Selected as Featured Speaker at WitCon 2025
- kundlasarah
- Oct 29, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 23
My First Official Speaking Gig Since Going Solo
I still remember the moment I got the email: "Congratulations! We're excited to welcome you as a featured speaker at Columbus WitCon 2025."
I had to read it twice.
After years of facilitating workshops within organizations and classrooms, I'd made the leap to solo entrepreneurship earlier this year. Submitting proposals to WitCon felt like putting myself out there in a whole new way. This wasn't pitching a workshop to a company that already knew me. This was cold-submitting ideas to a conference committee and hoping they'd see value in what I had to offer.
I submitted two talk proposals. Both focused on topics I'm passionate about: leveraging modern tools towards current workplace challenges, and the art of leadership. When I got the acceptance email for my proposed session on "Leveraging AI & Psychological Frameworks for Tough Personalities," it felt like validation that this path I'd chosen was the right one.
Why This Matters
Getting selected as a speaker for a conference like WitCon wasn't just about the speaking opportunity itself. It was about getting connected with others who share similiar goals.
I actually found out about WitCon through a LinkedIn post from someone in my network who I had seen present previously at another conference. He shared his recommendation and encouraged others to apply. I wouldn't have known about the opportunity if I hadn't been actively engaged on LinkedIn, following people doing the work I admired, and staying open to possibilities.
That's the thing about building a business around something you care about: you have to be willing to put yourself out there. You have to be willing to apply, even when you're not sure you're "ready." Staying connected to communities is how opportunities show up.
Looking Forward
As I write this now, having actually delivered that WitCon session, I can say this was the right first step for me. The experience taught me about solo conference speaking, about refining content for a live audience who's never seen you before, and about the incredible support that exists in communities like WitCon for new speakers.
But back in September, when I got that acceptance email, I remember feeling more excited than anything else. And a little terrified. And deeply grateful to the person whose LinkedIn post prompted me to apply in the first place. I got great data for myself from this experience, too - how to sharpen by presentation for the next time, both in delivery and content.
If you're thinking about submitting to speak somewhere, or pitching a workshop, or reaching out to someone whose work you admire: my recommendation is, just do it! You never know what doors might open just because you were connected and willing to try.
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