leadership

The Incomparable Art of Expressing Appreciation of Others

I am a huge proponent of learning the art of expressing your appreciation for others. It sounds simple, but it can truly have a profound impact on your own mindset, and on the lives of the people around you—especially at work.

It’s exciting to catch someone doing something wonderful and to express to them our own joy about witnessing it. It’s a pleasure! And it creates immediate friendship—that feeling of them being seen.

It’s also making an active decision to take charge of how we want to show up, and how we want to feel. This is a way to take charge of our culture and radically transform our experience of our professional environment and our life. Simply expressing your care and appreciation for someone at work is YOU taking charge of your work culture. It’s like saying, “I see you…. I want the best for you… I’m on your side.”

We can each defiantly choose to bring goodness into the world, no matter what is happening. We can all bring more of the human element to our work and take care of each other. We can make it feel good being at work. And we can even make it fun!

Plus, when we choose to care for others, it lights us up! When we bring our love, care, and kindness to others we feel better. We feel radiant. And having this mindset changes everything.

Be the One℠

#keynotespeaker #BeTheOne #workculture #leadership #kindness #empathy #leadingwithempathy #retention #inspiration #burnout #burnoutprevention

Fighting for My Softness

For those who don’t know, years ago, I burned alive in a fire—trapped in a burning car. It was horrific. Somehow, I remember everything that happened inside that car. The recovery that followed—the debridement, the emotional pain—was almost as searing as the fire itself.

What astounds me to this day is that my journey to healing became one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. After a long period of grieving and being consumed by the daily fight to recover, I finally came up for air. And in that moment, I realized: it was up to me to heal my life. It became clear that I had to take charge—to be in command of my thoughts, my decisions, and to make every moment count as I moved my life forward. What a gift.

That experience taught me an incredible lesson. What I learned in my healing journey later overflowed into every part of my life, shaping how I built my businesses and created success in my career.

One of my favorite revelations was how deeply suffering expanded my compassion for others—something I wouldn’t trade for anything. Whenever we go through hardship—whether it’s pain, betrayal, or loss—there’s potential for unexpected gifts. It’s definitely not something we want to hear in the middle of suffering, yet later, once we’ve made it to the other side, we can often see how the struggles shaped us, matured us, and made us better.

And yes, I had to fight hard to survive. I had to fight to heal. I had to fight to become stronger and more at peace than ever before. But I also noticed something else—I wanted my innocence back.

So, I began to fight for my softness to return. I fought for my gentleness to come back. And I got it back.

That, perhaps, was the most surprising part of my recovery. I never would have imagined it was possible.

This is why you will hear in my keynote, "The Fire Within" that you can be "tenderhearted AND fierce."

#resilience #mindset #healing #overcomingadversity #personalgrowth #keynotespeaker #leadership #compassion #workculture #motivation #inspiration #hope

Making the World a Better Place.

Please never underestimate the power of your kindness, presence, and care. The smallest moments of genuine compassion and positive intention create ripples that extend further than we can ever see.

In the wake of the recent airplane and helicopter crash, as well as the devastating fires and floods, we are reminded of how fragile life can be. We feel the anguish. Any one of us could be in their place.

But in the face of uncertainty, we have a choice—to keep our hearts open, to bring goodness into our world every single day.

This is the kind of stability that truly matters. And with steady resolve, we can each make the world a better place.

Be the One.

#keynotespeaker #BeTheOne #resilience #compassion #leadership

Leaders Who Lead With Heart

The greatest leaders I’ve had the privilege of working with as a keynote speaker lead with heart.

They bring genuine care, presence, and appreciation to every interaction—and it shows.

These leaders foster vibrant cultures where people feel seen, valued, and united. They create environments where challenges aren’t faced alone, but together, as a team.

When we take the time to truly be present with those around us, we ignite something powerful:

✨ Authentic relationships

✨ Deep loyalty

✨ Unshakable connections

It’s leadership in action.

It reminds me of the saying, “Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast.” Slowing down to show care may feel counterintuitive when you want to push projects forward, but it builds the kind of foundation with people that stands the test of time.

And honestly? It’s just a beautiful way to live.

So today, let's Be the One℠ who brings presence, care, and connection to those around us.

It changes everything.

*Artwork by me.

#leadership #keynotespeaker #betheone #workculture #resilience #authenticity #connection #leadershipinaction #mindsetmatters