Thursday, January 29, 2015

Interview with Singer, Author, Speaker Pam Morgan




Singer, author, speaker, and public speaking coach Pam Morgan shares her expertise at the 2015 Wordsowers Writers Conference .


A horrific car crash left Pam Morgan paralyzed. Doctors declared she'd spend her life as a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic. Instead, Pam put her trust in God and pushed through to receive a miraculous healing.

She's shared her story on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "The 700 Club", "Montel Williams" and many others.

Now she'll share her public speaking tips with us.

In her workshop, "The Complete Communicator," Pam explains the importance of public speaking to build a platform and effectively
communicate our message. Her session explores potential venues, and teaches effective speaking tools to drive audiences to your book table.

Pam took time from her touring schedule to chat with me. 

Jeanie: You were in the public eye even before your miraculous healing from quadriplegia. What prompted you to begin speaking publicly?

Pam: I was a Communication major in college.  Upon entering college I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.  My faith was strong, but my direction was unclear.  All I really knew was that I wanted the Lord to use the gifts he had given me, whatever those were! 

I began as a music major, but I didn’t want to teach, and when I struggled to pass Ear Training, I gathered this was not the path for me.  

I never dreamed Communication was God’s plan as I headed into Freshman Communication 101, especially since I literally thought I  might get sick before giving my first speech to our small class of about fifteen students.  But the zeal and talent of the department professors made their students want to communicate their own passions.  Before I knew it, I was hooked. 

By the time I was a senior, I knew I wanted to be a public speaker (preferably a motivational speaker), but I had no idea what God had planned for me!  When Phil and I began our music ministry in response to the Lord’s prompting and provision (four years prior to our accident), we began speaking and singing about our journey with Jesus in concert. 

It truly is awe-inspiring to look back and see God’s hand in preparing us ahead of time to be ready to spread the news of His miraculous healing in my life!  The training and platform was in place.  Now I can’t wait to encourage and comfort large audiences with the comfort I have received. 

Jeanie: The thought of sharing with an audience terrifies some people. Will your workshop address those fears?

Pam: Yes! I will address those fears!  They are natural and can be paralyzing, but they are NOT insurmountable!

 We can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens us!  (Philippians 4:13) 

We need to realize public speaking is imperative to promote our books, so I will discuss ways to deal with fear and offer some hopefully helpful hints to calm us down.

Jeanie: What do you most hope to convey at the conference?

Pam: I most hope to instill confidence. God does not call us to do something He will not enable us to do. All we have to do is be willing to step out in faith.  Public speaking can be scary for even the most trained professionals, but nothing compares to pouring out the passions of your heart before an audience and seeing on their faces the blessing and benefit you bring as you speak. I hope to do my part in helping this year’s conference attendees move toward that end.

Jeanie: One final question: How can we pray for you?

Pam: Please ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to address the needs of those in my class and to provide direction that will make a difference.  Personally, please pray for the Lord to provide and grow my women’s speaking ministry and our concert ministry as He sees fit.  



Pam, thanks for joining us today. 

For more information on Pam and her husband Phil's music ministry, go to PhilandPamMorgan.com.
To book Pam as a speaker, check out WalkingMiracle.com. 

...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.    Isaiah 40:31

Monday, January 26, 2015

Conference Tip: Business Cards

Business cards are a must have for conference networking. 

You'll meet people you want to stay in touch with. Asking them to jot your contact info on a piece of paper is asking for it to be lost. 

A basic business card does not have to cost much. There are certainly other places, but at Vista Print you can get 500 for $10. So don't waste time. Order some today. 

What do you need on your business card?
Name The same as you have it on social media. If you use an initial, be sure to have that on your card.

Your picture: Use a professional quality picture. Its hard enough to remember who is who that you meet. A picture helps a lot. 

Graphics: Keep it simple. If you have a book published, then of course, you want book/author info. The tag line from your website is also a nice possibility. 

Most places will have some templates and pictures you can use. But keep in mind if you use their picture, others may as well. It won't be as original. If you upload your own graphics, make sure it is yours or you have permission to use if someone else's. 

Social Media: Put what you have, if you haven't gotten started with this, don't worry. You can add these to your next set of cards.

Contact Info: You want to have a way for people to reach you. But these are your author cards and at some point you will likely hand them out to the public. Don't put any contact info you don't want the public to have. Consider setting up an author email separate from your personal one. This is a good way to let the public contact you without getting into your personal stuff. 

Tips: 
When you trade cards with someone (yes, be sure and ask for theirs, too), take a moment to jot on the back some tidbit that will bring that person to mind. 

After you get home from the conference, follow up with those you met. Connect with them on social media and let them know you enjoyed meeting them. 

Angela D. Meyer is the author of Where Hope Starts a finalist in the 2014 Grace awards. Her short story, More to the Story, was a genre winner for the 2014 Family Fiction short story contest and she is a contributor to the devotional collection The Benefit Package. You can catch Angela on social media encouraging women in their faith journey and watch her video devotionals on her YouTube channel. She lives in Nebraska with her family and is active in Wordsowers Christian Writers group.

Connect with Angela: