The first time I heard the word “platform,” I was repulsed. Seemed like shameless marketing. And I didn’t want my faith to be cheapened by turning my “calling” into some kind of manipulated gimmick.

But then I remembered this:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ~ Matthew 5:13-15

Your platform, in a sense, is your lamp stand. The way you display your God-given gifts in a way that lights the world. So, the first question is not whether or not you have a platform. The first question is …

Do you believe you’ve been called to speak? Write? To encourage an audience with humor? Or music?

If so, you’ve got a lamp that requires shining. And it needs a stand, not a bowl. This leads to the second question: How are you going to establish your platform so that the light you’ve been called to shine is actually seen?

Next week I leave for The Professional Communicators Summit in Nashville. And this is the very subject we’ll be discussing. In short, the Summit helps you establish and expand your platform by equipping you to:

• Identify your unique offering as it compares with a current market need
• Develop products that increase your revenue stream, and allow you to live your dream full time
• Leverage partnerships to their full potential
• Establish your market value and multiply opportunities
• Navigate the publishing world with inside information (special session by Michael Hyatt)
• Utilize digital tools to connect with potential and realized audiences (special session by Randy Elrod & Spence Smith)

Out of all the conferences I both attend and coordinate, the Summit is perhaps the most transforming. It forces me to wrestle with my calling to speak and write, be intentional about fulfilling it, and it pushes me to be business savvy with the process. That’s just good old fashioned stewardship.

A few spots still remain, and I’d love to see you there. The price is unbelievable ($597 this year, as compared with $1950 in 2008) and the line-up of speakers doesn’t get any better. For more information, contact me or go to the website.