What My Keynote Taught Me About Becoming the Woman I Want to Be

I am so proud of myself.

Not just for my keynote, but for how I showed up before, during, and after.

Because if I’m honest… I don’t know if I’ve ever done anything like that before.

And I want to remember it. I want to take these lessons with me.

So I’m sharing them with you, because maybe you’re preparing for something big too. Or maybe you’re just becoming someone new.

I was willing to start.

Not perfectly. Not confidently. Just… willing.

I let it be a draft.
I let it be messy.
I let it evolve.

I was open to feedback. I made changes. I didn’t cling to the first version just because it was mine.

Then I practiced—intentionally.

At first, I read it sitting down at my computer.

But then I stood up.
Printed it out.
Practiced in front of people.

And everything changed.

I realized:

• I needed eye contact

• I needed to know it more deeply

• I needed to use my body, my hands, my presence

So I practiced like that.

And I improved quickly.

I learned how to be with my emotions.

The jitters.
The tears that were sitting just beneath the surface.

Instead of trying to shut them down, I got curious.

And somewhere along the way…
I started to enjoy it.

It became less about performing and more about being in it.

In flow.
In truth.
In connection.

I stopped asking, “How do I do this perfectly?”
And started asking, “What can they feel? What can they take with them?”

When experience became the goal… there was no failure.

I didn’t do it alone.

I brought a support crew, my lovely Insider Community, and a friend from childhood.

People who sat in the front row.
People who believed in me.
People who were for me, no matter what.

That mattered more than I can put into words.

I prepared my energy, not just my words.

I slept well.
I gave myself time.
I moved slowly.

And something surprising happened…

I wasn’t anxious.

I was delighted.

There was something about waking up early, getting ready with intention, stepping into a winter morning with purpose—it felt both new and deeply familiar.

I got my coffee.
I stayed grounded.
I let it be simple.

And when the moment came… I trusted myself.

I stood at the podium.
Got comfortable.
Said yes to the microphone.
Took a deep breath.

And I believed in myself.

Not because I knew it would be perfect—
but because I knew I was prepared, I gave it everything I had.

And I did.

Afterward, I didn’t crash. I integrated.

No big comedown.

Just space.

After returning home, I closed my eyes for 20 minutes in the car while my husband drove to our daughter's soccer game.
I let it settle into my body.

Then I came home…
Showered the day off.
Lit a candle.
Moved through a gentle yoga flow I created for myself.

No forcing.
No controlling outcomes.

Just returning to myself.

Here’s what I’m taking with me:

I wasn’t trying to control the outcome.
I was committed to my input.

I practiced.
I believed.
I prepared for success.

My phone wallpaper says:
“What is the very best thing that could happen?”

And it’s changing me.

This is because your body mirrors the direction your mind takes.

First comes the thought.
Then the action.
Then the becoming.

I desired to remain calm and composed, not a frantic, panicky nervous wreck, which is honesty how I have showed up in the past. 

I wanted to be:

• wise

• calm

• thoughtful

I was okay being vulnerable.
I was fine with not being an expert speaker.

But I still wanted to do well.

And what I realized is this:

This wasn’t just a keynote.

It was a coming home.

To my voice.
To my story.
To myself.

If you’re standing on the edge of something right now—
something that matters to you—

You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to be willing.

And then… walk yourself all the way there.

With care.
With belief.
With intention.

I’m right here with you. 

XO!

Heather

P.S. We'll be practicing all of this in Sober Spring (phone wallpapers included, accountability pods (your front row), and quiet audio lessons daily). You only have to be willing to start and let experience, not perfection, be the goal. Learn more HERE 🔗