1. For how long have you been a motivational speaker?
I have been a motivational speaker for eight years.
2. What do you love about the art of public speaking?
I love connecting with the people. I love inspiring others to accomplish their goals and follow their dreams.
3. Why do you feel impelled to speak?
Speaking is my life’s purpose. It is my passion. It is my gift. I have the gifts of inspiration and oration. It is embedded in my soul to express myself verbally. It is an undeniable pull on my being to be in front of audiences delivering a message tailored to the people in the room.
4. How do you divide your time between delivering ideas and creating them?
It varies depending on the length of time between accepting a speaking engagement and the date the speech is to be delivered. I usually like to have at least two weeks to create the speech and rehearse the speech before delivering the final presentation on stage.
5. As a black woman, how does it feel to be the world champion of public speaking?
As a black woman, I am honored to be the World Champion of Public Speaking. I am only the second African American woman to win the title. It is my honor to have the opportunity to be a face and voice of positivity to other men, boys, women, and girls who look like me. I have a global platform to expose my people to Toastmasters International. By seeing my success, I’m certain that I will inspire other people of all races, genders, and ethnicities to follow their dreams no matter what they look like.
6. Who is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration is my six-year-old son Ryan. Once I became a mother, my life changed in so many ways. I became responsible for both of our lives. I started holding myself accountable for my own success. I went back and finished two college degrees. He was the push that I needed to start becoming the best version of myself for the betterment of both he and I.
7. What one word best sums up you and your vision?
Resilience.
8. What is one piece of practical advice you would give to my readers?
Find out what your purpose is in life. Stay persistent in the pursuit of your purpose. Surround yourself with people who love you but have high expectations of you. Develop a relationship with yourself. Self-awareness is a beautiful livelong journey.
9. How do you define success?
Success is very subjective. So for me, success is traveling around the world inspiring people for the rest of my life. It is helping those in need. It is financial stability and financial abundance. It is waking up next to a loyal, intelligent loving Black King. It is inner peace and balance. It is seeing my son achieve his dreams. Watching my family and friends prosper. And smiling more and more each day.
10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I see myself married with more children. I see myself writing and publishing several NY Times best-selling books. I see myself in Hollywood doing movies. I see myself traveling to dozens of countries and inspiring thousands of people. I see myself exposing my son to different cultures around the world and letting him see that the big wide world was gifted to him from God.
11. What are your social handles?
FB: Ramona J. Smith
Twitter: @ladybugspeaker
IG: @ladybugspeake
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