Meet Speaker Sister Tradara McLaurine, who has set out to change the world through stories both spoken and written. Tradara joined Mic Drop and Book Pop Workshop in 2021. She’s a keynote speaker and published author of three children’s books. We sat down with Tradara to hear what inspires her and what struggles she’s overcome on her thought leadership journey.
What inspired you to pursue speaking and writing?
I became inspired to become an author and a speaker because I want to increase the diversity in the books that are sold and the speakers that we hear from. After attending conferences for years, I rarely saw speakers that looked like me. While working in higher education, I was often called to host workshops. One year I completed a workshop that was highlighted in the newspaper and the workshop was such a success that the keynote speaker of the event heard about my workshop and connected with me afterwards. That gave me the confidence that I can do this!
Who is your main audience?
Women, entry-level professionals, seasoned professionals, leadership, working parents, entrepreneurship
What is a struggle you’ve encountered as a thought leader and how did you overcome it?
I struggle constantly with imposter syndrome. Doubting if I am someone worth listening to. I overcome it by serving. Doing community service helps me because I get to talk to others and witness that if even for a moment, I inspired someone else.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far in your speaking or writing career?
My proudest moment would be the day that I received media coverage for the workshop that I did that gave me the confidence that I could do this. If it wasn’t for that day, I wouldn’t have taken the steps to pursue this professionally.
What is a goal are you currently working towards and how is it going?
A goal I am currently working towards is publishing my third children’s book. I have four months until my launch date and I really want my presales to do well. The process is currently going well. I feel prepared to go into a successful launch however, I need to continue to improve my social media presence.
What is something you love about speaking or writing? Why?
I have always loved writing since I was a child. Writing is a form of self-care for me. I love knowing that my work is motivating and impacting people I may never see. With speaking I love seeing the lightbulb go off for some people and afterwards they want to stay in contact with me because they believe in my authenticity.
What tip do you have for people who want to write or speak?
This journey is a vulnerable experience. Everyone will not like what you have to say and will not hold back from telling you so. Pour into yourself and love yourself so that you can stand strong during the beautiful moments as well as the challenging ones.
What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?
Enjoy the journey. Don’t focus on the destination all of the time.
Follow along with Tradara’s journey on Instagram, LinkedIn, and check out her work on her website.
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