Pretending I enjoy conversations I don’t. Pretending someone’s title makes them interesting. Pretending every relationship needs to lead somewhere. Pretending I care about things because I’m apparently supposed to. And pretending everything is great when it isn’t.

Maybe I’m just getting old. Corrie would probably say that’s part of it. But I think there’s something else going on.

I just care a lot less about playing the game than I used to.

Liberty Speaks wasn't built from a perfect plan.

It started on a walk.

Corrie and I were walking when she told me about an idea she'd been thinking about and had been talking with God about.

She wanted to start a company called Liberty Speaks.

Mind you, we had already begun launching another company in stealth mode for a very different business solution.

The bigger miracle might be that by the end of the walk, I said, “Let's do it.”

There wasn't a detailed business plan. We didn't have every step mapped out. We certainly didn't know what Liberty Speaks would eventually become.

And, if I'm being completely transparent, we still don't.

We're still figuring this out.

Liberty Speaks has changed a lot since that walk.

Follower count is easy to measure.

Trust and authenticity are harder.

When organizations start looking for a content creator to work with, one of the first numbers they often see is audience size. How many followers do they have? How many subscribers? How many views?

Those numbers matter. But they don't tell the whole story.

The better question is: Does this person have an audience that trusts them and have they earned that trust by being authentic?

Choosing a keynote speaker can feel like a pretty simple decision.

Find someone with an impressive résumé. A recognizable name. A good highlight reel. Someone who has done something extraordinary.

Those things matter.

But they aren't what makes someone the right speaker for your event.

We've spent a lot of time around speakers, audiences, event organizers, and people with incredible stories. And one thing we've learned is that the person with the most impressive title isn't always the person who will have the greatest impact on a room.

The right speaker is the person who can connect.