Blog
Does a limp always mean what you think it means?
TL;DR: Not even close. I once watched a police officer drag his foot across a sidewalk and felt an instant kinship, so I stopped him to say his limp gave me courage. He turned to me with the kindest eyes and explained he'd just stepped in dog poop and was trying to...
Why did a client ask me to carry my backpack on stage?
TL;DR Because he saw something I hadn't. On March 22, 2018, Richard Menneg booked me as the youngest speaker ever to keynote the ATI Super Conference. He asked me to bring my heavy backpack on stage. I thought it was just my bag. But he was showing the room what I...
Is it worth emailing a stranger who doesn’t know you?
TL;DR: Yes, and the odds are better than they feel. On August 8, 2019, I found the most senior person at Burton I could and emailed them cold. Five days later, on August 13, a real reply came back. Asking cost me almost nothing. Asking for help has always been hard...
Should a leader show up for the thing they doubted?
TL;DR: Yes, and the way this CEO did it stuck with me. On May 10, 2018, I spoke at Atrius Health's nursing conference in Boston. The event planner wanted me. The CEO wasn't sure I was the right fit. She booked me anyway, and he sat in the back for every single minute....
What happens when you fall in front of everyone?
TL;DR: You get up, and it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened. On August 3, 2024, in Aurora, Colorado, I walked on stage to receive my CSP in front of 2,000 speakers. I cleared the three stairs I'd been dreading. Then I took one step forward and...
How do you start over when your body won’t move?
TL;DR:You decide to fight, and you let the people around you carry the belief until you can. At fifteen, paralyzed after a stroke, I arrived at the Shepherd Center at six in the evening and stared at a sunset thinking I'd never get better. I was completely wrong, and...
What do you do when everyone around you is winning and you’re not?
TL;DR You look at what you're actually selling. In college I tried to be a speaker and failed for years. No bookings, no agency, no idea. The fix wasn't hustling harder. It was learning that the job was never about me. I was leading with my story instead of what the...
Why did my nurses protect the one thing I was scared to lose?
TL;DR Because they listened. Before my second brain surgery at fifteen, my doctors asked what scared me most. Losing my hair, I said. Months later I woke up from surgery and it was still there. I found out years afterward that my nurses had remembered, and made sure...
When Patients Feel Heard, Healthcare Changes
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned through my experiences as a patient is surprisingly simple. People want to be heard. Not managed.Not processed.Not rushed through a system that feels bigger than they are. Heard. Healthcare environments are incredibly...
The Girl in the Rocking Chair
Over the years, I've had the privilege of speaking to audiences of all kinds, but the youth market always holds a special place in my heart. This week, as I prepare to speak at YADAPP I found myself thinking about the moment that changed the way I see myself forever....
The Skill Patients Notice Most Isn’t Medical Expertise — It’s Listening
When people talk about excellent healthcare, the conversation usually centers on expertise. We admire physicians who can diagnose complex illnesses, surgeons who perform delicate procedures, and therapists who help patients regain strength and mobility. These...
When Someone Actually Listens: Why That Moment Stays With Patients
There are moments in healthcare that stay with patients long after the appointments, tests, and treatment plans fade from memory. You might assume those moments involve dramatic diagnoses or breakthrough medical interventions. Sometimes they do. But more often, what...
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