I once froze in the boardroom—now I teach women to command it.
From Hesitant to Heard
My journey began with one simple lesson from my dad: just ask. At six years old, I learned the power of asking when I negotiated my first flea market purchase. That was my first taste of confidence.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped fully trusting myself. I spoke with confidence in most settings, yet in certain moments with those in power, I found myself holding back. My defining moment came in a boardroom when I froze before my presentation even began. My boss shut down the meeting, pulled me aside and said, “You didn’t trust your gut.” I was mortified—but that moment motivated me to reclaim my voice.
The Shift to Unshakeable
From that day forward, I committed to transforming self-doubt into confidence—first in myself, and then for others. Over the last two decades, I’ve led global teams, trained executives, and delivered workshops for some of the world’s biggest brands. Along the way, I discovered that when women learn to speak with conviction, they don’t just change their careers—they change their lives.
“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
My Mission
I’m on a mission to eliminate self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them communication strategies to step into their confidence, lead with influence and advance their careers. This will be celebrated on the Chase Center Stage in San Francisco in 2030, and you’re invited! Through keynote speaking, corporate training, and my high-impact leadership lab (The Power House), I provide the tools and strategies to:
Communicate with clarity and confidence
Command rooms and influence stakeholders
Ask boldly for what they want and deserve
My Background
I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis with six older brothers and a dream to live in San Francisco. After graduating with a Psychology degree from Lafayette College and four years traveling the globe in Up With People, a program that taught me more about leadership and human connection than any classroom ever could, I fulfilled that dream. Later, I invested 10 years in The Townsend Leadership Program, deepening my skills in guiding others through growth and transformation.
I’ve run a Spartan race, chipped away at the Berlin wall shortly after it came down, and to fulfill another big dream, I rented an apartment in Manhattan for an entire month to celebrate my 50th birthday.
For 25 years, I’ve served as a trusted C-Suite advisor and keynote speaker, delivering talks and trainings for companies like Google, Starbucks, and NASA.
I’m also the author of Trust Your Own Voice and the host of
the Ignite Your Confidence podcast, where I share practical strategies to help women speak up, lead boldly, and claim
their seat at the table.
At the heart of it all, my style is fun, bold, encouraging and results-oriented. I love cutting out the fluff to get to what really matters: equipping women to step into their voice, own their power, and change their lives.