People often ask me how I got started as a professional speaker. Meet my mom…
People often ask me how I got started as a professional speaker. It’s not a very common career choice, especially for a young professional. The reality is that I learned about careers in motivational speaking at a very early age. My mom, Jane Pollak, listened to speakers like Zig Ziglar, Julie White and Roger Dawson in the car while driving me, my brother and my sister to our various activities. She was in the early stages of her career as a speaker.
At the time, I found this to be outrageously embarrassing. The thought of my mom standing up in front of people and giving a speech? Gross. Now, of course, I realize she was — unconsciously — helping to sow the seeds of my future career. (I shudder to think what my future children will think of my speaking career!)
A 2007 Inc.com story explains that more and more mothers and daughters are working together, just as fathers and sons have been doing for centuries. Will this trend continue? Do you have aspirations to follow in a parent’s career footsteps? Please share in the Comments section below.
This post was sparked by the fact that my mom and I were featured this week in a story by Maureen Salamon on CNN.com, “Help, I’m turning into my mother.” (Thank you to Peter Shankman and HARO for the connection!) Here is an excerpt from the article:
As a teenager, Lindsey was greatly embarrassed by her mother’s fascination with motivational speakers and self-help books. So imagine her surprise at choosing a career as — yep — a motivational speaker, one whose own shelves are crammed with self-help tomes.
Lindsey and Jane now are both sought-after speakers and authors on career topics. “We still have our issues,” says Lindsey, who lives in New York City, “but we share this unique connection, an additional special bond between us that is rare.”
Jane, of Norwalk, Connecticut, says she always knew her daughter shared her penchant for being meticulous to the point of being hard on herself, but she didn’t necessarily predict how similar Lindsey would turn out.
“I didn’t try to make her anything,” Jane Pollak says, “just the best she could be.”
Awww…thanks, Mom!
Read the full article — including tips on what to do if you DON’T want to become your mom…
