From the Heart to the Soul: a Message of Love

Over the last few years, I have dipped my toe into the speaking world and become enamored with it. Speaking gigs and engagements were something I would slog through, and I viewed them as an opportunity for self-promotion.

My eyes have since opened, and I am in love with speaking.

My opportunities to speak have grown since I started speaking as a doctoral student. I am no longer speaking to just my peers. I have spoken at Rotary clubs to both adults and youth groups about mental health, universities to educators, schools to parents and students about burnout and human development, and more. I’ve even spoken to local organizations and their HR teams, about motivation and recruiting. Shoot, I’ve even done a TedTalk!

Each time I step up to a podium or bring a microphone to my mouth, I feel a fire light inside. I become excited about the engagement I will see from the audience. Thrilled by the potential changes they implement in their lives because of what I’ve had to share. Curious about the questions I will be asked, and enthusiastically answer.

My first gig was while I was in the process of my PhD, speaking to my peers. I was shaking as I stepped up to the podium, and I had no idea what the point of my presentation was.

I couldn’t understand how speaking to my peers would ever elicit anything important - why would they ever want to listen to me? I felt this way until my 5th time speaking, and then I had my aha moment.

I noticed my peer's eyes lit up, my face beamed and my passion spoke through my words. As I spoke, I saw people sitting straighter in their chairs, listening attentively, nodding heads, and smiling. I knew I was now a KEYNOTE SPEAKER

After I’d finished speaking, I was peppered with enthusiastic questions and was warmed by their engagement. I started to see the value in speaking.

Beyond the growth I’ve witnessed in my personal experience speaking, I have come to appreciate its depth and power.

Research has shown time and time again that an effective speaker can greatly influence people’s lives. It can cause people to move in the change model from the contemplation stage to the action stage.

It has been proven to increase motivation, boost self-esteem, and elicit creativity. This has not only made me more passionate about being an effective speaker, but driven me to want to speak more, to all kinds of people, and about endless topics.

Beyond speaking, I am passionate about coaching which gave birth to GenZ&U, a company that focuses on Gen Z, teens and parents, and anyone who works with Gen Z. I’ve found great joy in helping employers, educators, and community groups see the untapped power within Gen Z, and how to discover and utilize it. I’ve done this through 1-2-1 coaching, workshops, and group work.

If you’re interested in having a speaker come to one of your events or simply doing a workshop with your team, reach out to me for a free consultation. There is no limit to what I can provide to you as a speaker and no ceiling on what your team can derive from an effective event.

Perkins, D. D. (1995). Speaking truth to power: Empowerment ideology as social intervention and policy. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23(5), 765–794. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02506991