I’ve been speaking professionally since 2010.
That means I’ve stood in front of audiences for almost 17 years, talking about everything from communication and marketing to leadership, employer branding, visibility, AI, recruitment, and, yes, at one point, Excel spreadsheets.
But it’s good, I know my way around a spreadsheet. I have them for everything! When I recently reviewed my spreadsheet containing more than 300 speaking engagements, I noticed something important:
My career didn’t just grow. It evolved.
And honestly, that evolution explains exactly why organizations hire me today.
The Early Years Built The Foundation
Like many speakers, I started by saying yes to opportunities that helped me build experience.
I taught:
- software training
- business writing
- social media
- communication
- presentation skills
- workplace dynamics
- leadership development
Those early years taught me how to:
- read a room
- keep audiences engaged (if you can make Excel fun, you can teach anything!)
- simplify complicated ideas
- adapt quickly when technology fails
- deliver practical value people can actually use
That foundation still shapes every keynote and workshop I deliver today.
Because audiences don’t just want inspiration. They want clarity, relevance, and useful insight delivered by someone who understands how real organizations operate.
Visibility Became The Common Thread
Over time, the conversations shifted. I shifted my focus. I didn’t just want to speak. I wanted to speak about the right topics for me.
Organizations stopped asking only for tactical training. They started asking bigger questions about:
- reputation
- visibility
- employer branding
- leadership communication
- thought leadership
- recruitment marketing
- trust during growth and change
That shift mirrors the work I do today as a fractional CMO and brand strategist, particularly with manufacturers and B2B organizations navigating growth, mergers, acquisitions, and rebrands.
Looking back, I realized most of my strongest presentations revolved around one core issue:
Visibility.
How do companies become more trusted?
How do leaders become more influential?
How do organizations communicate clearly enough to attract the right customers, employees, and opportunities?
That is the thread connecting nearly all of my work today.
Storytelling Changed My Speaking
In 2024 and again in 2026, I was named a finalist in the National Speakers Association Wisconsin Chapter’s Last Story Standing competition.
That experience sharpened a different side of my speaking.
Strategy matters. Research matters. Practical takeaways matter.
But people remember stories.
The strongest presentations are not just informative. They are memorable. They help audiences see themselves, their challenges, and their opportunities differently.
That combination creates impact long after the event ends.
Professional Speaking Is Professional Development
I joined the National Speakers Association Wisconsin Chapter in 2023 because I believe speaking is a craft worth continuously refining.
Strong speaking is not simply confidence on a stage.
It is:
- preparation
- positioning
- audience awareness
- timing
- message clarity
- story structure
- adaptability
Every audience teaches you something if you are paying attention.
And after 300 speaking engagements, I can confidently say this:
The goal is no longer speaking in more rooms.
It is speaking in the right rooms.
Today, my focus is helping leaders, organizations, and audiences think more strategically about visibility, reputation, communication, and growth — especially during periods of change.
Because the right speaker should do more than fill a time slot.
They should create conversations that people are still thinking about long after the conference ends.
If you are planning a conference, leadership event, association meeting, or business summit and want a speaker who blends strategic insight with practical takeaways and memorable storytelling, contact me.
