Thread by @swardley

X : Did you really walk off an all male panel in the middle of a conference?
Me : Not quite. I asked for a woman to volunteer from the audience and then replaced myself on the panel. I did this several times. I also call out lack of diversity in a conference if I'm speaking.

X : Has that impacted your speaking?
Me : Are thinking that people might not ask me to speak?
X : Yes
Me : I'll assume you're really asking for yourself? Do what you believe is right. There is nothing worse than "damn, if only I had" haunting you.

... almost every single moment that haunts me from my life is due to inaction not action. The only failure in life is giving up or not standing for what you believe is right.

... hell, I quit a well paid gig because I didn't believe in what we did. I got hammered in some tech press, endless emails telling me that I'd never work again and even some joker signing me up for courses on avoiding suicide.

... if you let your fear overtake you, or allow others to use your fear against you, if you act out of fear and in haste then you will repent at leisure. Fear is a demon that robs us of rational thought, it expands the negative to cover your horizon. Tame it.

X : That's easier said than done.
Me : Find what terrifies you and tackle it.
X : What terrifies you?
Me : Public speaking. I'm shy.
X : But you do this all the time.
Me : Yes. And anyone who knows me has seen me pacing up and down behind the stage in near fright.