|
I was at a work event at Top Golf in Phoenix a few years ago.
We rented a space to eat, have a few drinks, and hit some balls. (Spoiler: I’m not a golfer. One time, I played in a charity golf tournament and got the highest score… turns out, that’s not a good thing. 😂)
Back then, I brought my husband and nursing baby on work trips, so they came along that night (first kid privileges!)
When it was my turn, I stepped up in my chunky wedge booties —because 2015—and took a swing. And I crushed it.
The ball soared, and I scored a ton of points. I don’t remember the exact game, but I’ll never forget what a coworker said to my husband afterward…
“Don’t you just hate that she’s really good at everything?”
It wasn’t a compliment—his tone dripped with bitterness.
My husband, without missing a beat, took a sip of his vodka soda and said:
“Nope. She’s f*cking awesome.”
Mic. Drop.
That guy’s comment stuck with me, though. Because it’s a reminder of something we all deal with:
Some people won’t like you.
Some people will feel weird about your confidence or success.
Some people will be flat-out intimidated by you.
And you know what? That’s not your problem.
Your next client, your next stage, your next opportunity—they’re not waiting for a smaller, quieter version of you.
They’re waiting for the real you to show up and own it.
So stop shrinking. Stop apologizing. Start pitching. Follow up. Make the bold ask. BE the version of you that YOU love— not what you think you have to be.
👆that’s the message I shared yesterday on Instagram and I was blown away by the replies.
But here’s what I didn’t share (and the inner circle insight you get since you're on my list).
While that message was a great kick in the pants, the truth is sometimes we don’t even know what we’re supposed to be “owning.”
Because it’s not necessarily a confidence thing, it’s a clarity problem.
Like this situation on a recent call with my client, Ellen. She came to me stuck—she’d been declining podcast interviews for over a year because while she could talk about a lot of things, she knew she needed a more strategic focus.
Within minutes, we cracked it. Her strengths, her message—it was all there, waiting to be owned.
Here’s what she shared afterward to her entire email list + IG audience:
"So grateful to Heather for helping me finally find clarity on WTF I want to talk about when I get interviewed on other people’s podcasts. I’ve been declining/delaying interview requests for over a year due to this block… no longer stuck and so excited to test this guesting strategy out in 2025!"
Sometimes, we need that kick in the pants to be more courageous.
But sometimes the kick in the pants is someone holding up a mirror to help us nail down WTF our message actually is.
So here’s my question to you, 10 days into the new year:
Are you super clear on the big message your audience needs to hear from you this year? The one that aligns with who you really are (AND one that will grow your business)?
If this is an area you know you need support in, hit reply and share your goals related to speaking this year. I’ll personally point you to a resource or program to help you make it happen.
Let’s make 2025 the year you own it (whatever the frick that means 😅)
Cheers,
|
|
Heather Sager
your speaking coach
Founder • The Speaker Society (next cohort enrolling in February)
Want to work together? Use the button below to start the conversation.
|
P.S. over the holidays, I shared a new mentorship: the Corporate Speaking Accelerator (read more about it right here). If you’ve already done a few paid gigs and want to turn this into a consistent revenue stream for paid speaking in 2025, reply ASAP so we can chat to see if you’re a fit, we’re finalizing this super small cohort right now, would love to include you.
|