As the face of Rover-Time, my goal is to bring out the best in pets and their people because happy and healthy companion animals lead to happy and responsible pet parents. And the happier people are in general, the stronger our communities become.

I work to personally connect with my audience through our blog and in our monthly newsletters but when given the opportunity to demonstrate my expertise out in person, I get super excited. I have a speaking engagement coming up in a few days actually. It will be the second time I present on the topic of visiting pets as it relates to multiple dog households and I’m relatively confident all will go as planned.

To psych myself up for what will inevitably be a challenge because I have a shy, introverted side, I created this list of four reasons I should go for it. Here’s why public speaking is important to do:

1. It makes a difference in your life, business, community, and career
Every speaking opportunity is a chance to grow in leadership and influence. Having the opportunity to influence people’s thoughts (remember they’re taking time out of their schedule to listen to your thoughts on the world) put you in a position to create real positive change in people’s lives.

In order for anything important to happen an idea needs to be transferred from one person to many. Public speaking is one of the great ways to get your idea across and make a difference.

2. Anything learned will help in other areas of life
Public speaking improves your communication skills, your leadership skills, your confidence and your ability to read and understand people. There are multiple other skills you will learn when public speaking that can actually boost your performance and fulfillment in other areas of your life.

3. Public speaking allows you to demonstrate your knowledge
A lot of people avoid giving speeches. By standing up and speaking to a crowd you are positioning yourself as an expert in your field and you have a great opportunity to share your knowledge. It also differentiates you from others in your industry.

4. Public speaking improves your own knowledge
One of the best ways to learn is to teach, and public speaking is exactly that… an opportunity to teach. Public speaking is important because it helps you to improve your knowledge. The preparation that goes into a speech and the fact that you have to work out how to communicate to others effectively makes you understand your content that much better.

If you’re interested in hearing my perspectives on working and living with multiple dogs, check out May 3rd’s seminar at CanineLink. Topics we’ll cover that day will include sibling rivalry, adding a pet and selecting a breed, health and safety, and managing visiting pets. It’s a great opportunity to learn more on how to help animals live peacefully together.