Hello Reader,

Last week, I presented at a conference and I spent the entire day on my feet: facilitating, speaking, connecting. And I wasn’t drained.

There was a time when far less would have exhausted me.
Not because I was doing less… but because I was carrying more.

More pressure. More responsibility. More performance.

However at this conference everything felt so good. The space, the people, the information.

And when I look back at how this all happened….it started with a subtle vibe.

Literally having a good feeling when I saw the website and proposal for speakers.

I followed that feeling, applied and out of 150 applications got to present my breakout session - Lead Together: From Solo Burden to Shared Vision.

This is the power of trust over control.

Yet so much of what we are taught about power and leadership is based on control. Control of outcomes, others, our own behavior.

That’s why we feel drained.

Not because of the amount of work that drains us. But our level of trust - in ourselves, the process and other people.

During my session, one of the participants experienced this shift from how she normally leads by carrying and controlling to allowing and trusting in real time. I posted a video about his on LinkedIN which you can watch here.

It’s the same dynamic I’ve been reflecting on in a recent post about authenticity and professionalism, how much energy goes into performing leadership instead of actually being in it.

Read more about that here.

This is why my work focuses on voice, visibility and sustainability.

Not just speaking to make noise but access to your internal authority. The ability to show up fully, without over-performing or over-carrying.

Whether it’s through ERG programming, vocal empowerment workshops, or team-based experiences that shift how leadership is shared, the goal is the same:

To create spaces where people don’t have to perform to belong—and where leadership doesn’t come at the cost of yourself.

It’s a lesson I learned the hard way.

And one I’ll be speaking about next week at an event for Jess Ekstrom and her new book Making It Without Losing It—sharing my own story of what I thought success required, and what it actually cost me.

Need a Speaker for AAPI month or a Keynote for a Conference?

If you’re looking for a speaker, workshop facilitator, or team-building experience for your ERG, conference, leadership retreat, or staff development event, I’d love to connect.

Offerings include:

• ​Be Brave: Leadership Beyond the Ladder​
• ​Imposter to Empowered ​
• ​Vocal Empowerment and Communications Training ​
• ​Collaborative Team-Building Experiences​
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Let's Connect About Your Event

Here's to trusting more,

P.S. If you feel someone could benefit from this newsletter forward it to them and catch my last one "when being yourself feels like to much" here.

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P.P.S. Interested in 1:1 Coaching, find more information here.