The Power of Voice: How I use my VOICE to help others.

Hello, LinkedIn!? As an investor, founder and leader, I am a firm believer in using the POWER OF VOICE to overcome any personal and professional challenge, implement positive change and lead by example by sharing our story.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING

This past Fall, I had the honor of conducting my first TEDx talk on “Breaking Generational Patterns,” where I chose to be vulnerable and to share my personal journey on healing childhood trauma and past relationship hardships. Speaking publicly about a private issue that impacts your personal life versus giving general career advice is NOT an easy feat! But I was inspired by the wisdom and courage displayed by TED talk speakers like Adam Grant ?and fellow TEDx-ers like Mel Robbins, and their power and vulnerability motivated me to share my story. Full disclosure: I had to do the talk TWICE because I lost my place mid-talk. But the audience cheered me on, and several men came up to me at the end of my talk, letting me know how brave I was for being vulnerable… PUBLICLY!? It was an amazing and life-changing experience. I am grateful to TEDx Southlake for giving me the opportunity to take the stage.? The impetus for my talk was to share my personal journey in order to help others, a great reason to use THE POWER OF VOICE!?

SPEAKING & LEADING SINCE HIGH SCHOOL

Since high school, I have used the POWER OF VOICE in many different ways. As president of my high school, I took the stage to lead and implement change. I remember my campaign slogan, “Spark Your Spirit.” ?I saw a lack of school spirit in our school, and knew that stepping up to lead by UTILIZING MY VOICE to represent those who could not was my responsibility as a leader. As Varsity soccer captain, I became a voice on the field, and the underclassmen leaned on me to lead and direct VOCALLY on the field. Utilizing the POWER OF VOICE helped me gain confidence on and off the field, and my experience in sports played a big part later in my career. It’s why I advocate keeping young girls in sports and why I am on the board of Good Sports, a non-profit that provides sports equipment to children in underserved communities across the United States!?

CEO - BLAZIN BABES COMMUNITY

In addition to those early experiences of utilizing the POWER OF VOICE, I became the founder and CEO of Blazin Babes in 2014, and have been a VOICE FOR WOMEN and female founders ever since! This experience has been monumentous for me in pursuing my purpose in being a voice for women in entrepreneurship, venture capital, career transitions, and in supporting women who are in disadvantageous positions be it, personal or professional.? Apart from hundreds of Blazin Babes’ events where I took the stage, I utilized the POWER OF VOICE in 2017 when I took the stage again and spoke about how Blazin Babes used the power of community to support refugee women, families, and children where we raised $9,000 to help refugee children fleeing the perils of Syria.? You can check out the full video of our event here.?

VENTURE CAPITAL

Finally, I have UTILIZED THE POWER OF MY VOICE on my path to venture capital. As someone who steps up to the plate (or mic) when I see or experience injustice, especially with respect to women -? missed opportunities (financial or strategic) or an unequal playing field for women - I don’t hold back from UTILIZING THE POWER OF MY VOICE. Because I started from the bottom in transitioning into the venture capital industry as a scout and intern 4 years ago and have worked my way up in the industry, I have seen, witnessed and experienced firsthand the injustices often associated in venture capital. I have UTILIZED THE POWER OF MY VOICE to call out the elephants in the room, using my expertise and also building what is not available for women and female founders in this industry.? MY VOICE and experience is paving the way for women in this male-dominated industry.? My deep commitment to empowering female founders, investors and fund managers in venture capital has been captured in major podcasts such as, The Conscious Capitalist, Achiiv, and Nine2Five. I’ve spoken about the importance of community for women in business in publications like 1871 Chicago, and shared my passion and leadership on the importance of health and community in Fitness Magazine and Prevention Magazine.?

Speaking is an inherent gift for me; it is one of the most powerful ways I can support others, implement change, and lead. If you’d like to UTILIZE THE POWER OF YOUR VOICE and become an effective speaker, I have outlined 3 tips on how to make this happen. Check them out!

1). Be Vulnerable?

Vulnerability is difficult for many of us. Sometimes it may feel easier to just hold on to the difficult things, to hide them from the outside world, but true change can only happen when you shed light on your challenges. When you use your voice, something magical happens: what you were covering up begins to heal… and you come back even stronger. One of my favorite speakers, Inky Johnson, demonstrates this power perfectly in his moving and empowering speeches. By getting vulnerable about his own experiences, Inky became one of the most inspiring, affecting, and successful speakers in the world. But you don’t have to seekout stadiums to see vulnerability in action. Vulnerability can work in nearly all situations, from work conflicts, to healing deep personal wounds. Once you discover the power of vulnerability, you often want to share that power with others. I know I did.?

2) Tell the Truth

While a TEDx may inspire people to make changes in their life, it’s the speeches that reveal the truth that really move mountains. Using your voice this way requires risk on the part of the speaker, because 9 times out of 10, the speaker will need to uncover or address topics that most people would prefer to sweep under the rug. When I was 26 years old, I was working at Reebok International on a tech footwear customization project, reporting to Carl Yankwski, the CEO brought on to turn around the company. Hundreds of people were being laid off at the company at that time, and I remember a Town Hall meeting where Carl got on stage to address the layoffs and lay out a plan of action. I remember being stunned at how well he told the truth.? As a Truth-Teller, I always speak up and reveal the truth, especially when I know a cause or group of people near and dear to my heart are being taken advantage of. I’m not a fan of dancing around the truth, and when I talk about business, entrepreneurship, investing, or venture capital, I’m going to give it to you straight. I’m committed to using my voice to ensure that we all have the opportunity to learn.?

3) Give Back

When we approach using our VOICE with the focus on helping others, giving back or making positive change in the world, magic happens.? Many people tend to take the stage for clout, accolades, or with the goal of advancing their career, but this can end in disaster because it is approached with the wrong intention. When we focus on helping others and making a positive impact in the lives of people, there is a higher probability of success because our intentions are pure and the POWER OF OUR VOICE is amplified because it is coming from a good place: our soul.??

Speaking can be about educating, empowering and sharing.? It also can be about self expression and healing.? But what I love about the POWER OF VOICE is that it can be about uniting a community. In fact, it may be my favorite way to use my voice.

Feel free to learning more about my speaking engagements here and if you’re interested in having me speak at your organization, university, conference, or other event, email me at [email protected]. I’d love to inspire your audience and move mountains!

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