I did it, all the words were there. They just dropped, just came out of my mouth. And I was able to look in eyeballs, see the energy, engage with folks. And I had a blast. So that's a lot of work. So a day in the life of. My goodness.

Josh Linkner:

Just real quick comment. I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but I just real quick want to say, what you just said is so awesome and most people don't realize that. To look as actual on stage, you have to practice your ass off. When you see somebody on Broadway, who's just so perfect, they didn't just wake up that morning and they're just improvising. They did the work. When you see Lady Gaga sing a stunning performance, she did the work. And for keynote speakers, it's no different. Yes, we speak every day in conversation, but delivering a performance like you did requires the work. And I just want to celebrate the hard work that you put in. Anyway, I'm sorry, didn't mean interrupt. Day in the life of Cassandra.

Cassandra Worthy:

No worries. So why don't I, instead of going through a day, maybe I'll tell what I did a few weeks ago when I had four engagements in a week and a half, on two coasts. So I started by traveling up to Baltimore and spoke with a client up there. I came back for a day to my home, and then I packed for the next week and a half. That Saturday, I got on a plane. I went to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, I had to do a photo shoot. I'm putting together my new speaker reel for 2022, so my videography team was there. I did on-camera interviews, had to do an interview with my client.

Cassandra Worthy:

I then had to do soundcheck, had the keynote. the day after the keynote, I left going over to Laguna Beach. That next day I had another keynote. And then I had a couple days in between. And then I flew back to Vegas, because my fiance was there at the time. So I spent a little bit of time with her in Vegas. And then I flew up to New Jersey for another keynote. And this is all while I'm nursing a herniated disc and sitting for prolonged periods of time is not that great. So that was a very hard, very successful, very invigorating, but my goodness, what a stretch. What a stretch. And that's not atypical.

Josh Linkner:

Yeah. Yeah. I'm with you. Again, back to people say, "Oh, I'm paying you all this money for one hour on stage." No, you're paying, there's hours of prep. There's your entire body of work for the last 15 years. There's the late nights in hotels. So just funny enough in this week. So I have seven keynotes in six days. I did three yesterday.

Cassandra Worthy:

Oh my gosh, Josh.

Josh Linkner:

I'm flying tonight, doing a bunch of stuff today, but I fly tonight through a layover. I get into Charleston, South Carolina at midnight, drive 90 minutes to Kiawah Island, give a talk tomorrow, get back after midnight the next day. So again, I just think it's important that first of all, that it's cool that this is a podcast by current active speakers, not by people who are sitting on the sidelines. But to provide a real honest look at what this ...

Josh Linkner:

Or said on the sidelines, but to provide a real honest look at what this life, what this commitment and to the craft is all about. So on that front, Cassandra, you said something earlier that struck me. You said you work with a number of mentors early on that helped you. I don't know if you're comfortable sharing who those were or not, but maybe you could share with us a couple little nuggets of wisdom that you heard from those mentors that helped you and your ascent to where you are today.

Cassandra Worthy:

Sure, of course. So a part of that path of pursuing curiosity, I thought maybe I would just be a nonfiction book writer, that I'd write a self-help book. I knew that Hay House Publishing was the biggest self-help book publisher in the world. And so I started looking on their website and I saw that they had a conference happening in Boston called Movers and Shakers, where they would teach you about writing books and landing book deals. I was like, "All right, so I'm going to go." I went there. It was put on by Reid Tracy who's the president and CEO of Hay House, as well as Cheryl Reed. I'm sorry, Cheryl Richardson, a New York times bestselling author.

Cassandra Worthy:

And during that conference, there was an opportunity for folks to come up and talk about what they do, what they're passionate about and why they do it. And during that kind of session, Cheryl pointed me out in front of everyone. I was in the back of the room. She's like, "I want you to come up. You with the big smile. You come up here." I hadn't practiced because I didn't intend on getting up. But I went up there and I told her that I'm going to wing this. And so I talked about what I want to do and why I'm excited about it. And when I got done, she was like, "You need to be on the stage. You need to be on the stage sharing this energy sharing this perspective. That's what you should do." And as part of going to that conference, you could apply for a six-month mentorship with both Reid and Cheryl. I submitted a video and I won. So it was them that I worked with for six months to develop and build my speaking career. And I had no idea up until that point that you could get paid to be a speaker.

Cassandra Worthy:

I didn't even know that until Cheryl said it. But during that six months, they taught me so many valuable lessons. I would say the top one is about website and video. And the other is about you combining what makes you unique with a really powerful message that's going to serve a client and help solve a need, solve a problem. When I first stepped into it, I just wanted to share my joy. I just wanted to get up there, tell some jokes, invigorate like, "No, you need to go deeper than that. You need to share about the experiences you've been through. What has been the most difficult thing you've been through in your work? Talk about that."

Cassandra Worthy:

And for me it was all these changes. And I was like, "All right, people call me pretty enthusiastic, and I've been through a lot of change." Google change enthusiasm, nothing was out there. There's one hit on change enthusiasm. I was like, "All right, I'm going to trademark that. I'm going to own this space." And so that was probably the second biggest nugget. And it's the power of you bringing who you genuinely are, what you're passionate about, what you're curious about and then your unique background and experiences. And when you melt all those together to serve a need, to solve a problem that a client's struggling with, that's where the magic happens.

Josh Linkner:

Love that beautiful wisdom and beautifully said. So you are at a point in your career, speaking- wise, you got there very quickly, a couple years. I mean, most people take 20 years and don't get as far along as you are, but you're not slowing down. I mean you're still a speaker on the rise, certainly. What's next for Cassandra? What do you see the next couple years looking like for you as a speaker, as a thought leader, as an author?

Cassandra Worthy:

Sure. So over the past year, I've had the opportunity to really start to build out the consulting part of my work. And for me, a keynote is just now the first step, right. A keynote is just the introduction. You get an idea of the concepts and then it's an opportunity to go even deeper. So I've started to do more consulting with my larger corporate clients, leadership workshops, more in depth consulting. And through that, I've thought about the fact that all of the tools that I'm bringing, all the stuff that I'm teaching, I don't want to have it only limited to people who are working in big corporations. I want this to be accessible to everybody.

Cassandra Worthy:

So next year I'm going to think about how I build out my B to C arm of the business and how I get all of this information into some type of online academy and institute, some type of e-learning so that anyone can access it. So that's something that the team and I are going to be focusing on for next year, because I don't want this change enthusiasm, these tools, this mindset to only be available to people if you're working in a big business. The mission of my work is to share this with as many people as I can. And building out a B to C leg of the business is going to be a big way to do that.

Josh Linkner:

What a beautiful insight and from a beautiful person. I just have so much respect for your body of work, your energy, your drive, your momentum and your real desire, not just to be successful yourself, but to make a difference on others. Cassandra, thanks again for joining Mic Drop. What a privilege to be with you today.

Cassandra Worthy:

It was an honor and thank you for who you are and what you do. You're rockstar and you know it. Thank you, Josh.

Josh Linkner:

Wow. I wish I could bottle that energy. Not sure if I'd want to drink it or sell it, but man, it sure is contagious. Here are a few key points that really jumped off the page. Number one, instead of trying to be like others, Cassandra is a 100% herself, totally unique and authentic, which frankly is the most powerful, competitive advantage any of us can harness. Number two, she may appear to be whimsical and free spirited, but she has a profound intentionality from her chemical engineering background. To make it look easy, she practiced hundreds of times at her kitchen table. She didn't quit her day gig until she really figured out the speaking business. It's a great message for us all.

Josh Linkner:

The more natural we want to look, the more we have to plan, prepare, and practice. And number three, audiences and bureaus are flocking to Cassandra because she's a giver, not a taker. She's driven by purpose instead of profits, and that shows up in how she lands and delivers. Ironically, she's earning way more by not focusing on the cash, but instead being committed to serving others. I can't wait to see how Cassandra continues to rock it out as her message reaches millions more in the coming years. A beautiful person with a beautiful message. The explosive energy of a bottle rocket meets the warmth of a cozy blanket. Change enthusiast, extraordinaire, Cassandra Worthy.

Josh Linkner:

Thanks for joining me on another episode of Mic Drop. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. If you love the show, please share with your friends and don't forget to give us a five star review. For show transcripts and show notes, visit micdroppodcast.com. Mic Drop is produced and presented by eSpeakers and a big thanks to our sponsored 3 Ring Circus. I'm your host, Josh Linkner. Thanks for listening, and here's to your Mic Drop moment.