I ended the keynote on a high – then a man told me: “You’re an awful ass.”

The ballroom had been rocking – 160+ people crammed into a small space for a sales conference. The energy was electric, the feedback warm.

Then, as I packed up, a small rounded man with a beaming smile approached

Without taking a breath he blurted out:
👉 “You’re an awful ass.”

I was floored. After an evening of positivity, this stung.

But I noticed his body language, and sensed there was more.

He pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket and said:

“You know, I go to events like this every month. I listen. And I wait.”

“For what?” my inner voice screamed.

“I wait for the speaker to contradict themselves or say something false… and I challenge them in the Q&A. And then the fun begins!
Tonight, I couldn’t catch you on anything,” he concluded.

That was probably the most valuable lesson I’ve ever received as an up-and-coming speaker. It taught me two huge lessons:

📌 If you cite research, make sure it stands up to scrutiny. Not citing the most up to date research leaves you vulnerable.

📌 Share stories from your own experience. No one can argue with your story. You’re the definitive expert on that.

That small, smiling man deserves a gold pen for sharpening my craft.

👉 Over to you: what’s the most unexpected feedback that’s shaped your career?