What’s your elevator speech?

By Terra Anderson

Some of you know I am now sporting a bright yellow t-shirt with a huge South Whidbey Prepares logo on the back. I’m a walking billboard. To my delight a few other champions have also obtained shirts. I don’t know what their experience is—I obviously need to ask—but I am delighted when folks stop me and ask “what’s that?”

I had the opportunity to speak with a woman recently who is out and about the community, well connected, in a HOA that actually has started some emergency preparedness work. Yet she knew nothing about us. Oh my. Do I give her my 20 minute presentation? Do I relate to her the limits of our most wonderful first responders? How do I engage her in just 60 seconds?

Enter our “elevator speeches.” Is that a common term, elevator speech? It’s defined as “a brief, persuasive summary of who you are, what you do. It gets its name from being short enough to deliver during a quick elevator ride—typically 30 to 60 seconds.” Here are a couple I’m trying out:

• South Whidbey Prepares is our homegrown, neighbor-powered way of getting ready for life’s surprises. Sometimes that’s a simple power outage (hello, December). Other times it’s bigger—storms, heat waves, fires, earthquakes or other disruptions to our tranquil lives. We prepare together to thrive together.

• South Whidbey neighborhoods are strengthening their resilience through coordinated emergency preparedness and mutual support. In the event of a wildfire, earthquake, or other disaster that overwhelms first responders, neighbors will be ready to care for one another—preparing not through fear, but through compassion, connection, and community

Every person who asks about my shirt gives me another chance to practice my elevator speech. Do you have one? I'd love for you to add yours in the comments below.

If we're serious about engaging all 15,000 South Whidbey residents in becoming better prepared, we all need an elevator speech. Write one. Practice it on each other. Try it out on family and friends. Then take it into the wild—to the thrift store, the grocery checkout line, while waiting for The Clyde to open, or perhaps at the playground while everyone waits for the fireworks to begin Friday evening.

You are South Whidbey Prepares. And who knows? The next person who asks about your shirt might become our newest neighborhood champion.