Reinvention on a Four-Hour Drive
Speaking on the theme Reinvention at Speaker Slam® in Toronto on Jan 30, 2024, Lori McDowell delivered “Reinvention on a Four-Hour Drive”.
Transcript
imagine imagine you're making a 4-Hour drive from Houston to Austin for a 2hour sales meeting it's a long boring drive on a pretty straight Interstate you get to the hotel happy to be getting out of the car and you go to check in your hotel I'm sorry ma'am your room has been cancelled what it must be some mistake can you reinstate it one of my co-workers Michael is checking in at the same time and he jokes with me I think that's how they tell you you're getting fired we had a good laugh I reinstated my hotel room and we went our separate ways I'll see
you at the meeting in a couple hours Michael about an hour later I had a planned meeting with my boss we were going to review the CRM I walked into the conference room something didn't seem right there was another vice president sitting there what's he doing here and then I noticed there was a phone sitting on the table this could be bad this is Angie in HR you are being terminated you will be paid till the end of the day turn in your company credit card and laptop immediately my heart stopped did you just make me drive 4 hours to fire me I mean 4
hours who does that you couldn't have fired me before I left Houston I had given my heart and soul to that company for over 10 years and now I would be treated like a criminal someone someone who couldn't be trusted I was embarrassed my co-workers saw me at the hotel but when the meeting started I wouldn't be there I can hear the conversation now where's Lori I saw her at the hotel I heard a rumor she got fired I wonder what she did I was a mess I didn't know whether to cry or yell or punch something how could they do this to me how
am I going to pay my bills I think I might throw up and now I have to drive 4 hours probably five or six cuz it's Rush Hour back to Houston I can't believe this is happening I get in my car and start my drive back to Houston and suddenly a thought popped into my head at least I don't have to go to work tomorrow that thought continued I don't have to go to work tomorrow I felt instant relief I felt lighter I felt Joy I don't have to go to work tomorrow I'm free for years I was standing at the edge of a cliff
looking down at the beautiful blue water it's steep down there jump Lori just jump you know you could want to you can do it but I didn't have the guts Angie pushed me off that cliff and now I get to swim in the beautiful blue water and it's amazing about a month later I wrote a book something I'd wanted to do forever but didn't have time the reinvention mindset I started a new company I'm sharing my story I'm helping other people I'm making a difference and it's amazing I reinvented myself on that 4-Hour Drive most people think that when something bad happens that it's a
tragedy something truly negative but it doesn't have to be that way it can be a chance for growth it can be a new beginning it can be a reinvention we can't help what's happened to us we have no control over that but we have complete control about what we do with it we have that power we all do we can take charge of Our Lives we can believe in ourselves we can face our fears we can jump me I waited for a push but now I'm swimming in that beautiful blue water do you want to stay on the top of the cliff or do you
want to jump and join me the choice is yours and I promise if you jump it'll be worth it thank you
Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.