Monday, March 17, 2014. It was just two weeks after I had begun my healing journey back from postpartum depression. While going on hormone replacement therapy a week earlier had enabled me to feel like I was close to being 100 percent back to me, the horrors of what I had felt, thought, and projected into the future were still too close to concede everything that had transpired over the last two months since my daughter’s birth was over.
On the aforementioned Monday, my mom had begged me to watch the premier of our favorite show, Dancing with the Stars. And I did. After putting my little cherub to bed, I curled up on my couch, drank some chamomile tea, and watched “the stars” parade across my TV with their pro partners. Having been separated from my TV and commercials so far in 2014, I was surprised to see sports host Erin Andrews co-hosting the show instead of her predecessor, Brooke Burke-Charvet. As she spoke, regal, charismatic, and witty in a form-fitting red dress, I declared, “God, if you truly let me come back from this depression, I promise to make big impact in this world. I’ll get back on stages, share my story, and help other women and men build movements with their message. I’ll give my all to guiding my daughter and nurturing her possibility. Oh, and one day I’ll dance on the stage of Dancing with the Stars.” You know, one for me—the rest for God.
Fast forward to October 6, 2014. I’m less than a month out from the opening weekend of my second Influencer Academy. Less than a month out from the pre-launch of my Your Spotlight Talk program. My daughter is thriving. I’m sharing my time and resources with organizations empowering girls and women. And…I’m dancing on the stage of Dancing with the Stars.
My aunt, Elaine Giftos Wright, has a lot of celebrity feng shui clients including two of the cast members of Real Housewives of Orange County—which she appeared on this season. One of the producers of RHOC is also a producer on DWTS, and long story made a wee bit shorter, she was able to secure VIP tickets for my mom, herself, and me. And one of the perks of being an audience member is getting to dance on the stage with other audience members pre-show. While cell phones are banned from the audience, somebody sitting near us snuck theirs in and was generous enough to take a picture of my family.
When Erin Andrews made her opening remarks with co-host Tom Bergeron, it was one of the most climactic moments of my life. Approximately seven months after one of the most difficult, “come to Jesus” moments of my life, I had created a new story and was starring in it.
Whether I’ve been hanging out in your inbox for years or even for just a few weeks, you know I’m all about the story. The story you create moment to moment in your head. The stories you share on stage. And the stories you communicate in your business.
I’ve intentionally chosen to surround myself with masterful storytellers—as friends, colleagues, and mentors—because we all know that our inner circle has a profound influence on our identity and our work in the world. There’s no doubt that I’m able to narrate the stories I do because I live my life in community with women and men who consistently choose to see opportunities rather than obstacles.
I’m often asked who I recommend for a variety of business services, so I’m thrilled to introduce you to five women who use their gifts of story to serve in the world.
First, while I love putting fingers to a keyboard, even strong writers need writing wingwomen and wingmen. Mine is Stefanie Frank. I had the privilege of working with Stef both in my Influencer Academy and Step Into Your Moxie Mastery. And at the culmination of both programs, I realized how much she could help me scale my business by taking on so much of the writing and editing I was afraid to let go of. Plus, she knew my voice better than anyone after seeing it in action over a year—and sometimes, I think she even knows it more than me!
Whether you love writing like I do and just need to outsource, or you recognize writing is not one of your zones of genius and it’s time to delegate it to someone who’s masterful at it, the right copywriter can give your words the wow they need to drive the results you seek.
Another copywriting genius in my life is Nikki Groom. I’ve recently had the privilege of supporting Nikki to birth her spotlight talk. Through this process, I’ve been SO impressed by Nikki’s ability to ask stellar questions that unearth the raw material she needs to tell her clients’ stories. She also is unparalleled in her ability to create an About page or engaging professional bio.
Stories, of course, are not only told through our words. They are also told through our style. And in our digital world, that means our online presence—from our social media profiles to our websites to our blogs to the way we interact in chats—all of it communicates who we are and what we stand for.
I’ve been blessed to have a lot of web design geniuses in my life since hanging up my own shingle in 2007. Currently, I have someone permanently on my team overseeing all design, Marcie Braden. Working with Marcie I’ve learned how important it is to surround yourself with smart and talented people, (I can’t wait to share with you the gorgeous sites, membership areas, and forthcoming products Marcie has created), who also will tell you when you’re wrong. Marcie tells me this weekly, sometimes daily. And my business is so much stronger for it.
Another web designer who has always exceeded my expectations is Stephenie Zamora. While Steph stepped away from design for a spell to focus on developing her coaching business that enables people to unearth their passions and create thriving businesses around them, she has recently launched her Jumpstart Package which allows entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries to create a beautifully branded personal or professional online presence at a terrific price point. Check it out!
And finally, because I believe branding is just so important, I want to introduce you to Suzi Istvan. Suzi and I are both in a high-level mastermind program together, and Suzi is the bee’s knees when it comes not only to web design but also using design to launch programs and services. Suzi works with her clients in a variety of ways, but the one I’m most excited to share (as I’ll be doing it!) is her Marvelous Brand Mentorship. This November Suzi will convene an exclusive community of creative, forward-thinking entrepreneurs to support us in integrating strategy with authenticity as we create our next sell-out offer.
While it’s always a pleasure to share with you my experiences and recommendations, what matters most to me is that you are able to integrate my musings into your own life.
What are you able to glean from my story? Where are you strong—and what are you declaring you will narrate differently? Who will you invite into the process?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the blog comments.
And keep your eyes peeled for a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG announcement when I’m back in your inbox on October 30. Truly, it’s going to be a game changer—for me and you.
