The greatest speech I ever gave was at the age of two. Why was it so great? Because it was the very first speech I ever gave. It was Easter Sunday, 1969, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. I stood or more accurately, wiggled on a stage in front of more than 100 people with my adoring parents and grandparents standing nearby, smiling  with their whole face, waiting to cheer me on. With every ounce of courage my two-year-old self could muster, I grabbed the microphone and confidently declared, "Happy Easter Day!"

 

That was it. Three words. But, those three words changed the trajectory of my life.

 

If I was a betting woman, I would say that was the moment I discovered the power of having a voice. I was only two, so obviously I couldn’t identify what was happening at the time, but that short speech became the launching pad of a career that would eventually place me in front of cameras, behind microphones, on stages, and in living rooms across my community for more than three decades.

 

Every journey has a beginning. Mine started with three words. And what I have learned over the years is: Everyone has a story to tell. But not everyone knows how to own the room and connect with an audience.

 

Dawn Jones Media is a personal brand and communications company led by Dawn Jones, a 2x Emmy Award-winning storyteller and keynote speaker. With over three decades of experience in live television and communications, Dawn has anchored newscasts and interviewed hundreds, navigating the complexities of breaking news with a calm, strategic presence.