This talk was presented to the 7th and 8th graders at Diegueno Middle School in Encinitas, CA. They had us all do TedX type presentations. It was a very fun to watch the kids play with my Google Glass. There is a video somewhere and when I find it, I'll update the link. #Careers #Entrepreneurs #Passion #SocialMedia #Smile #ThroughGlass #GoogleGlass :) #DNO #Diegueno #CareerDay #2014
A girl who was born really nearby to this very spot, on Christmas Night, 46 years ago. Some think she gets her jolly disposition and love of smiling from Santa…
Despite her happy SMILE, this little girl often worried about whether or not she was doing the right thing. She was a cautious little girl who liked to please people.
And she grew up like most kids… bouncing between cute and awkward. Sometimes very awkward.
And as most kids do, she got a nickname or two from classmates. Monique the Geek was their most favorite.
“But getting teased is part of growing up,” the adults would say. “It just means they’re jealous.”
Yeah. Right.
But in Middle School, two important things happened. This girl got involved in musicals and cheerleading.
These things made her very happy and she felt like the “true her” was shining through.
Then high school…
More cheerleading, ASB, theater, and community service to keep this girl busy. Oh, and school. She was a comp center tutor – still a geek on the other side of the pom-poms.
And then adulthood happened and it was time to get out into the workforce.
She worked at Robinson’s and La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre.
Fast forward 20 years… and her career was not quite as fun and exciting as it was 20 years earlier. The stress was wearing her down and definitely making that smile less and less apparent. She yearned for something new. Something that would bring back the sparkle.
She was one of the first 37 to graduate in the world’s first social media certification program. She was doing everything she loved: making connections with people around the world, getting to have FUN every day at work, being able to use her creative talents to make a difference in people’s lives. It was the perfect position.
And all of a sudden – that “geek” label that she had been called all those years ago became a badge of pride.
She liked to think of it as #GeekChic.
The girl loved this quote from Actor Simon Pegg:
“Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.”