As much as I love owning a stage solo, I enjoy sitting on panels just as much. I know that may seem odd, because as a speaker we all want the attention, Tweets and spotlight to only be on us, right? That may be true to a certain extent but there is a lot to be said about sharing the stage with like-minded, highly influential and powerful people!
Over the past two months I've had the privilege to share the stage with some pretty awesome people. Last month I spoke on a personal branding panel at mBolden's launch event and this month on a Facebook marketing panel at Social Media Day Denver. While these panels were different in topic, audience size and location, the things I love about speaking on panels remains consistent.
1. Diverse Perspectives
There is no question that I'm an expert in this field. But I'm wise enough to know that I don't know everything about EVERYTHING! I love that panels offer diverse perspectives and experiences for myself and audience members.
2. Networking
I said it before, and I'll say it again: I've met some really cool people by sitting on panels. And had I not participated in these panels, there's a possibility that our paths would not have crossed.
3. Less Pressure
Let's face it, with solo speaking engagements comes a lot of pressure! The focus is solely on you -- from mistakes to great things -- it all falls squarely on your shoulders. But on panels, the focus is shared -- from mistakes to great things -- it's a shared experience. Which is a nice change of pace from time to time.
Panels are great for a lot of reasons, but for me, these are absolutely my top three.