Posted March 2, 2026

Two years ago —I was in a very different place…

Different mindset… | Different business…
Different industry… | Different relationships…

One specific day — I remember feeling almost every single emotion known to man (and woman).

Excitement. Fear. Bewilderment. Pride. Happiness. Frustration. Joy. Angst. Awe.

I had been working my fingers to the bone and my energy to nearly empty, fulfilling a dream I had been chasing for decades — and it was finally time to put it all out there.

No turning back now.

The publication, launch, and celebration of my first book, The Chameleon Diaries, happened on February 29th, 2024.

A day I will never forget.

It was a day I spent months preparing for; practiced relentlessly to master; planned down to the minute-by-minute timing; ensured every important person in my life could be part of; and ultimately flowed through — from early morning to the wee hours of the night — with all the feels.

The morning began with excitement, anticipation, and deep gratitude.

But within an hour — those high, positive emotions spiraled into anxiety and overwhelm – ending in me running out of the house in my bathrobe to curse the heavens and cry like a toddler on a park bench.

Panic. What was I doing?!
Self-doubt. Who did I think I was?!
Realization. This was actually happening. There was no turning back…

My neighbors stared from their windows. Wondering what all the screaming was about.
My dog howled because I disappeared without warning.
My friends knew to let me be – and waited patiently for my “episode” to run its course.

I let it all out on that bench.

Sobbed until my eyes swelled. (like the ugly cry that you don’t want anyone to witness.)
Tears stained my cheeks.
I blew my nose on my sleeve until it hurt.

And when the bench no longer felt stable enough to hold me, I lowered myself to the ground.

Staring at the sky, I lay in the cold winter grass and watched the wintery clouds drift overhead.
My breathing slowed. The tears stopped.
And within a minute or so, I put my trust in the Universe – and ultimately, back in myself.

And then… it was over.

Just like that.
As if a switch had flipped inside.
And I was ready.

I stood up. Walked back into the house. Took a shower. And started the day over.

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed in a blur… But that night… that night was different.

My coach had warned me that I might not remember anything because of the adrenaline and dopamine of doing my first really big speech.

But, much to my surprise, I remember every single detail between 6:45pm and 9:30pm.

• That is was so dark in the theatre —that I asked for the house lights to be brought up so I could see the audience.
• When I lost my place in my speech, paused, turned around on stage and started over. The laughter and cheers of “being real” gave me even more confidence and joy to be there.
• When someone sneezed, and I whispered “God bless you,” as if I were sitting next to them, watching the entire event unfold.
• And when I took my final bow — tears streaming down my face — the audience went wild, and I received my first standing ovation…

I remember it all.

Because when I stepped onto that stage for the first time — to present my book, to deliver my first major keynote, to reveal a side of myself that had been waiting 48 years to be seen, heard, and understood…

Everything shifted.

Absolutely everything.

My mindset… | My business…
My industry… | My relationships…
Me.

I started speaking — and it all flowed. Effortlessly. As if I had been presenting like this for years.
The energy of where I was. Who I was presenting to. Why I was doing it.

But most importantly, Who I became in that moment…
The next version of myself — designed to listen, learn, influence, and impact with compassion, connection, congruence, and love.

And I know now – two years later – why the emotional floodgates opened and released earlier that day.

Why the heaviness of overwhelm and stress turned so quickly to light hearted understanding and peace.

It was because that day wasn’t just about launching a book.

It was about crossing a threshold.

It was about choosing courage over comfort.
Alignment over approval.
Truth over performance.

It was the moment I stopped hiding behind my fears of rejection and judgement, and told my story to the world, so others like me didn’t have to go through the same things that I did, with frustration, suffering, heartache, and pain.

And while my mindset is now in a place of service, intention, and evolution…
I have created a new business in the same industry …
My relationships and connections have deepened…
And my work has become more than a job. It is my life’s purpose…

The decision I made that day remains the same:

To show up, no matter what.
Stand on the stage.
Speak the truth.
And build the second half of my life from a place of congruent alignment —
with honesty, integrity, excellence… and love.

If you’re in the messy middle of something right now —
If you’re on your own metaphorical park bench —
Crying, questioning, wondering who you think you are…

Keep going.

The version of you who walks back into the house after your breakdown –
Is already stronger than the one who ran out.

If you’re curious about what intentional shifts towards stronger alignment could look like in your own life and leadership—I’d love to explore it with you.