I’ve never been the fastest runner. For much of my life, I was a middle-of-the-packer, likely because I didn’t pick up running shoes until I was in my mid-20s. In fact, the first time I laced up was the day I signed up for my first marathon.
I recall mindlessly flipping through tv channels on an early Sunday in November, what seems like (and was) eons ago. Finally, something caught my attention: the live coverage of the New York City marathon. I don’t know why I was drawn to it; as I mentioned, I was not a runner. But I was in awe of those who were doing something seemingly unimaginable: running 26.2 miles. And I said as much out loud to no one in particular, adding, “I really want to do that.” My boyfriend at the time overheard and scoffed, “you could never run a marathon.”
Famous. Last. Words.
That winter, I entered the lottery for New York and got in (I’ve since become the Susan Lucci of the NYC marathon, but I digress). I left my boyfriend. I bought a pair of running shoes and hit the track, the tread, the trails. And the following November, I ran and successfully crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon. I’ve since run two more 26.2-milers, including Boston, but I’ll never forget that first race. I did something amazing. Something no one ever thought I could accomplish.
Whether they recognize it or not, the Skillsoft Marketing Team has just run a marathon, one we’ll complete successfully when we unveil Perspectives to the world. Tens of thousands of registrants. 38 unique sessions. Four regions. To say that this has been a Herculean undertaking is an understatement; Perspectives has always been ambitious. How do you create a digital experience that rivals an in-person customer event? How do you create learning opportunities that are both meaningful and valuable enough to get people to tune in? How do you deliver a measurable ROI that benefits the organization in both the short and long-term?
We’ll find out on Wednesday live at Perspectives Unleashed, a two-day free digital experience that will tackle the topics of corporate learning and skills transformation as we move into the “next now,” post-pandemic. Much like last year, we will feature world-class keynotes, energetic lightning talks, thought-provoking customer panels, networking opportunities, and new master classes run by pre-eminent thought leaders.
So, what can attendees expect?
The name says it all. Perspectives Unleashed is designed to provide learners and leaders alike with the tools needed to build and sustain a culture of learning right now, and to transform today’s workforce for tomorrow’s economy. To bring these themes to life, we have built an action-packed agenda — featuring word-class inspirational speakers like Shaquille O’Neal, Dorie Clark, Elizabeth Nyamayaro, Josh Bersin, and Robin Arzón, to name a few.
Yes, this will be an amazing event, but don’t just take my word for it — see it for yourself. I encourage you to visit the Perspectives website and start building your agenda today.
And while no one has come out and said, “you’ll never be able to do that,” it’s hard not to think that we are making possible the impossible with Perspectives.
Unlike the marathon, Perspectives is not an individual sport. We don’t cross the finish line alone, but rather arm-in-arm with our colleagues after hundreds of hours of hard work and dedication. As such, I would like to thank our incredible team who has poured their hearts and souls into this experience. To them I say, cross that finish line with relish. There is no feeling quite like it.
Happy Perspectives week!