Write your own Bio

24/3/08

You have your 10-minute coming up and the Treasurer asks you to fill out a biography sheet, so you fill out the obligatory spaces on the form: spouse, children, animals, hobbies, other interests, burning desire, something no one knows about you and your key to success. Then, if you are lucky and the treasurer can read your handwriting, it gets read out with some enthusiasm, something like this:

'Spouse: Mary. Children, none. Animals, none. Hobbies, golf and football. Other Interests, most sport. Burning Desire, to travel. Something no one knows about me, I once played for the Arsenal Youth team. Key to Success, always doing my best.

It's fine, but what is that really adding to your presentation and, let's be honest, how many times have you given the Treasurer the same biography sheet? I know in my chapter members do that and what's more they don't even update their dates - so they have still been married three years when I know it's now four!

A 10-minute is just that, eight minutes and questions or a straight ten minutes. But a well written biography can add to that another minute or more, so make the most of it! Next time you have a 10-minute coming up and your Treasurer asks for a Bio, write it and make use of every word. The Treasurer can say things about you that you can't say yourself, so give them some good stuff and build up your image.

This is what I did for my last 10 minute:

David is married and has four boys, two of whom were born on the 23rd March - however they are not twins, the eldest being four years older than his brother!

He went to Hampton Infant and Junior schools, and then to Teddington senior school - via a two-year stopover at Rectory (now Hampton Community school). He also has a City & Guilds in photography and yachting exams up to Coast Skipper.

David loves to cook (especially fish) and enjoys cooking the recipes of Elizabeth David, Keith Floyd, Rick Stein and Delia Smith.

He is again this year organising the NBFA 5k charity run.

His key to success is never accepting second best!

Does he have a burning desire? Yes - but it will always remain a secret!

David loves to write and currently has two blogs: My BNI Day and Convert to Imperial. And something that very few people know about him, is that he once wrote a children’s story, which was printed monthly in the Horse Rangers’ magazine, using a girl’s name as a pseudonym. He would one day love to have the story published.