I still remember sitting in the audience at my very first convention in 2017.
I wasn’t on stage yet. I was a dreamer. I was watching speakers I admired absolutely rock the room, wondering what it would feel like to one day stand where they stood. I didn’t know how it would happen. I didn’t know when. I just knew I had a message inside me.
Fast forward to today, and I get the honor of standing on that stage—sharing not just a story, but a responsibility. A responsibility to remind people why their voice matters.
Every single one of us who chooses the path of speaking, coaching, or leading has had to overcome something to be here. None of us arrived without a story. None of us got here without resistance.
As we head into a new chapter—can you believe we’re moving toward 2026 already?—I invite you to pause and reflect on the journey that brought you here. Think about what you had to push through. What you had to survive. What you had to unlearn.
Because while we may sit side by side at conferences, events, or workshops, the truth is—we often don’t know what the person next to us had to overcome just to be in the room.
My Story Starts at Home
I’m the eldest in my family. I have three younger siblings, and I was raised by a single mom who did the very best she could with the resources she had—which, to be honest, were limited.
I come from Sweetgrass First Nation in Saskatchewan. I often say I’m just a kid from the rez. That’s home. That’s where my foundation was built.
Growing up, I learned how to live in two worlds.
One world was rooted in Indigenous teachings, ceremony, and community. The other was the mainstream world—business, entrepreneurship, networking, and stages like the one I stand on today. Bridging those worlds hasn’t always been easy, but it’s shaped everything I bring into my work.
Learning to Adapt Without Losing Yourself
Where I come from, there are teachings about respect—like not making direct eye contact with elders. That’s honour. That’s humility.
So when I first stepped into the entrepreneurial world and found myself at networking events, shaking hands and making eye contact with strangers, it was uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. My instincts were telling me to look away. My body was resisting.
But growth often lives in discomfort.
I didn’t abandon who I was—I adapted. And that’s something I believe we are all being asked to do right now. As speakers. As leaders. As humans.
Life is constantly shifting. Markets change. Audiences change. The world changes. And yet, the need for real voices—authentic voices—has never been greater.
We Are Needed Now More Than Ever
Right now, whether we want to admit it or not, there’s division in the world. Imaginary walls have been built between people—between cultures, opinions, identities, and experiences.
And that’s where we come in.
As communicators, storytellers, coaches, and leaders, it’s our responsibility to speak with intention. To use our platforms to unite rather than divide. To remind people of our shared humanity.
Your story matters. Not because it’s perfect—but because it’s real.
Someone out there needs to hear what you’ve lived through. Someone is waiting for your voice to give them permission to keep going.
I was once the dreamer in the audience. Now I stand on the stage, not because I had all the answers—but because I chose to honor my journey and share it anyway.
And so can you.
hiy hiy
