Staying too narrowly in your lane makes you seem two-dimensional.

There's a lot of pressure these days to be a specialist. To "stay in your lane." To only talk about your one thing.

But people are complex. We have multiple interests, perspectives, and experiences. If you only ever present one narrow slice of yourself, you start to seem shallow. Unreal. And ultimately, less trustworthy.

Vincent Van Gogh put it well: "It is good to love many things, for therein lies strength."

𝗜 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

I teach communication. But I regularly draw on lessons from martial arts, filmmaking, and podcasting — all things that fascinate me and give me a library of stories to share.

Those other interests don't dilute my expertise. They enrich it. They make me more relatable and more real.

And if you ever have to speak on a topic you don't naturally love? Your job is to find a connection to something you do love.

If you're talking about climate change but it doesn't energise you, think about your grandchildren and the world they'll inherit. If you're presenting on online advertising but it feels dry, consider how it can change the lives of entrepreneurs and their families.

The passion has to come from somewhere. Find it.

What's an unexpected interest that's shaped how you communicate? 😉

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