Detours

If you had told me at 20—or even at 35—that one day I would speak on stages around the world, I would have laughed in your face. Me? A public speaker? I had never spoken in front of people. I had never really put myself out there like that. And I certainly hadn’t told myself I was someone who could stand on a stage and deliver a message. But when I turned 40, I stepped into an uncomfortable new chapter. I started getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. And since then, I’ve spoken more than 20 times in person on stages around the world and more than a thousand times virtually on training calls over the last seven years. The younger version of me would have a hard time believing that. And here’s what I want you to know: I still get nervous. Even with all those opportunities to speak, the nerves haven’t completely disappeared. But I love that I gave myself the chance to do something I never imagined I could do. Because my goal is pretty simple. If I can reach one person with my message—if something I share helps change one life for the better—it was worth putting myself out there. One person. Maybe that person needed encouragement. Maybe they needed someone to explain something in a way that finally made sense. Maybe they needed to see someone else trying something uncomfortable so they could take their own first step. I don’t have to know exactly who that person is to believe they’re worth showing up for. This was a brave chapter for me. And now I’m about to unveil Side Hustle GPS at AI Marketing World, on one of the largest stages I’ve ever spoken on, right before Russell Brunson. The version of me who couldn’t imagine speaking in front of people would never have believed this. For me, it’s proof that so much is possible when you’re willing to put yourself out there—even while you’re still nervous. And it makes me wonder: What have you already decided you could never do? Maybe you’ve said, “I’m not a business person.” “I could never sell anything.” “I’m too old to start something new.” I understand that feeling. Public speaking wasn’t even something I could picture for myself. But what we can picture today doesn’t have to be the limit of what we try tomorrow. Today’s Side Hustle GPS route is Used Book Resale, over in Treasure Trail. And I think books give us a beautiful way to look at this. A book can finish its time on one person’s shelf and still have value for the next reader. Someone else can pick it up, discover something inside it, and carry it into a whole new chapter of their life. That idea speaks to me. You have experience, skills, and stories that can have value in a chapter you haven’t even imagined yet. You might use them differently. You might share them with different people. You might surprise yourself. And if used book resale interests you, your first step can be small: pick one book you already own and explore what similar copies have actually sold for. You don’t have to figure out an entire business today. The same goes for whatever new chapter you’re considering. Give yourself one small opportunity to try. Send the message. Explore the idea. Put something you made in front of someone. Say yes to an opportunity that stretches you. You might feel nervous doing it. I still do. But I’m so glad I didn’t let my younger self’s opinion of what I could do make every decision for my future. So here’s your question for today: What would you like to try that a younger version of you would never believe? Write it down. Then choose one small step toward it. Don’t judge the next chapter before you’ve given yourself a chance to live it. You can begin again. And maybe, along the way, you’ll reach that one person who needed what only you could share.