When I submitted a proposal to speak at last year’s conference, I never imagined it would be selected.

I learned about the conference almost by accident. One of my leaders shared information about the conference because they were unable to attend and asked if someone else could go in their place. As I explored the conference website, I noticed registration hadn’t opened yet, but the call for speakers was still accepting submissions.

I remember thinking, “I have nothing to lose.”

Without overthinking it, I decided to submit a proposal.

To my surprise, it was accepted.

Suddenly, what started as a simple act of stepping outside my comfort zone turned into an opportunity to present in front of 300+ healthcare leaders from across the country. I was excited, but I was also extremely nervous. My emotions were all over the place. One moment I was thrilled, and the next I was asking myself, “Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?”

Fortunately, my excitement outweighed my fear.

As I began preparing my presentation, self-doubt started to creep in. I spent countless hours pulling data, organizing information and refining my message. I questioned whether my presentation would be valuable enough and worried that someone would ask a question I wouldn’t know how to answer.

I shared those concerns with my colleagues, and they reminded me of something important: this was my work. These were initiatives I had been involved in from the very beginning. The ideas, lessons learned and outcomes were things I lived and breathed every day.

Even though I knew they were right, I still struggled with the idea of presenting this information to people outside of my own team. Until that point, those were the only people I had ever discussed this work with.

Then, I arrived in Atlanta.

From the moment I met people at the conference, I was met with an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement. Whether someone knew I was presenting or simply learned about it in conversation, everyone was genuinely kind. I received messages, voice notes and words of encouragement from people I had just met. Their support gave me confidence during a time when I was still second-guessing myself.

When it was finally time to present, I walked onto the stage and immediately spotted familiar faces in the audience. I’m pretty sure I held my breath the entire presentation, but I got through it.

I was proud to share work that my team and I have dedicated years to building. Even more rewarding were the conversations afterward. It reminded me that there is tremendous value in sharing our successes, challenges and lessons learned because you never know who might benefit from hearing your story.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that everyone who steps onto that stage is nervous. I wasn’t alone in those feelings. In fact, up until the day of my flight, I was still thinking of ways to talk myself out of presenting.

But I did it.

And if I can do it, you can too.

If you have an opportunity to submit a proposal, join a panel or present your work, I encourage you to say yes. Every organization is doing something unique, and we all have something valuable to contribute. Conferences like HCCT create opportunities for us to learn from one another, build meaningful connections and bring new ideas back to our teams.

You never know how something you’re working on today could inspire or help someone else tomorrow.

As for me, I’m already excited about next year. In fact, I’m already thinking about finding a speaking partner because I know we have even more to share. Sometimes, the greatest opportunities begin with a simple decision to step outside of your comfort zone and believe that your voice belongs in the room.

PS: Are you interested in speaking at next year’s conference? Sign up!