If you have a garden or have thought about starting one, I bet you have a Pinterest-perfect image of what it looks like in your mind. Cedar-raised beds, flowering arches, an ivy-covered picket fence, birds singing…

Unless you have an unlimited amount of time, money, and land, that’s not what your garden will look like right out of the gate…and the same goes for speaking.

Why do I compare the two? Because starting a garden is a lot like speaking, actually. You won’t be a perfect, successful speaker from the moment you step on a stage for the first time. You need to start small, be patient, and learn from your experiences.

Let’s take a closer look at why gardening is a lot like starting your speaking journey.

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Planning and preparation are crucial

If you want anything to grow in your garden at all, you have to research and plan.

You’ll figure out what plants will thrive where you live and what will be hard to maintain. You’ll plan how your garden will be arranged if one plant can’t grow next to a different one. You’ll choose between seeds or starter plants.

The same goes for speaking. If you want to thrive as a speaker, you’ll figure out your signature speaking topics early on. You need to get in front of an audience who’s ready to receive your message. You’ll plan which events to book or pitch. And you’ll look at how everything will impact your biz.

Without enough planning and preparation for speaking or gardening, you’ll waste time wondering if you’re doing things right and trying to correct course.

You start small and expand

That dreamy, romantic vision of your perfect garden is nice, right? You can totally have that as your goal and work toward it, but realistically, you’re going to start small. Especially if you’re brand new to gardening.

In our old home, that’s exactly what Chad and I did. We had a vertical tower for growing plants. We used containers inside and out. Microgreens were grown inside, and a mini herb garden was all we had space for. See? Starting small.

When our family moved to our new home last year, we had a radical idea: garden beds in our front yard. There was enough space, and the backyard was already taken up by a pool, my office, and chickens.

Did we rip everything apart and transform the front yard overnight? Nope. We (as in Chad) built and filled each garden bed one by one. Fruit trees were added slowly. And as the plants grew, I collected seeds from them to have for next year. Now our yard has native wildflowers and plants, fruit trees, and vegetable garden beds as we wanted.

You may want a perfect speaker page, killer demo Reel, and amazing keynote, but you won’t start there. Instead, embrace where you are and make the most of every engagement. Collect photos, videos, and testimonials from every opportunity.

The bottom line? Show up and speak to your audience now; don’t wait for the timing or conditions to be just right! The more you speak, the more chances you get to collect materials for showcasing yourself…and the more you’ll get booked.

You put in the work with nothing to show for it…yet

Once you have your garden (or speaker journey) in motion, you may feel like, well, nothing’s happening. You put in all that hard work and there’s no payoff. At least, not one that you can see. But there is so much happening beneath the surface.

In your garden, roots are taking hold and seeds are sprouting. Plants are preparing to burst through the soil. Flowers and fruits and vegetables will bloom and bear fruit before you know it.

As a speaker, you’re showing up and busting your buns. You’re serving your people, but it often feels like it’s not actually working. It is, friend. People are taking notice of your speaker skills, your message, your business. You just may not see it yet.

Let things cultivate and grow under the surface, and you will see the results of your hard work soon. That quiet, behind-the-scenes speaker work is just as important and fulfilling as the praise and recognition you’ll get as a successful speaker later.

When you start to see results, you may feel overwhelmed

Before you know it, you’re seeing results! You have more fruits and vegetables and herbs than you know what to do with. Do you know when to harvest, or should you let things keep growing? Can you store everything to be used later or should you cook or bake with them now?

This is like getting booked or asked to speak all at once. It’s so exciting (eek, it’s happening!) but it can also be terrifying (eek, what do I do now?!). Are your pricing and packaging ready to go? Do you know how to navigate negotiations? Are you ready for the event?

You have to learn what to do when you start seeing the results of your hard work. Just like gardening, preparation at this stage is just as important as before you start speaking. That’s what leads to more bookings, more success, and future harvests.

Experience is the best teacher

I know I just said that preparation is crucial for both gardening and speaking, but honestly? You can do everything by the book and things can still go awry.

Quick story: I planted Florida-friendly tomatoes in raised beds, containers, and sandy soil. While the enclosed tomatoes in containers are safe from pests and critters, the ones in soil are much healthier! It’s not what I expected, and it’s something I would have learned only after trying it.

You won’t really know which plants grow best in your climate until that first rain comes or those pesky squirrels eat all your herbs. You can listen to all the podcasts and join all the groups for speaking but you won’t really know what it feels like to be in front of an audience.

Be brave and try things as a speaker. Say yes to unconventional speaking opportunities even if they’re not what you wanted most. Notice which speaking topics convert better for your biz. Track your progress and figure out what works best. Then replicate your success.