We were brought to tears.
Marjorie Aunos booked a meeting with us not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. One by one the Zoom panel grew as the #SpeakerSlamFam joined. What happened next was powerful.
The Secret Project
For months, our speakers had been keeping a secret. Every time Rina would ask during Saturday classes what big projects they were working on, they'd brush it off. "Nothing much. Nothing really happening."
The truth? They had all come together behind the scenes to work on something huge. After five weeks of keeping it under wraps, Marjorie finally revealed it to us: they were writing a book. A book in honor of Speaker Slam®, community, and storytelling. Each contributor had their own chapter, their own story about connection and what speaking on our stage meant to them.
An Emotional Moment
I'm not a crier. But hearing this, I lost it.
The truth is, we work seven days a week, morning and night, with all these visions. Our whole goal is to bring people together and transform lives. And just seeing this group of people who have been on our stage time and time again, who cared enough to come together and create something like this? It was overwhelming. It was touching. I was speechless.
The speakers shared what this community meant to them. One contributor talked about making a declaration at the beginning of the year that she wanted to be published. Two days later, Marjorie called. Another spoke about how Speaker Slam® became a place where she could not only be herself, but confront herself, knowing she would be supported and loved through whatever she found.
How It All Came Together
Marjorie Aunos, our 2021 Inspirational Speaker of the Year, originally won book coaching with Life to Paper as part of her Grand Slam prize. In their generous fashion, they went above and beyond to serve others. Thank you to Tabitha Rose for everything you've done to support our speakers.
Our Yellow Brick Road is such a special book. It brewed out of the pandemic, out of community, and out of our shared passion for storytelling. This happened organically. No one planned it. It grew from the relationships that were built through Speaker Slam®.
My Chapter
I was later asked to contribute a chapter and the fear set in. Was I going to reveal my journey? The part of my life that I've tried to push away and hide?
Then I read the other chapters in the book. It gave me permission to share my truth on paper.
Writing my life out in this way was such a healing experience. I'm excited to lean into what led me to Speaker Slam®. The stories in this book inspired me to share mine. If my story can inspire just one other person, then it was worth it.
I'm so proud of everyone involved. This book is proof of what happens when you build a community rooted in storytelling, vulnerability, and showing up for each other.