Who do you speak to and what do you speak about?
About 10 years ago, I made a career change into leadership development and quickly fell in love with organizational change—specifically, helping people navigate change more successfully.
I work with leaders at all levels, across all kinds of industries, but I especially specialize in supporting leaders and organizations in STEM and manufacturing.
When I speak, I’m typically working with leaders or organizations that are either going through major change or know that big change is coming. I help them approach change differently: how to lead through it, how to adapt to it, and how to build a more change-ready culture.
The types of change I support really vary. It could be a technology change, a leadership transition, a policy shift, you name it. My work is agnostic to the type of change because at the heart of it, it’s all about people.
My background is in organizational psychology and behavior change, so I help leaders think differently about how people experience change and what it really takes to support them through it.
I want to hear your talk. Awesome. What was happening or not happening in your business that made you say, “I need to do The Speaker Lab.”
When I found The Speaker Lab, I was working full-time as the Head of Change Readiness for a Fortune 500 technology and engineering company.
I knew I wanted to increase the amount of speaking I was doing and become more skilled and confident as a speaker—and maybe even grow a business around it someday.
But trying to figure it out on my own while working full-time felt overwhelming. Every time I looked online, there were so many different pathways and options that I wasn’t sure which direction to take.
What drew me to The Speaker Lab was that they had a clear system and a mapped-out process I could follow. It took the guesswork and endless research off my plate and made it much more manageable to make progress while balancing a full-time job.
I’m glad to hear that. Yeah I think the SPEAK framework being structured is something a lot of people appreciate.
Yeah, there’s too much on Google. There’s just too much information available.
It’s nice to have a clear pathway. Did you have any fears or apprehensions at the start?
Definitely. I had a lot of fears about stepping into something new and putting myself out there on stage.
One of the best parts of both the program and the community around it was the external accountability, that made all the difference in helping me face those fears. I had an accountability group that checked in with me regularly. If I said I was going to work on something, they made sure I followed through.
The program also had a clear timeline, and I pushed myself to hit the major milestones while all the services were fully available. That structure really helped me stay on track with big things that felt intimidating at first, like filming my demo reel or scheduling a professional photo shoot for new headshots.
Honestly, I was nervous about everything from what to wear to whether the branding would look right or if the photos would turn out well. But the combination of accountability from the program, support from the people I met, and even telling my friends and family my deadlines (“In June, I’m doing my photo shoot. In July, I’m filming my demo reel…”) kept me moving forward.
At the end of the day, I just had to do the scary things, and once I did, they weren’t nearly as scary as I thought they would be.
Totally–it feels so good to be on the other end.
Yeah, absolutely. And then I think as a part of that too, I signed up for free speaking things that kind of forced me to get ready so for me, I needed the external accountability and then that forced me to do the things I was a little scared to do totally.
I love that you embraced the timeline, too, because I think it can definitely help to be like, “Okay I want to make sure I get the most out of this program, so I got to stay on top of it.” Many people come in and are motivated for a few weeks or a month and then it just gets forgotten about and we’re like, “No, stick it through!”
You want to do the whole thing and see how your life can change.
Yeah, absolutely.
You mentioned your accountability group–were you in a cohort or did you find some accountability through Circle?
I found a couple of friends who had similar goals, and we became accountability buddies. I also joined a small cohort of like-minded speakers that created their own larger group.
The larger group didn’t stick together the whole time, partly because we were moving at different paces, but the accountability buddies were really helpful. We were on a similar timeline, which made it easier to keep each other motivated and moving forward.
I love that I’m so interested in that. What was your approach to that?
Mostly a zoom call weekly! I’m still meeting with my buddy so it’s been a year that we’ve been meeting weekly.
We have a structured format of four different topic areas that we’ve prepared each week and then we check in the next week to see if we’ve done them. It’s helpful! We talk about our wins which is really big because sometimes the wins are little but by celebrating them keeps us going.
We talk about the progress that we’ve made over the week and places where the businesses can move forward.
We talk about learning and challenges and that’s a place where we can kind of learn from one another but we can also help each other with, for instance, I have something I was working out at Google Forms and the person was just able to help me think about it in a different way.
And then our last topic area is the vision. What are we working towards this coming week to reach our vision? And so that kind of re-grounds me each week.
I’m like, “Oh, yeah, this is my bigger vision. This is what I’m working towards.”
That’s really special. Thanks for sharing that. Well, you talked about the SPEAK framework being helpful–what were some of the main aha moments or key takeaways from the SPEAK Framework for you?
I really liked that the framework builds up thoughtfully toward actually speaking—starting with being clear about who I serve and what my topics are.
Before, I would sometimes just sign up for speaking opportunities and figure it out as I went. And while that’s part of the journey, I appreciated that the framework helped me slow down and be more intentional.
Another big takeaway was learning to focus on serving fewer types of clients. I still say yes when people invite me to speak, but when I’m actively marketing myself, I’m a lot more targeted. That helps me connect more directly with the right audiences and actually bring in more leads.
One more thing that came up a lot during the program is the importance of storytelling. I tend to be very content-heavy (and a little nerdy!), so I had to push myself to go back through my talks and intentionally build in more stories.
It’s funny, every time I speak, what people remember and comment on are the stories, not the heavy content. That shift really stuck with me: people connect with stories first, and that’s what leaves a lasting impression.
Totally–stories bring content and data to life in a way. What have been some of your results from the program?
Before the program, I was mostly speaking internally at work. Now, I’m speaking regularly for outside organizations and, a few months ago, I officially went full-time in my own business!
I’m already bringing in the same income I was making in a corporate job, which honestly still surprises me. I offer a mix of services now, but speaking has become a big part of my business. My goal is to speak about three times a month, sometimes paid, sometimes unpaid, depending on the opportunity.
I also run a lot of training sessions and workshops alongside my speaking engagements. It’s been fun to see how my calendar is filling up, not just from the prospecting I do intentionally, but also from people reaching out directly. I’m getting invites like, “Hey, can you speak at this event?” or “Would you join this panel?” just because I’ve been putting myself out there more.
It’s been amazing to see how the momentum builds once you start showing up consistently.
It’s nice to cross into that threshold! Once you put yourself out there for a certain amount of time, it’s like, “Oh, wait, people are calling me and emailing me and asking me to come–such a good feeling.
Yes, absolutely. It’s a lot of fun. Honestly, it feels like there’s more need out there than I even have time to serve, which is a really good problem to have.
It gives me so much purpose and energy every day. I’m excited to get up and do the work, knowing that there are people and organizations who want and need what I have to offer.
That’s awesome. How’s it feeling to be in this new lifestyle as a full-time business owner?
It’s exciting. I’m really proud of myself when I look back at where I was a year ago when I first started the program. There’s been so much growth personally, emotionally, and mentally. Honestly, I think of this past year almost like a project, and it’s been fun to reflect on how far I’ve come.
I’m a different person now because I put myself out there and did things I never thought I would do. Making the decision to become a full-time business owner has made me more intentional, more confident, and more determined to create my own success.
One of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve had is realizing that my success is completely in my hands. It’s not about the economy, or the world, or the community, it’s up to me to wake up every day and bring value to people.
And it’s getting easier, too. I have more confidence now. I know I’ve figured things out before, and I trust that if something new comes up, I’ll figure it out again.
You mentioned being full time now. What’s your new normal looking like?
For me, every day looks a little different. I don’t have a solid, structured routine yet, I’m still figuring that part out! I’d love to learn from some of the more seasoned speakers on how they manage it. That’s the dream I’m working toward.
Right now, my priority is serving my consulting and coaching clients first, since they already have contracts in place. That’s where I focus my best energy.
I’m also getting better at carving out time, at least weekly, if not daily, for prospecting and nurturing warm leads. It’s been fun to meet new people through speaking opportunities and then figure out how to build trust and relationships afterward. Sometimes that means sending a follow-up email, sharing a free resource, or connecting on LinkedIn. I have really become consistent about adding value on LinkedIn.
Overall, my new normal is showing up every day with excitement and energy, which is such a big shift from when I was in a corporate job, where a lot of the days felt like drudgery and I was solving problems that didn’t really light me up.
Now, I still get to solve problems and bring value to people, but I’m doing it in a way that feels really authentic and fulfilling.
I love that you use the word fun and I love how much you’ve mentioned the word serve and service during this call so far, just to reflect that back to you. You clearly have a heart to truly be solving people’s problems and be of service.
Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s a big part of why it’s been easier to get clients. When I see a need that someone has, I either offer to fill it with a skill I have or connect them with someone who can.
That mindset of service has been really helpful for growing my business and it just feels good to help people in ways that genuinely make a difference.
That’s beautiful. It’s about more than just the success you’re having, it’s about genuinely helping others to have success and clarity.
Yeah, exactly. I actually started a practice where every Monday morning, I look at my client list and ask myself, “How can I provide them with the most amazing, impactful results?”
It’s completely changed the way I show up for my clients. Even if I don’t have something officially due, I might send a quick email or make sure I’m showing up differently in meetings to serve them better.
Sometimes it’s preparing to deliver hard feedback in a way that helps them move forward, and thinking intentionally about how I can communicate it so it leads to the best possible outcome for them.
Putting my clients first and intentionally thinking about how to help them get real results has been a total game changer for my business.
I love that. That’s really inspiring. I’m chewing on that for myself. So thank you for sharing that. We’re at our last question and that’s who would you recommend to The Speaker Lab and why?
I would recommend The Speaker Lab to anyone who’s really ready to commit and make speaking a priority.
From what I’ve seen, including in my own accountability group, the program is worth it if you’re willing to put in the time and stay consistent. You can’t let life or a million other priorities take over. If you truly want to build a speaking business and you’re willing to keep showing up, even when it gets tough or scary, it’s 100% worth it.
I got so much value from the program, but that was because I showed up every single week and kept doing the work. The program was part of it, but it was really about me putting in the work with a single focus and sticking with it, and the program became the tool I used to do that. A lot of people I started with didn’t stick with it because speaking wasn’t their top priority.
So if speaking is something you really see as part of your future and you’re ready to prioritize it then yes, absolutely, you should do it.
I love how you said that. Is there anything else you want to touch on as we wrap up our conversation?
I would just add this: nothing is guaranteed. We’re not owed anything. We have to show up, take ownership, and do the work ourselves.
I was talking to someone last week who was struggling to get their business off the ground. They were waiting on a lot of leads that were sitting in other people’s courts, just hoping people would get back to them. But in this business, we can’t just wait around.
Success comes from going out, seeing people’s needs, providing value, and being willing to say the hard things when necessary. It’s all on each of us to take action.
When you’re building a speaking business, or any business, you can’t expect that just because you opened the doors, people will automatically show up. You have to put yourself out there, take charge, and create the opportunities you want. You have to take total ownership.
Modeling ownership beautifully. Thanks so much for your time today. I’m leaving feeling inspired by you and everything you’ve shared. I’m excited for other people to get to hear your wisdom that you’ve shared and celebrate your success with you.
Thank you. I appreciate it. I feel honored.