Have you seen a drop in the number of your speaking events recently or are you still waiting for the phone to ring?

Are you discouraged, wondering what’s going on?

You know you’ve heard God’s voice. Scriptures leap off the page to confirm His calling, and trusted friends tell you you’re on the right track. When you do speak, people respond, and you see seeds of life-change planted.

You’re ready. You’re waiting.

What now?

I want to just send a little word of encouragement today about seasons. For the first time since Next Step was launched, my coaching clientele has been shrinking instead of growing, so I’ve been doing some inventory.

What is God saying? 

He hasn’t given me new direction, so I’m continuing to stand in the last word He gave me which is to start coaching through Next Step.

What are others saying?

“I recently contacted Next Step Speaker Services for assistance in taking an existing message and making it better. WOW! What a huge help Amy Carroll was. She not only helped me reorganize the message, we were able to cut it down a little bit so it was shorter and much clearer. The confidence I gained through working with Amy on this message really helped me to deliver it with boldness.” ~ Holly Ladner

(In response to saying that nobody has every called me a genius…)  “Amy is a genius at encouragement, at highlighting what’s really working well, and pinpointing that one thing that’s throwing everything off. My messages are SO much more effective because of the time Amy’s spent working through them with me. My referral rates have soared as have my bookings. Bottom line: Amy Carroll is a genius at making me sound and look like a genius! And now you can’t say nobody’s ever called you a genius, Amy! ” ~

What are my feelings saying? (They don’t lead me, but they’re relevant.)

I still love coaching as much as I ever have. I don’t feel burned out or ready to quit.

So what’s happening?

That’s what I’ve been asking God, and I hope what He’s showing me encourages you.

The demands on my time have shifted. Writing the book has been a huge, challenging project. Speaking has also picked up during this season. God is showing me…

So, how about you? What other areas of your life is God developing while speaking is slower or on hold?

Do you have little ones who won’t be little forever and need your time now?

Are you caring for a loved one who is ill?

Is your husband needing to feel your love through time spent?

Is your day-job requiring more of you?

Do you simply need a season of rest? (This is legit, so don’t neglect it!)

If God brings anything to mind that needs your attention right now, I want to encourage you to see this as a season of grace instead of failure in your speaking. Hold on, friend! Don’t sweat or worry. Your speaking season is just down the road!

After attending 9 times, I still love She Speaks more than my birthday! You might not love your birthday, but I’m close to narcissistic about mine. Saying I love ANYTHING more than my birthday is a big, stinkin’ deal.

This year I’m really jazzed. I’m teaching one old session, “Brass Tacks: Message Development Essentials”, which includes lots of the tips I give to my Next Step clients for their messages. I’m teaching a new session, “How to Walk in Your Calling When Your Confidence is Crashing”, about the struggles I’ve experienced this year and what I’ve learned from them in speaking and as a first-time author.

AND… I’m excited to announce that I’ll be speaking to the whole group of speakers in a large session. (Yes, fear and trembling are mixed right in with all the adrenaline.) I’d love to have your smiling, friendly face in the room! (Please feel free to sit on the front row and beam your encouragement right up at me.)

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, wondering if it’s worth the investment of time and money, I wanted to help you decide. A few friends have shared today, and I hope it pushes you off the fence and to the registration page. Here we go!

“She Speaks doesn’t wet a writer’s feet – it baptizes her into the craft of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. I came away from the conference feeling like I’d just caught Moby Dick with a butterfly net. But what a great adventure they helped me explore!” (This is a quote from my THIRD book, ) God has allowed my writing to open doors for new speaking opportunities. Thank you, She Speaks and Amy, for letting God use you to hone the craft of those of us too timid to begin on our own.  ~Donna Jackson

I attended She Speaks in both 2010 and 2013. Both times were life changing. The experience built my confidence, gave me encouragement and provided me with concrete guidance for improving my speaking. However, the greatest part was just making connections and building relationships. I appreciate all the work that P31 puts into the event that made me feel welcomed and valued.  ~Amy P Boyd

Last year was my first time at She Speaks. I walked in the door a nervous wreck as I scanned the room of full of hundreds of women that I perceived to be smarter, more gifted, and “more called” than me. I left feeling more
empowered than ever before with a new confidence that God had, in fact, called me and was preparing me for what he had prepared for me to do! I can’t wait to see what this year holds!   ~Adrian Jessen

When I think of my first She Speaks, I think of three words: engaged, equipped and encouraged. I came alone but soon felt engaged with 700 like-minded women. I came empty handed and left equipped to start writing and speaking. I came lacking confidence and left encouraged in my calling. Thank you Proverbs 31 Ministries, for the She Speaks experience.  ~Christy Mobley

I wanted to share a few words about my She Speaks experience last summer, it is still impacting my life months later. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was an aroma of sweet fellowship. There was no competition. Everyone embraced one another as though our hearts were joined in divine purpose. With every new smile I met, the Lord confirmed that I was not alone on this sometimes lonely journey. I now belong to a sisterhood of twelve precious ladies who cheer on and hold up each other’s arms when we get tired. These “She Speaks Girls” are now some of my closest friends. What a blessing She Speaks is!  ~Melanie Davis Porter

And now a longer story, but one I thought needed to be included to show the heart of She Speaks on every level…

If that wasn’t benefit enough, I received so much wonderful teaching and encouragement to move forward and be obedient to God’s call on my life (in the midst of adversity). I am so thankful for She Speaks for all those reasons and can’t imagine how my life and my ministry may have taken a different path had I not attended. Be Still and Live is now in it’s almost 3rd year. I am living the simplelife and my desire is that other women would embark on this simplelife journey alongside me! ~Christy McGriff

By now I hope you’re all in! I hope to see each one of you there and meet you in person at some point. Maybe it’s not for you this year, but go ahead and start saving for the future. But maybe … just maybe … this is the year for you. If so, click here to go straight to the She Speaks site to register. (And make sure to come by the Next Step table so I can hug your neck!)