Helping coaches, consultants and educators turn their voice into their most magnetic marketing tool. Subscribe for the insights, stay for the rambles.
It looked easy. It wasn’t.
Published 5 months ago • 4 min read
Sunday I opened the fridge and made full eye contact with a jar of neglected goo.
My sourdough starter. Which I now own, apparently.
What started as a casual “sure, that sounds cozy” comment in a local free trade group turned into me panic-Googling things like “what is 1:2:2?” and “how do I know if my starter’s dead?”
I thought sourdough was the pandemic hobby people did for fun. If Beverly from high school could figure it out, I mean– how hard could it be?
That was before the ratios. The hydration math. The stretchy-stretch and foldy-folds.
I was expecting bread. Not a chemistry lab assignment.
Eventually, one of my clients saved me with a sourdough-for-dummies walkthrough. I followed the steps. Fed Mellie (that’s what I’ve named the goo) and SHE ROSE! (rised?)
But then I panicked and… put her back in the fridge.😅
A few days later, my confidence spiked again and I made everything-but-the-bagel crackers..
Which surprisingly turned out delicious. And also… a ridiculous amount of work. Which got me thinking: How often do we see something that looks effortless... and assume it is. There’s actually a study where people were asked if they thought they could safely land a passenger airplane in an emergency situation, relying only on instructions from air traffic control…
1 in 3 men said yes. (For the record, 1 in 5 women also said yes. But the most confident group were men under 35, which is no surprise to anyone 😅)
👆That overinflated confidence has a name: the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
It’s what happens when you’ve learned just enough to feel bold—but not enough to know how much you don’t know.
thanks for the visual wikipedia!
You start out on Mount Stupid, riding high on confidence… Then reality sets in, and you tumble into the Valley of Despair.
Where your knowledge is growing but your skill set hasn’t caught up yet.
It happens with sourdough.
It happens in parenting.
It definitely happens in business.
And it really shows up with speaking.
Because here’s you SEE on the outside– the effortless moment hyped: ✨ The speaker tag on someone else’s story. ✨ The post where they’re “so honored to be invited back.” ✨ The Reel with the B-roll from their “4th speaking engagement this month.”
But what you don’t see? 💖 The sticky notes all over your kitchen table. 💖 The run-through where you lost your place and said, “wait… that made no sense.” 💖 The slide you spent an hour on, then scrapped completely. 💖 The fifteen minutes you spent rehearsing the first line… only to change it again. 💖 The story you practiced three different ways and still don’t know if it lands.
It’s the part no one claps for.
And it’s the part I live for.
Because when you’re willing to do the work—not just the visible stuff, but the intentional work behind the scenes—that’s when the real growth happens.
That’s when you stop winging it. That’s when you stop relying on natural ability and start building repeatable skill. That’s when you’ve realized that reading, listening or watching more instructional videos doesn’t actually grow your abilities... Messy 👏 action 👏 does 👏 [Sidenote: check out the PS for how I can help you with that messy action related to speaking] But now here we are on a Friday. I fed Mellie a few hours ago which was messy, and after I hit send on this I’ll make another batch of crackers (I still don’t know how to make bread😅 and I’m scared). Before I logged off, I wanted to say this: If you’re feeling like you’re in that messy middle—putting in the reps, building the skills, doing the un-sexy work...
I see you. I celebrate you. That work you’re doing right now is not invisible and won't go unnoticed. It’s what’s getting you ready for what’s next.
Oh, and if you have any sourdough wisdom, please tell me all your secrets. As the youngins say, don't gatekeep🤣!
THE SPEAKER SOCIETY | Let's turn speaking into a strategy that fuels your growth.
If speaking is a priority for you this year—and you want to get serious about it —The Speaker Society is your next step. Inside you'll craft and deliver a magnetic + memorable signature talk that gets people reaching out, referring, and rebooking YOU.
I haven’t opened the doors in almost a year, but I’m pulling back the curtain soon for a new cohort. You'll get my step by step training to nail your unique message, structure and effective (not just educational) talk, and learn my S.P.E.A.K on stage system to prep, deliver and turn every stage into momentum for your business.
We won't be doing a mass email about this, so click the below link to be added to the INVITE LIST and I'll send you more info.
