Fathers: Stories for Father's Day
Timed around Father's Day, Speaker Slam®'s Fathers competition went live online on June 23, 2021. Ten finalists took the virtual stage with stories about the fathers who shaped them, for better and for worse.
Some stories were tender and some were painful. It was a night about the men we look up to, the words they said or never said, and what their children carry forward.
1st Place: Donald Carr
Donald gave a courageous and difficult speech. He spoke about the man who abused him as a boy, a man he had known all his life and saw as a hero, and about his own father, a Black man who climbed the corporate ladder while wearing what Donald called a white mask.
2nd Place: Julianna Bootsman
Julianna took the audience into her parents' house on early mornings, when her dad would pause at her bedroom door before leaving for work, come in to rub her feet, kiss her forehead and tell her, "I love you sweet pea." Julianna had also competed in the Self-Acceptance finals earlier in 2021.
3rd Place: Alma Tarelli
Woman/Mother/Wife/Accountant and a hard die romantic
Alma never heard the words "I love you" from her father. He was injured in a bombing in Albania in 1944 and could not hear or speak from then on, so the family talked with him in a sign language of their own. Alma was born and raised in Albania and immigrated to Canada 20 years ago.
Meet the Judges Who Made It All Happen
- Brian Miller, Author, Speaker, Coach
- Danielle Tucker, Entrepreneur and Founder of Professional Speaker Websites
- Julian Doan, World Renowned Speaker, Respected Thought Leader
- Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt
Prizes donated:
- Brian Miller: The Thought Leader Starter Kit, the TED-Ready Package and a Clarify Your Big Idea session
- Danielle Tucker: 50%, 40% and 30% off coupons for Speaker Website Made Easy
- Julian Doan: a free ticket to a four-day CEED-CON event
Meet the full lineup in Meet the Speakers for Fathers 2021 and the panel in Meet Your Judges for Fathers 2021.