Combine Big Omaha, my MacBook Air, and Twitter in an environment humming with creative energy (and let’s be honest: caffeine), and you have the perfect storm for real-time storytelling available to everyone.

I couldn’t stop my fingers from flying across the keyboard as this year’s speakers offered gems of insight, advice, and humor.

And at times, it was tough keeping up. (I can only imagine what it was like for those of you who follow my tweets!)

So in an effort to more coherently collect my #bigomaha notes, I’ve shared my tweets below. I encourage you to bookmark this blog post when inspiration and/or motivation may be lacking.

To those of you who RT’d my tweets, I thank you!

“So much emotion is invested in what you do. And that’s truly awesome.” @tedr #bigomaha

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Network, network, network some more. It can be uncomfortable, but it adds so much to what you do.” @tedr #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Help people out. Do favors for others. Are you really good at Google Analytics? Offer to help someone with that.” @tedr #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Embrace your mafia.” @tedr #bigomaha

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“We couldn’t spend any money on marketing. We had to grow organically.” @BenjLerer #bigomaha (I LOVE this approach!)

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

It’s such a good question to continually ask: When is it time to move on? @shl #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Every Saturday I try to meet as many new people as I can.” @shl #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Being very open and public with your plans is motivation, and it helps later on when you *do* go public.” @shl #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Communication is free.” @2000F #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Solve a problem for someone else and let them tell the world.” @2000F #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 10, 2012

“Surround yourself with other lucky people.” @brian_wong #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Your traits are your superpowers. Use them.” @brian_wong #bigomaha

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Brands want to be there when you’re happy.” @brian_wong #bigomaha

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Anyone who teaches is really good at listening and really good at explaining.” @brian_wong #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“If you have something that’s free, it’s not a business. You need customers, not just users.” @sarahprevette #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“YOU have to be sales focused. You are the salesperson of your product.” @sarahprevette #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Be dedicated to the problem you’re trying to solive. Don’t just love your product.” @sarahprevette #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“We vote with our money every day, and I want to know who I’m voting for.” @MrEddieHuang #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“I hear ‘You’re way too many things to way too many people.’ I don’t care. They can catch up.” @MrEddieHuang #bigomaha — Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Entrepreneurs are the most civically engaged people in any community.” @nickseguin #bigomaha

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

“Education is what someone tells you. Learning is what you do for yourself.” #bigomaha @mikekarnj

— Wendy Townley (@wtownley) May 11, 2012

For the past two days I have wrapped myself in the fourth annual Big Omaha. It’s a conference I am proud to attend and have done so since its inaugural event back in 2009. Big Omaha is easy to describe: an exciting conference on entrepreneurship and innovation held on the plains of the Silicon Prairie.

Creatives from around the country – and this year, the world – flocked to our fair city for inspiration on innovation.

In its early days, Big Omaha attracted a largely tech audience.

But that, I have noticed, has changed.

Creatives of all backgrounds, all walks of life, now find a sort of nourishment that many say is unlike any other event they have attended.

I find myself creatively re-charged following each Big Omaha, and today is no exception. The number of people I met and connected with only continues to climb as our conversations that began face-to-face move to Twitter, Facebook, and email.

My mind spins and whirls at the passing conversations that occurred organically during session breaks, at lunch, and even in moments before the lights dimmed for the next speaker.

Earlier today while listening to our afternoon slate of presenters, I realized that Big Omaha is akin to “The Wizard of Oz.”

But Big Omaha can also be hard to explain to those who have not attended. It features a fantastic lineup of speakers, an art installation, opening parties, closing parties, and networking opportunities that rival larger conferences.

You see, Omaha is a special place. And Big Omaha is a reflection of that.

During the past few days I have had outsiders ask me what makes Omaha so special. True, it begins with the people here; however, it is more about the relationships we create, the businesses we build, the projects we develop, and the pride that we all share.

Earlier today while listening to our afternoon slate of presenters, I realized that Big Omaha is akin to “The Wizard of Oz.”

You remember what Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion wanted most, don’t you?

A brain. A heart. And some courage.

Big Omaha offers attendees that – and so much more – year after year.

A brain, to develop ideas and think through the tough stuff.

A heart, so as never to forget the “why” of one’s work.

And some courage, to take the leap and live one’s passion.

The past forty-eight hours have flown by in a instant, yet so many ideas and lessons are just at the cusp of becoming something bigger.

For those of you who attended Big Omaha this year, take time to reflect on what you have learned and courageously embrace what comes next.

Be fearless in your passion and find support from those around you.

And above all else, know that the countdown to Big Omaha 2013 has already begun.

What say you? What lessons did you learn at Big Omaha this year? What inspired you? Motivated you? Made you want to do better?

Others have left campus as college graduates.

With bachelor’s degrees in hand, these new graduates are entering a world chock full of possibility. They are, however, keenly aware of the challenges they face.

A struggling economy. A competitive job market. Student loans whose payment schedules begin in earnest.

The more I get to know today’s college students every semester, the more amazed I am at their eagerness and enthusiasm. They are juggling multiple courses, part-time jobs, full-time jobs, campus commitments, friendships, relationships, and families.

These young adults may be full-time students on paper, but their lives are much fuller than that.

To the Class of 2012 who this month enters “the real world,” I want to let you in on a little secret: You have already been living in “the real world” for quite some time.

We live in an exciting era, this generation of ours. We can continually reinvent ourselves and experience new opportunities all in the name of personal growth. Those new things are always within reach.

True, you have been often labeled as “just a college student,” but the strides you have made and the steps you have taken while earning your degree have been nothing short of reality.

To the Class of 2012, take these next few months to savor your accomplishments. Look at how far you have come since freshman year.

Thank those around you who have helped the journey be a successful one.

Understand that you can opt to open a completely new book for your life, or simply continue on to the next chapter.

And you know what else?

Now is not the only time you can begin anew.

We live in an exciting era, this generation of ours. We can continually reinvent ourselves and experience new opportunities all in the name of personal growth. Those new things are always within reach.

What matters not is the number of years we have lived on this planet, but the work we have done throughout those years.

The lives we have changed. The lessons we have learned. The good we have done.

To the Class of 2012, never forget that luck is a myth. Good fortune happens when experience meets opportunity. Be ready for it all. When these moments happen, and they will, fight like hell to keep them.

Fiercely love and respect those who fill you days and your heart. When these relationships bloom, and they will, embrace them as precious gifts.

Finally, reflect.

Reflect routinely and reflect often.

Life is cluttered and full of commitments that sometimes are unnecessary. When life becomes overwhelming, and it will, shave time out of your day or your week to pause and exhale.

To enjoy things just for the sake of having fun. Even if your work still is not finished, take a minute to savor the sweet. You have earned it.

When great things happen, and they will, tell the whole world. I will be waiting and cheering you on.

To the Class of 2012, congratulations.

A dream is born alongside a star
Burning with desires, like the fire inside of his cigar
Inhale
Although his mind is in open air, the room is cloudy
Exhale
Thoughts cascade into actions, that speak outwardly
They listen…. Who? The people
To what? A vision
Spoke with crystal clear clarity
His intuition is priceless, but his work is for charity
Money and fame is not his aim
He is an optimist, a small change is positive gain
At your service for a higher purpose
A bottom dweller, whose dreams will one day surface

About Robert Jefferson

An American Hip Hop artist/producer born in Jacksonville, Florida, Robert Jefferson graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1997. He attended Highland Community College and the University of Nebraska at Kearney from 1997 to 2000. He has been producing music since 2000 and recently won Hip Hop Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year at the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards. Learn more online: facebook.com/galvanizedtron, facebook.com/galvanizedtronrealtalk, and twitter.com/galvanizedtron.

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Who would I see? Where would I go? Who would I meet?

The possibilities thrilled of me, of course, especially during my single days. As I watched my clock on Friday afternoons tick away the seconds until 5 p.m., I grew giddier and giddier. The anticipation in those days was exhilarating, and I savored it to the last drop.

Friday nights sans plans were simply not an option. The thought of staying at home crushed me, as I considered all of the “what-ifs” I might miss. Bars bustling with friends and strangers alike. Silly conversations, and more serious ones. And the cocktails! We musn’t forget about the cocktails.

But the older I grew — especially after Matt and I became a couple — that internal drive to go out and be seen began to wane. What fulfilled me on a Friday night didn’t seem to matter as much anymore. Meeting up with friends was certainly a regular occurrence; however, if plans were canceled or not scheduled at all, I was not heartbroken. “Staying in” became a welcome change every now and again.

Last Friday while Matt was working late, I prepared a simple dinner and grabbed the latest issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. As I slowly sipped my soup and paged through the colorful articles and advertisements, I found myself quite happy. There’s no arguing the numerous events and outings I could have experienced that evening.

Did I feel as though I was missing out by staying in? Not in the slightest.

Relaxing at home after days on the road each week is a wonderful treat. The opportunity will always exist to “see and be seen” on a weekend night; yet something about savoring the quiet time allows me to collect my thoughts, truly exhale, and consider how grateful I am for the little life I now live.

I’ve written about my wonder car before – the 1998 Honda Civic with the cracked windshield and missing trim, right?

As I was driving the kids to Tess’s eye appointment Monday, there was a situation. Just as I pulled out onto one of the busiest streets in the city, the car lurched forward – I heard a loud “pop” and thought I had run over a garbage can lid or something like that, although I didn’t see anything anywhere. Weird, I think to myself.

I put the car in first gear (it’s a stick shift) and step on the gas; nothing. I throw on the flashers. I put the car in reverse; nothing. The hell? Now of course, the cars are zooming by us and Tess is asking questions nonstop. I call my husband – no answer.

I realize at this point that I am the adult, so I need to figure something out quickly. And let me tell you, that was the worst part of this whole experience – realizing I am now a grownup, and not just any grownup, a grownup responsible for the lives of two small children. I kept looking around for other adults to tell me what to do next. So, I roll the car down the hill and as I’m turning onto the side street, a car appears (I almost didn’t see it). A woman, no older than me, who looks exactly like Maggie Gyllenhaal, gets out and asks if I need help. Yes! You be the adult for me, okay? Tell me what to do, please. We got the car off the busy street and I call my husband again – still no answer.

Maggie suggests that we park it in the adjacent driveway for a minute to get it out of the way. I suggest we roll it back a little farther and park on the street, between the two mailboxes along the curb. Yes, I think to myself, good adult suggestion. She is kind enough to push the car and tells me to get in and guide the car with my foot. Now, as you already know, in order for one to guide a car with one’s foot, the door needs to be open so said foot can touch pavement. Remember when I suggested we park it between the two mailboxes?

She’s pushing the car, I’m guiding it and she yells “Watch your door! Your door!” Her helpful suggestion was too late. There is now only one standing mailbox. I throw on the parking brake and as she goes to the house (where she had suggested, in a very grownup manner, we park the car anyway), I am frantically trying to yank the downed mailbox out from underneath my car door. Tess and Jack are now both crying. I tug at the mailbox while trying to calm my children without cursing. That’s tough to do. I finally get it out from underneath my door and am hurriedly shoving the poor guy’s mail back into his demolished mailbox.

The man was nicer than I expected after I assaulted his mailbox. He must have seen the two crying children in the back of my car. An older gentleman had come out with him, wearing his Member’s Only jacket (awesome) and smoking a cigarette. “What’s the problem?” the Member asks, and I tell him my car died and so did his mailbox. I apologize to both of them profusely and the homeowner (non-Member) tells me not to worry about it. “I’ll pay for it,” I say. He replies, “It’s just a post, it’s no big deal. Are you okay? Do you need to call someone?” Seriously, there are nice people in the world.

I try to call my husband for the seventh time and non-Member tells me he’ll give me a ride home, since it’s only three blocks away. Maggie also offers us a ride and stays with me because, like any paranoid woman, she doesn’t want a strange man (in the sense that I don’t know him “strange”) to drive us anywhere. I finally get ahold of my husband, who leaves one of his high-powered executive meetings to rescue us.

Tess is crying again as non-Member pulls up next to us and I thank him again and let him know that my husband is on his way. He tells me not to worry about the mailbox and goes inside. As Maggie and I are standing around, I explain that I’m a really good driver and it’s my car, not me that screwed up. She spies the giant scrape across the back bumper and again, I explain, really, I’m a good driver – I was attacked by a retaining wall. She laughs and points to her driver side mirror and says she was attacked by her garage.

Maggie offers her (real) name and number in case non-Member tries to come after me for the mailbox. “So you can tell the insurance company that you told me to watch out for his mailbox right before I smashed it?” I ask. She laughs and says she hadn’t thought of that. I thank her again and asked her why she stopped. “Because I have a little boy and I would have wanted someone to help me if that had happened to me.” Nice people do exist. Amazing.

She drives off as my wonderful husband pulls up. We get the kids in his car, he drives us home and goes back to take a look at the old Civic. I check our auto insurance, thinking I have towing and rental car on both cars. Turns out, it’s just on his newer car – because that makes more sense. Have that on the more reliable car and not the 12 year- old-break-down-waiting-to-happen car.

We assume it’s the transmission and have it towed to a shop that specializes in that. When they finally called my husband back, they tell him they’re still “diagnosing” it, but they think it’s something really simple, or something really expensive (could be cancer, could be heartburn, still running tests). Meanwhile, my husband is bumming a ride to work and I get to drive the kids around in his car until we hear back from the specialists.

I stayed calm. I soothed my children, and we made it out alive. This grownup stuff is hard work. I don’t know that I care for it all that much.

By the way, I left $20 in non-Member’s door with a note thanking him for his help and apologizing for destroying his mailbox. See? More grownup stuff. I didn’t leave my number or name – I might be a grownup, but I’m not stupid.

About Jen McCahill
After realizing her childhood dream of owning a puppy farm located on top of a rainbow may not be feasible, Jen McCahill decided to go to college and become a writer. She has spent the last several years as a work-at-home mom, balancing her time between raising two adorable children, a dashing husband, a not-so-smart dog, and eking out a living as a freelance copywriter and editor. She enjoys watching television shows from the 1970s, reading, and writing about her (mostly) humdrum life. You can read all about her adventures at http://theclumsyredhead.com. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and still thinks puppies and rainbows are neat.

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Their creative skill and eye for detail – paired with the seemingly effortless ability to make pretty a gray blob of text – is something I’ve long admired. It began during the years working at my college newspaper. The graphic designers quickly became my allies. The more time they had to concept our newspaper each week, the better it looked. When I simply gave them the pieces and got out of the way, magic would happen on those pages.

It showed with each satisfying thump of a new bundle of papers, delivered fresh and warm from our local printer.

Although I can’t always specifically explain good graphic design versus bad, I know it when I see it. It’s unmistakable.

The work of SecretPenguin in Omaha has long caught my eye. They’ve designed websites, logos, and other materials for some truly great brands, organizations, movements, and people.

But the work of SecretPenguin Creative Director Dave Nelson – a different kind of work, mind you – inspired me to ask Dave to share his pretty powerful story. It started with a Facebook posting last month and evolved into the creation of The Unofficial SecretPenguin Foundation.

Dave and his team’s charity wasn’t just the result of a few extra dollars in their bank account. No, its origination was much more than that, reaching back to Dave’s younger days when he experienced bullying.

I asked Dave to tell me more about that time in his life and how it impacts the choices he makes – both personal and professional – each and every day. After reading Dave’s story, I hope it inspires you to look at your life, your community, your workplace, and consider the ways you can make a difference.

Tell me more about the decision (and the general timeline) to give away money the first time on Facebook.
It started when we were looking to take on more clients. We built a website to send to marketing directors, and set aside a monthly budget of $150 for Facebook ads to promote this site.

We went to buy ads on Facebook, and Facebook had given us $150 in credit for ads! So we decided to post about it and give the money to someone that might need it. We posted it March 28 with a two-day deadline. We received around 15 messages.

To be honest, it’s kind of a long story of what inspired us to make the decision.

On a larger level, we’re consistently inspired by the generosity of the community here in Omaha: from what our friends are doing within the community to the non-profit clients we get to work with.

On a personal level, I was bullied through high school for being a skateboarder and then a guy threatened to kill me and my family when I was 19. The feeling of helplessness was horrible. After I got past that, I decided to dedicate my life to trying to help others in some way.

When I skateboarded for a living, I used to get extra products from my endorsements to give to kids that couldn’t afford them. I got pretty involved in various kid’s lives, even to the point of taking them to school when their parents were missing or hungover from the night before.

People in the skateboard community would call me pretty consistently to talk about issues or just to vent. One guy was calling quite a bit. I missed one of his phone calls and didn’t get around to calling him back for a week. I later found out that during that week he committed suicide.

It tore me up, and still does when I think about it. After that, I was afraid to allow myself to get too involved in peoples’ lives.

I’m on the board for a non-profit skateboard park called Bay198 Skatepark that’s also behind Skate For Change. I’ve been very inspired by the founders Mike and Amber Smith with all that they’re doing. I feel like I’m not alone with dealing with some of the issues that skateboarders have that are beyond what I can help with. They’ve built up a whole network of support for the community.

Dave Nelson, right, with Ryan Sheckler in March 2012 at the official launch of Skate for Change in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo courtesy of Instagram)

The night before we posted about the $150, I had a conversation with Mike, and I decided to stop being afraid and do what I can with what I have.

Did you discuss what type of feedback or response you might receive?
No. It just felt right, and we wanted to do it and see where it might lead, so we did it. Seems like that’s how most of our internal SecretPenguin projects go. We have an idea and if we feel like it would benefit the community or if we’d have fun doing it, we just run with it to see what happens.

What was the response?
It was overwhelming. We had 15 heartfelt messages within those two days of our first post from people in need. The response and support for The SecretPenguin Unofficial Foundation has been overwhelming, too.

I seriously tear up everytime someone contacts us to help. A few people want to donate to it, some want to match funds, Blue Sushi Sake Grill has already sent a sizeable gift card to a family through this.
It’s truly been amazing to experience first-hand the warmth of our community.

What replies stick out the most to you?
One skateboarder who lives on the streets and couch-surfs contacted us about paying his phone bill for a month. As I talked with him more, he shared with me:

- His mom got addicted to meth and left when he was 10.
- At 10 years old, he had to feed himself, get himself to school, etc.
- He finally got into foster care and his foster parents did crack.
- He got kicked out of his foster house when he was 16.
- He’s now 21 and has been living in the streets ever since.
- He doesn’t have an I.D. since he doesn’t have an address, so he can’t get a job. He’s been selling drugs to pay his phone bill and get some food.

We ended up paying for three months of his phone bill so he didn’t have to rely on selling drugs. Mike Smith from Bay198 Skatepark came up to help. Through Bay198, we took him grocery shopping for food he could keep in his backpack for a while, and then we started the process to get him an I.D. so he can get a job if he wants, and also took photos of his feet to send to a doctor that will help him get his toes fixed so he can continue skateboarding and be healthy.

Life is hard for everyone, there’s no doubt about that. And I hope we’re able to give some people the little boost they may need to get past some tough obstacles in life.

What did you learn from the experience?
I learned we have a very caring community. More so than I imagined. I also learned that there’s a lot more people hurting and struggling than I knew. Even people that I see on a consistent basis.

Why is something like this beneficial for a small business such as SecretPenguin?
I think it’s beneficial because you really get to know and feel a part of your own community. You see the good in people, and it’s incredibly motivating and uplifting.

Tell us more about your other charity work. I think I’ve seen Instagram photos of you helping the homeless in Omaha.
Oh yeah! That’s a thing called Skate for Change that was started through Bay198 Skatepark in Lincoln.
The idea is simple, it’s just skateboarders giving back to the community in some way each week.

You can become a member to help support it at http://skateforchange.org. You receive a membership I.D. in the form of a skateboard, and a four-pack of water: with the idea that you now have the supplies to do Skate for Change in your own community. But you don’t need to be a member to be a part of Skate for Change, of course.

Finish this sentence: The world would be a better place if …
…if I could eat peanut butter and jellies every single day and wash it down with Red Bull. Oh, and if we all were more loving, patient, and open with each other.

I was quickly bitten by the home renovating bug. Not much time had passed since 9/11, and the country was swept up in nesting. I remember not only from my personal experience, but from the handful of freelance magazine articles I wrote around that very time. Every interior designer and home furnisher I spoke with said their clients were opting to enhance and improve their own homes because they were spending more time there with family and friends.

Elaine, my home’s previous owner, had a flair for the artistic and bright colors. I snapped the following photos of the living/dining room space on the day I first toured it. I loved the creativity, but knew I’d want to put my own “stamp” on the home.

And stamp I did. With my sister’s help choosing the colors (she literally sent me swatches from her home in California) and my dad’s help painting the walls, I transformed the highly traveled space, choosing a pallet of earth tones and neutrals. The combination was quite popular at the time and, to me, appeared easy to coordinate with throw pillows, wall decor, and other home furnishings.

But today? Today when I pass through the living/dining area, I’m not as satisfied as I was so many years ago. After ten years looking at the same colors, same patterns, and same pieces, I’m ready for something new.

I suppose having a friend who’s an interior designer helped to spark my thinking and consider a change. Jessica McKay and I met a few years ago shortly after she opened Birdhouse Interior Design in Omaha. With her husband, Christopher, by her side, the couple set out to change the way interior design (and interior designers, for that matter) are viewed in Omaha. The more I got to know Jessica and better understand the importance of a well designed living space, the more I knew I was ready to ask for her help.

But let me tell you, although I consider Jessica a dear, dear friend, there’s something a wee bit unsettling about inviting an interior designer into your home. I immediately reconsidered every single decorating decision I had made over the past ten years, knowing that her creative eye would sum up my choices in mere moments.

Yet charge ahead I did, and Jessica began brainstorming ideas to breathe fresh air into my dated living space. I realized, with Jessica’s help over countless conversations, that homeowners are not expected to know how to maximize their living spaces all on their own. Of course we (I) can gravitate toward pretty colors and fancy patterns. But just because we (I) know what we like, doesn’t mean we (I) know how to put it all together in a design that’s pleasing to the eye.

My excitement around a new living/dining area continues to grow. With Jessica’s help, my goal is to transform that space with colors, fabrics, and other lovely details that best represent my personal tastes and my personality. Arriving home to a space that best utilizes what I have with who I am will undoubtedly make all the difference. I can’t wait to share the photos once the project is complete.

Have you redesigned your living space? Have you considered it but are afraid to take the next step? Let’s be a change for good and show that interior design can be affordable and wholly worthwhile.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2012 Young Professionals Summit, and those of you who joined one or both of my presentations on February 29. In an effort to keep the personal branding conversation going, I’ve included two PDFs of my presentation notes.

Grab ‘em for your files, and post your thoughts below. Did anything I mention ring true for you? Did you disagree with a tactic or strategy? Have a follow-up question you didn’t get the chance to ask? Don’t be shy; I’d love to hear from you.

• Morning session: Personal Branding by Accident [PDF]

• Afternoon session: Building and Sustaining Your Personal Brand [PDF]

Until next time, I’ll see you around Omaha!

I work for Lutz & Company. I love to say that. In fact, I kind of wear it on my sleeve. People often talk about loving what they do and give the common clichés on their employer of choice…work/life balance, open door policies, putting people first, etc… No clichés necessary at Lutz. I live it, so I know this to be true. I work for an awesome company with an incredibly talented and big-hearted group of people. I have worked here for over twenty-one years and each day I look forward to sharing life with my co-workers. My personal feelings can be attested to by our recent first place award for “Best Accounting Firm to Work For”…a national award for mid-sized accounting firms and an honor of which I am very proud.

With this recent honor, a past award from 2009, “Young Professionals Choice Award”, has invaded my memory. The timing of this award corresponded with a life-changing time in my life as I was then only a few raw months into my divorce. The particular day that is populating my memory started with an e-mail blast to our office proudly announcing this award notification. It gave me a bit of a smile and some added pep on a bleak Nebraska winter morning. As I went about my day during the busyness of tax season, one of my partners popped his head into my office. “Hey, do you think you could give the acceptance speech at Chamber award luncheon next week?” he asked me. “Hmmm”, I thought. I sure didn’t see this coming.

As he looked at me and asked me this question, there was no doubt as to the look I saw in his eyes. It was a look I had become quite accustomed to during that time period in my life. It was the look of sympathy. I have never been able to understand why anyone would pay for a palm reading. Hands are clearly a waste of time. You can see everything in a person’s eyes. And I have seen all kinds of sentiments in other people’s eyes over my forty-four years…admiration, fear, dislike, affection, envy, loyalty, distrust… Yep, this one was definitely sympathy. It did make me pause a bit and wonder what he saw in my eyes as looked back. Embarrassingly, I concluded it was probably a bit of vulnerability. A look I was also quite sure my partners weren’t accustomed to seeing from me during our twenty years working together. Ugh. My head felt foggy and I felt a bit lost, so I was quite sure my eyes reflected this same sentiment.

“Sure”, I answered. “They will have you sit at the head table,” he goes on to explain, “and you’ll have two minutes to give an acceptance speech.” “Got it”, I responded. I wondered to myself if there was some discussion among partners that this may be an opportunity to encourage me and help me get me back to my prior pre-divorce self…engaged, game on and no fog. But since speculation served no good, sympathy or no sympathy; I was honored to accept the award and that I would do. It was time for me to reacquaint myself with the outside world again anyway. Maybe this was the nudge I needed? Since I love to give speeches and enjoy public speaking, the prospect of this acceptance speech was becoming invigorating. It is a strange anomaly in life when a person who is petrified of missing a fly ball in little league softball doesn’t have a bit of heart palpitation in giving impromptu speeches to hundreds. Figure that one out.

So the day came for my coming out party. I put on my favorite dress, jacket and boots in anticipation of stepping out into the world again. With the luncheon downtown and an 11:00 departure time; at about 10:00, I thought I better write my speech. The negative on being a writer is that you innately know that you can get away with waiting until the last minute to write little things like an acceptance speech. Don’t get me wrong, I had thoughtfully reflected on what I wanted to say for days. But with a two minute window, I needed only a few words to nail the message. And this speech meant something to me. I love my co-workers at Lutz. Not only had I been blessed to work with so many great people over my years at Lutz, but I felt completely surrounded by great love and support during a very rough spot in my life. Some shared words during this difficult time; others just gave me warm smiles with no words necessary. I always knew they had my back. So everything that had been circling in my brain for last few days were typed onto a one page speech in approximately twenty minutes. And I felt good about it. When I reread my written words, I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to say.

With my speech stuffed into my suit pocket, my boots hit the ground; in route to take the podium Downtown. I was expecting a small crowd made up of my Lutz co-workers. Thinking this, my speech was fondly written for my co-workers and to my co-workers. As I walked into the Qwest Center, I quickly realized that my estimations were clearly off. I was shocked to find myself in the company of over 1,000 attendees. It just so happened that our award was a mere smaller portion of a bigger Chamber event featuring a national keynote speaker. Still a bit shell shocked with the mounds of people filling the room, I was guided to the head table. There was a brief panic attack when I second guessed my choice of spending a mere twenty minutes to write my speech. I certainly knew I didn’t rehearse it enough. I found myself sitting at the head table with local news personalities and corporate sponsors. After exchanging pleasantries, I looked around trying to locate the nearest bathroom. By my estimation, I had about ten minutes where I could hole up in bathroom stall and reread and possibly rewrite my speech; ensuring it was up to the standards with this very large audience. I gave this about five seconds of consideration before deciding that I was golden. No bathroom run for me. If I wasn’t picking up the words correctly from my paper in hand, I would just improvise by speaking from the heart…final answer.

As I perused the program to see find where our award fell in the timeline, I noticed a strange looking man who had just joined our table. Many people were chatting with him and he was wearing an ill-fitting jacket. He was also sporting a shocking dark Afro with fair skin and a receding hairline. He held a sullen expression with little excitement in his mannerisms. As it was clear that he would be joining the head table, I got up to introduce myself to this interesting individual. I had no clue as to who he was or for what reason he was seated there. As I walked towards him, I noticed a small mechanism attached to his jacket with wiring that worked its way up to his ear. I quickly concluded that he was disabled and wore a hearing aid (some form of a cochlear implant device). He must have been receiving a Chamber award for people with disabilities in the workforce. In an effort to make sure I made him feel comfortable and accepted; and so he could clearly understand me, I stood with my face within six inches of his. I extended my hand and with direct eye contact I VERY loudly and slowly said, “HELLO, MY NAME IS SANDY LANE. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” As my brother, Matt, would say…I was in his grill. This peculiar man than calmly said to me, “Nice to meet you. I am Malcolm Gladwell.” Wow, he didn’t seem so peculiar anymore. He spoke perfectly normal; not what I expected from a person with a hearing disability. He then just looked at me with a funny, almost annoyed expression and offered no small talk. So I gave him a smile (he didn’t smile back) and went back to my seat.

The ceremony began with Lutz award at the top of the list. With a quick introduction of our firm and a write up on why we were chosen as “Young Professionals Choice Award”, I was asked to accept the award on stage and give my speech. I remember loosely following my written speech, but after connecting eyes with some of my co-workers; not wanting to look back down at the paper. It was way too mesmerizing looking at the crowd and sharing with them the honest sediments that were nestled with pride in my heart. And people smiled back at me…both with their mouths and with their eyes. I saw acceptance. It was exhilarating. It just felt right and all was well in the world again. The response from the crowd and my co-workers felt like a warm blanket. I was now grateful to my partners for the vote of sympathy. It was just what the doctor ordered.

I sat down while the applause was still vibrating and filling my spirit. The emcee moved on to introduce the featured keynote speaker with an introduction that included a long list of top-selling books and accolades on his publishing milestones. Yes, Malcolm Gladwell is one accomplished writer and being the keynote speaker, he was wired with a small clip-on microphone. And he gave an amazing presentation on his amazing book. My dream would have been for Malcolm to catch my eye on his way back to the head table and we share “a moment”, a look just between us, and then become fast friends with a chuckle later over our awkward introduction. Maybe my speech resonated with him and we now had commonality? Nope…not so much. In fact, I believe he glared at me on his way back to the head table. So in the end, Malcolm is not my FaceBook friend. We did not share a laugh nor did we exchange contact information. Although I do think Malcolm and I would have gotten on smashingly, it was not meant to be. But all that mattered on that day were my Lutz co-workers who were there with me sharing our award acceptance. And if I were to choose a friendship of choice, my fellow accounting warriors trumped the cult following of Mr Gladwell. Yep, my coming out party was spectacular with an amazing guest list of 14 co-workers that was the envy of Omaha. I would add that as a goodwill gesture, I did buy Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “The Outliers”. A fascinating read. I would highly recommend it. Just don’t ask me to get you a signed copy

About Sandy Lane
Chapter 1: Born and raised in small (very small) town Iowa. Survived a childhood full of bean walking and older brothers. Chapter 2: Accountant, wife and mother for twentyish years in Omaha, Nebraska. Chapter 3: Now savors life as a seasoned traveler and single mom of three boys. Still enjoys her accounting career, but also blogs stories (http://sandyalane.blogspot.com) as a past time (isn’t that what all accountants do in their spare time?). On “off kid” weekends lives a life full of travels and adventures; spending a considerable amount of time skiing, cycling, running, and sharing life with her significant other in Denver. When not crunching numbers, writing stories or carting kids; also travels and enjoys visiting family and friends across the country and is greatly looking forward to see what life has in store for her in Chapter 4.

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