The eight-year-old was the youngest attendee at a talk I gave today. There were also a bunch of tweens and teenagers in the audience, as well as their parents and grandparents.
These mixed generation audiences are always fun and distinctive.
After all, many of the groups that invite me to speak are uniform in age or profession. Earlier this month, I spoke to a synagogue group from Santa Barbara (ages 50-80). Last month, I addressed a group of business folks.
The inter-generational audiences are a good challenge for me to keep on my toes and make sure the stories I’m sharing resonate with everyone.
I love seeing the “wow factor” in the kids’ eyes and see the adults nodding along.
I love seeing the “wow factor” in the adults’ eyes and see the kids nodding along.
Today’s talk focused on creative ideas coming out of Israel and how – whether known or not – they are a part of so many people’s day-to-day lives regardless of where they live.
From the Sun to the Moon, flowers in the Arava Desert to cybersecurity and car technologies, from educational clowning to 3D sensors and more, today’s talk was all about how an innovative spirit can overcome challenges regardless of the odds.
Failing forward was a recurring theme in the stories I shared. And that was a big hit, from what I could see, with the parents, as they leaned over to whisper something to their kids.
Every talk I give is different and every talk is for a different audience.
My talks are meant to inspire.
So, it is a great compliment for me when kids and adults come up after the talk to tell me the parts they liked best or to ask a question. It means I succeeded in connecting everybody with stories that will hopefully remind us that we can all be creative.
