Translator: Linh Nguyen Reviewer: Cristina Bufi-Pöcksteiner
Hey! Welcome.
How many times have you heard a story,
met a stranger or read a narrative on the internet and thought,
“Oh wow, I’m not the only one.”
You see, you feel this instantaneous connection
with this person that you don’t really know,
and it creates this odd sense of trust and maybe even attachment.
So what happens next?
You head to their website or their social media,
and you start scrolling through.
And then you make the life changing decision.
Do I stay and become a follower?
Or do I carry on with my life, as usual?
Now, odds are as you’re scrolling through,
you find that this person shares your values
and they’re seem trustworthy,
then you’re willing to take a chance.
You’re willing to follow this person
even though you have no idea who’s on the other side of the screen.
Now, as you decide to follow this person,
you figure out that if they have something in common with you,
you’re really going to become a loyal follower.
And you’re tying, and you’re going to take a leap of faith.
Now, the first time that I took a leap of faith,
I was 22 years old and going through a major life transition.
So I did what most 22-year-olds would do.
I went to the internet, but –
On that day, I decided to share my story
about how I quit my job in the heart of New York city
and decided to move abroad.
Now, after I shared my story, it went viral,
and I was overwhelmed and surprised by the numerous numbers of people
who had sent me messages, emails and tweets
saying how my words were exactly what they needed to hear
during this time of their lives;
either because they were going through a similar situation
or because my story had empowered them to make a change in their own lives.
And today, I’m here to talk to you
about why your personal stories and experiences
can have a much bigger impact on the world than you can ever imagine.
Now, having an impact doesn’t mean
that you need to have millions of Instagram followers
or hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers.
But what it does mean is that the work that you’re doing
creates a positive and meaningful change in the lives of others.
Now, when we’re making a positive and meaningful change
in the lives of others,
it’s so important to understand that authenticity is key.
You see, as all this was happening
I realized that our personal stories are much more relatable than we realize.
And I created “Las morenas de España”
because what had happened was
many years ago, as I was getting ready to move abroad,
I went to the Internet, and I spent hours on Google,
searching for the stories and communities of women of color
that were living in the country.
And as I was doing that,
everything that I found was either a negative narrative
or an X-rated website, and I was baffled,
wondering how this is possible in the year 2014.
You see, just a few years prior, I had spent six months in the country,
and I’d had a life changing experience.
So I didn’t quite understand
why these are the only things that were being shared.
Now, you see,
in a recent psychological study on brands and consumer behaviour,
it was found that consumers want brands to do 3 things:
to share meaningful information,
to be aligned with their personality
and to create a sense of trust and reliability.
So as a creator,
when you find that you can make this connection with your audience,
then that’s what really key.
When you think about your own life,
what are the things that you’re passionate about,
that bring you joy
and that have an impact on your life, on a daily basis?
And when you find that little teal circle in the middle
and the thing that really calls to your heart,
then that’s when you can create the thing
that’ll really make a difference in the world that we live in.
As a creator, authenticity is key.
Because, when you have that authenticity,
then it creates a connection
which in turn grows into trust and then engagement
and inevitably, growth.
Now, speaking on authenticity,
I’ve always been someone
who is overly sensitive and overly optimistic.
And I used to try to hide those aspects of myself
when engaging with others.
But then, when I decided to stop sharing what I thought people wanted to see,
and then I decided to start sharing who I really was,
that was when meaningful change happened.
So nowadays, I receive messages from people all over the world,
from people that I used to know to people that I’ve never even met yet,
saying things like: “I’ve been so inspired by you.
Your work encourages me to take the steps that I need in my own life.”
“Sienna, your stories are the best.
Your strength is a true inspiration,
and it really makes a difference in the world.”
” I love the content that you put it out into the world.
Seeing you live and love gives me courage to do the same.”
Now, in seeing these messages
it’s so important to realize that it’s not really about me.
But what it’s about is people on the other side of the screens,
and the fact that they then felt empowered to make a change in their own lives.
Because, you see,
when you create that sense of connection and you create from authenticity,
then you’re able to have more meaningful impact
with your words and your actions.
So I came here today to briefly speak to you,
to talk about why you – yes, you –
when you learn how to humanize the people on the other side of the screen,
the stage or the platforms,
and you realize that they’re just like us:
if they can make a difference, then so can we.
I want you to imagine what this world would look like
if you actually believed that you’re capable of creating change.
If you actually believed in the potential inside of you
to make a difference in the world in the way that only you know how.
Imagine what would happen
if we created the communities, the spaces and the platforms
that we truly needed.
Imagine all of this, and now decide to say “Yes.”
Take your big ideas
and put them into the world, authentically and filled with purpose.
Thank you!
(Applause)
Hey! Welcome.
How many times have you heard a story,
met a stranger or read a narrative on the internet and thought,
“Oh wow, I’m not the only one.”
You see, you feel this instantaneous connection
with this person that you don’t really know,
and it creates this odd sense of trust and maybe even attachment.
So what happens next?
You head to their website or their social media,
and you start scrolling through.
And then you make the life changing decision.
Do I stay and become a follower?
Or do I carry on with my life, as usual?
Now, odds are as you’re scrolling through,
you find that this person shares your values
and they’re seem trustworthy,
then you’re willing to take a chance.
You’re willing to follow this person
even though you have no idea who’s on the other side of the screen.
Now, as you decide to follow this person,
you figure out that if they have something in common with you,
you’re really going to become a loyal follower.
And you’re tying, and you’re going to take a leap of faith.
Now, the first time that I took a leap of faith,
I was 22 years old and going through a major life transition.
So I did what most 22-year-olds would do.
I went to the internet, but –
On that day, I decided to share my story
about how I quit my job in the heart of New York city
and decided to move abroad.
Now, after I shared my story, it went viral,
and I was overwhelmed and surprised by the numerous numbers of people
who had sent me messages, emails and tweets
saying how my words were exactly what they needed to hear
during this time of their lives;
either because they were going through a similar situation
or because my story had empowered them to make a change in their own lives.
And today, I’m here to talk to you
about why your personal stories and experiences
can have a much bigger impact on the world than you can ever imagine.
Now, having an impact doesn’t mean
that you need to have millions of Instagram followers
or hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers.
But what it does mean is that the work that you’re doing
creates a positive and meaningful change in the lives of others.
Now, when we’re making a positive and meaningful change
in the lives of others,
it’s so important to understand that authenticity is key.
You see, as all this was happening
I realized that our personal stories are much more relatable than we realize.
And I created “Las morenas de España”
because what had happened was
many years ago, as I was getting ready to move abroad,
I went to the Internet, and I spent hours on Google,
searching for the stories and communities of women of color
that were living in the country.
And as I was doing that,
everything that I found was either a negative narrative
or an X-rated website, and I was baffled,
wondering how this is possible in the year 2014.
You see, just a few years prior, I had spent six months in the country,
and I’d had a life changing experience.
So I didn’t quite understand
why these are the only things that were being shared.
Now, you see,
in a recent psychological study on brands and consumer behaviour,
it was found that consumers want brands to do 3 things:
to share meaningful information,
to be aligned with their personality
and to create a sense of trust and reliability.
So as a creator,
when you find that you can make this connection with your audience,
then that’s what really key.
When you think about your own life,
what are the things that you’re passionate about,
that bring you joy
and that have an impact on your life, on a daily basis?
And when you find that little teal circle in the middle
and the thing that really calls to your heart,
then that’s when you can create the thing
that’ll really make a difference in the world that we live in.
As a creator, authenticity is key.
Because, when you have that authenticity,
then it creates a connection
which in turn grows into trust and then engagement
and inevitably, growth.
Now, speaking on authenticity,
I’ve always been someone
who is overly sensitive and overly optimistic.
And I used to try to hide those aspects of myself
when engaging with others.
But then, when I decided to stop sharing what I thought people wanted to see,
and then I decided to start sharing who I really was,
that was when meaningful change happened.
So nowadays, I receive messages from people all over the world,
from people that I used to know to people that I’ve never even met yet,
saying things like: “I’ve been so inspired by you.
Your work encourages me to take the steps that I need in my own life.”
“Sienna, your stories are the best.
Your strength is a true inspiration,
and it really makes a difference in the world.”
” I love the content that you put it out into the world.
Seeing you live and love gives me courage to do the same.”
Now, in seeing these messages
it’s so important to realize that it’s not really about me.
But what it’s about is people on the other side of the screens,
and the fact that they then felt empowered to make a change in their own lives.
Because, you see,
when you create that sense of connection and you create from authenticity,
then you’re able to have more meaningful impact
with your words and your actions.
So I came here today to briefly speak to you,
to talk about why you – yes, you –
when you learn how to humanize the people on the other side of the screen,
the stage or the platforms,
and you realize that they’re just like us:
if they can make a difference, then so can we.
I want you to imagine what this world would look like
if you actually believed that you’re capable of creating change.
If you actually believed in the potential inside of you
to make a difference in the world in the way that only you know how.
Imagine what would happen
if we created the communities, the spaces and the platforms
that we truly needed.
Imagine all of this, and now decide to say “Yes.”
Take your big ideas
and put them into the world, authentically and filled with purpose.
Thank you!
(Applause)
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