Virtual Qtalks: How Sharing Personal Stories Builds Greater Connections

Every person has a story. Every Team Member that works with Rocket Companies^® has a unique opportunity to share theirs. 

While COVID-19 has most of us working from home and having to change how we interact with our teammates behind our screens full time, I was still given the unique opportunity to speak to the company about a personal story of mine that’s helped me get through these crazy times and continue to be my best self. We presented a live, virtual “TED Talk” for our team members to sign up for; here, we call them “Qtalks”.

Qtalks is an amazing platform that allows team members to share their personal stories of triumph and open up about their own battles going on in their world. I never thought I’d have something to share until I got an email from the Qtalks team asking about any hobbies we have that we could discuss with the company. Within a minute, I found myself replying to the email before I could think twice. I realized I did have a story to share and had the most amazing time expressing myself to my friends, peers and fellow team members that found themselves tuning in. 

My story is centered around my passion for reading books. I’ve learned through the last 10 years that when I find myself dealing with anxiety or starting to become anxious, relaxing with a book and clearing my mind puts me at ease. My reading journey started when I was younger, reading through young adult novels and then transitioning to beautiful memoirs, historical fiction and at times, very scary psychological thrillers and mysteries. Can reading always put my mind and chest full of anxiety at rest? No, of course not. But knowing that a great book is always there helps me and centers me back to myself when I need it. 

A lot of my fellow team members didn’t know my struggle with anxiety before my Qtalk. I received an overwhelming amount of positive responses about how others deal with their own battles, and how thankful they were to hear me be so vulnerable. I am thankful that Rocket Mortgage® gave me this platform to share something about myself that I don’t typically open up about. It’s brought great conversations to light and connections I didn’t realize were already there.

I’ve had people from different business areas reach out to talk with me about reading, talk about recommendations on books and open up about how they get through stressful moments. It really was such an enlightening experience to share more about myself and opened such a great dialogue with my professional colleagues. 

During my Qtalk, I shared some questions I’ve gotten as I’ve gotten more vocal about reading through Instagram or the Goodreads app. 

• “Crystal, how can you read so much?”
• “Do you have any good recommendations for me?”
• “I struggle finishing even one book, how do you stick with it?”

My advice is as follows: every person is different and every book they want to read is going to be different. I find myself reading in the mornings, before bed, when I need a break, when I’m done with work and need to get away from the screen, if I’m in a waiting room or waiting for the color in my hair to process. Whenever it feels right to you is the best time to pick up a book.

Find books that spark your enthusiasm and interest. I know that when I need to dive into a story I’m always excited about a good thriller. Diversify your shelf. Read about people who have very different backgrounds than you, read about situations or struggles people go through that you may not know about.

Lastly, if you’re struggling with finishing a book, put that book down. Stop reading it. Life is too short to read bad books and there are far too many in this world to not chose a better one for you. 

Pick up a book. Download a reading app and listen to a book. Breathe. Relax. And share the stories that move you with your friends and family members.  

If you’re looking for any recommendations, please feel free to follow me on Goodreads.