Get out of your comfort zone with Free Trait Theory

by Tom Leurquin, Ignite Bainbridge 2012 alumnus “Clean out your garage

Do personality differences affect a person’s ability to give an Ignite presentation? The simple answer is “No.” The general perception is that extroverts just get up in front of an audience and start talking and are perfectly comfortable being on stage, and introverts simply wouldn’t do it or aren’t capable of doing such a thing. The truth is a bit more complex than that. Both introverts and extroverts are more than capable of getting in front of a group of people and talking about a passion they have. Read the rest of this entry »


Alumni Speakers Series: Christine Castigliano

May 2012 was the first ever Ignite Bainbridge, and 14 brave souls pioneered the way for this inspiring event. But what were their motivations and why did they do it? What did they learn and what advice do they have for future Igniters? Those questions and others were asked of these three Ignite Bainbridge first-timers: Alex Sanso, Tom Leurquin, and Christine Castigliano.

This post is a compilation of Christine’s answers. Christine is a writer, singer and teacher of Sparkology, which is her term for the process of awakening and uncovering the divine essence within, and welcoming the many facets of our wholeness. She may be reached at 360-598-3846 and www.christinecastigliano.com

Why did you participate in Ignite Bainbridge? Christine: Ignite Bainbridge is about stories, passion and community, and I love all three. I’d been working with my personal story to fuel a midlife career transition. Turning 50, I woke up to the fact that I don’t have forever. What matters most? What am I here for? What are my gifts, my challenges? How can I make a difference, help the world become a better place? Read the rest of this entry »


Alumni Speakers Series: Alex Sanso

Last May, 14 brave souls pioneered the way for Ignite Bainbridge. As we are gathering a whole new crop of speakers, we’ve asked a few of these alumni to share a bit of their memories from this inspiring event.  Hopefully, their words will offer some insight into their experiences that you can apply to your presentation as well as provide you with greater comfort and confidence to move forward. Because, you know, we would love to hear from you.

Why did you participate in Ignite Bainbridge?

Alex: The basic idea behind Ignite was “compelling” and it sounded “interesting and fun.” “I like to be on stage” and have done improv and karaoke in the past. So Ignite was a means to “put myself in front of people and be on stage. I liked that.”

Why did you choose the topic that you did?

Alex: When deciding on a topic, I “set this bar in my mind that it has to be monumental and profound.” I was getting the TED speeches inside my head and using those as a guide and basis for what was expected. After thinking more about it, I realized that it doesn’t have to be this. It just has to be interesting…something that I like to do. Karaoke seemed to fit the bill. But how do you turn this in to something interesting, rather than just rambling on about getting up in front of a bunch of people and singing? This was a “fun challenge” in trying to express “what effect does karaoke have on me? What feelings did this generate for me?” Figuring out how to integrate this into a talk that goes beyond just singing, so that it can apply to and be interesting to anyone and also become both a learning experience and entertaining was an objective. Using karaoke as a metaphor for overcoming a person’s problems in life was a creative and entertaining approach. Read the rest of this entry »