Lisa Vetter, Founder
REPRESENTING PASSIONATE PEOPLE WITH A PURPOSE
A while back I asked myself these questions:
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who are no longer willing to accept one another as persons with different political, religious or philosophical beliefs and instead only as enemies?
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who blame an entire group of people for the actions of one?
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who have such a tit-for-tat mentality that when tragedy occurs, the only trajectory is to use it to demonize “them” – whoever “they” happen to be (usually the people standing on the other side of the ideological fence)?
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who slander one another and call each other names such as: libtard, conservatard, moron, idiot, and wacko?
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who are fed, swallow and regurgitate information that support only our own political, theological or philosophical beliefs?
Is this what we’ve become?
…people who are so deeply divided into “us” and “them” that every tragedy of our time is seen only through the lens of our own agenda?
These types of attitudes have been affecting our homes, communities, workplaces, churches, and government entities.
As I pondered the answers to these questions I looked in the mirror, I realized that I could be talking to myself.
Social media has given us a platform that I, too, was using all-too-frequently as a stage to try to make a positive difference in the world. But is it the right place to make the world a better place? Is it really an effective medium to change minds and hearts? Is it?
The answer for me was, “It’s not working. Obviously.” Why? I felt strongly that the answer to that question was because there are very important elements missing in most of our social media conversations. Elements such as:
- A face-to-face connection with our brothers and sisters of the world.
- Dialogue – real dialogue without arguments and with sincere humility.
Maybe we’ve been going about things all wrong. Maybe, just maybe, our goal should not be to change perceptions or even MISperceptions, but to share our stories. Our personal experiences can reach people when facts cannot.
So, how do we reach people?
Simply by reaching OUT.
Beyond ourselves.
I am absolutely convinced that we are all one story away from understanding every single person in the world. There are countless stories which are woven into the very fabric of who we are and – wait for it – who they are.
Furthermore, I believe there are many ways in which to express ourselves beyond hiding behind a computer screen. People who make a positive difference in this world express themselves in many different ways.
Art.
Dance.
Theater.
Photography.
Writing.
Keynotes.
Workshops.
Symposiums.
So there you have it. This is my “why.” This is why I launched Tour de force Speakers.
To educate.
To enlighten.
To empower.
To entertain.
This is also why I have chosen to represent presenters from diverse backgrounds – backgrounds that may not necessarily mirror my own, because this is how we solve problems. This is how we discover solutions. This is how we make the world a better place—one person or one audience at a time.