Hey, there, Reader,

In college, I nannied for a family with a 4-year-old named Jacob. I'd gone home for a few weeks between semesters and was thrilled to be reunited with my kiddos. So I asked Jacob, Did you miss me?

And he responded with little boy honesty, I would have. But I forgot all about you!

As you may have noticed, it's been a minute. I last emailed before I left for Tanzania and the slopes of Kilimanjaro. And since then, the summer's been a whirlwind of busy. It feels like I've been booked from the minute I got un-jetlagged.

But more importantly, I've been processing what I learned on the hike up Kilimanjaro. And I've been poking around at a few new bubbles of ideas and possibilities I'm excited to share with you, too.

All that to say, I hope you didn't accidentally forget about me. 😀 Because I haven't stopped thinking about you.

And I couldn't be more excited to share one of the big insights I found on the mountain.

Four weeks ago, I stood on Uhuru Peak—the tallest peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kili is the tallest mountain in Africa, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world and the 4th tallest overall at 19,341 feet.

To be clear: I’m not a hiker. Or a mountain climber. Or a sleep outside and no shower-er.

But I jumped at the chance to do something remarkable.

What gave me the confidence to attempt such a challenging, unknowable, out-of-character thing?

I know I can do hard things.

Confidence is a game-changer, but it can be elusive. Especially for women.
And it matters.

I recently completed an eCornell certificate in Executive Presence for Women Leaders. Studies have shown that authenticity and confidence are the greatest drivers of gravitas—carrying oneself in a manner that inspires respect and trust.

I work primarily with professional women. Accomplished, experienced, incredible women. The biggest gap I see?
​A lack of confidence

It’s like we’re waiting to be pushed, dragged, or blackmailed into stepping up and letting our awesome shine.
Lacking the confidence with the power to speak louder than fear.

In coaching, training and speaking, I share several drivers of confidence I’ve found along the way. Things like: clarity, commitment and community.

But my Kilimanjaro experience solidified the no-fail confidence-building recipe I’m excited to share with you today.

Climbing Kilimanjaro isn’t technical. Beyond a reasonable level of physical fitness, you don’t need special training or equipment. The greatest challenge is physical and mental endurance layered with the unknown of your body’s unique response to altitude.

It requires a willingness to do hard things. And keep at it longer than you want to.

Going into the trip, I had a secret weapon. I knew I could do hard things.

As you may know, my husband Scott is paraplegic. Two years ago, he needed a routine outpatient surgery he’d had a few times before. But this time was different. This time, he got an infection that required another surgery and left an open wound that required twice-daily dressing and additional medical-ish treatments and procedures.

I was called into home healthcare active duty for 74 days as Scott healed from the surgery.
To be clear: I’m not a nurse. I’m not a natural caregiver. I would never have voluntarily raised my hand for what was required.

But I did it, and honestly, I rocked it. I jumped into the deep end and got as good at wound care, bed baths, and all the rest as I could because that’s how I roll.

It's how you roll, too.

I know this: You’re stronger than you think. You’re far more capable, powerful and resilient than you know.

Countless times during the 6-day trek on Kilimanjaro, I reminded myself that I can do hard things. Without fail, my little home health journey came to mind.

As a result, I said ‘yes’ to the next step. 43 miles of them. From the base at 5500 feet to the peak at 19,341 feet. Yes, yes and yes again.

My experience illustrates the best confidence-building formula I’ve ever found.

First, you have to step out of your comfort zone. I know you’ve lived long enough to know all the best opportunities and possibilities require stepping out.

Even the smallest steps count. And they add up.

On summit night when we left basecamp at midnight to begin the 8-hour trek to the crater rim and around to Uhuru Peak, our footsteps were literally one tiny step in front of the other. Imagine placing one foot directly forward of the other. That’s how slowly we walked. Pole, pole is the Kili way. (Slowly, slowly in Swahili)

Those slow, steady, tiny steps took me to the summit.

Big steps can be scary. They feel risky and uncertain. So take small ones. They’ll get you where you’re going.

Next, pay attention and own your successes. There’s a time and place to be humble. But you and I both know incredible women who are far too quick to credit their wins to others. Or dismiss them as luck.

Stop it.

Watch for wins. Own them. Remember them. Store them up.

Finally, use those wins as fuel for your next step.

Your success record provides evidence when you need to remind yourself that you can do hard things.

Every step out of your comfort zone fires your natural threat detection system. Your brain works overtime to keep you safe. It pulls the fire alarm every time you think about doing something unknown or risky. That’s its job.

You counter the fear with faith—faith in yourself based on solid evidence, confidence in your abilities based on the successful steps you’ve taken so far, and the hard things you’ve done.

I learned so much on the Kilimanjaro trip. I’m still processing much of it.

Confirmation of this confidence-building upward spiral is one of the most compelling lessons.

I already know you’re amazing. Why? Because you’re here. Working to grow and develop into a more confident and effective communicator and leader.

I’m excited to see your confidence grow.
Because it matters in your ability to make the indelible impact you’re here to make.

And because of another lesson the mountain taught me:

You move your baseline when you discover a new level of strength and resilience. The floor of your confidence rises, and you can never go back.

You can only go forward—making a greater difference, doing more good, shining even brighter for yourself and everyone else who’s counting on you.

That’s exactly what I want for both of us.

I’ll leave you with this:

Uhuru means freedom in Swahili.

The greater your confidence, the greater your freedom.

Greater freedom leads to greater possibility, opportunity and impact.

You’re amazing, sister. Don’t let fear get in the way of letting your light shine. Confidence always bats last.

Always in your corner, ❤️

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

⭐️ Looking for an engaging, energetic, impactful speaker for your event?
⭐️ Ready to empower your leaders or team to communicate clearly and confidently?
⭐️ Not sure about your best next step to craft the message that grows your business and personal brand?
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Let's taco bout it! 🌮

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