And to the current you who's ready to find your voice
To the little girl me who sang and played piano in front of church for years without being able to say her name: I see you. I'm proud of you for being so introverted and still willing to share your talents, even when you were terrified.
To 27-year-old me who got up at church to give a talk about tithing: thank you for pushing through the anxiety and reading from your scribbled notes on a piece of paper. I remember you were shaking violently inside and couldn't look at the congregation. You knew every single person in those pews, yet you knew you'd seize up if you saw their eyes. When you finished, you looked at your shoes and walked back to your seat. I'm so grateful you did that. I know how hard it was to share your heart.
To 28-year-old me who was asked to speak at a credit union about branding: thank you for saying yes. And thank you for hiring that speaker coach to help you make sure you rocked it. Best decision ever. I know she was worried because she'd heard your tithing talk at church—but you blew her away when you proved you knew what you were doing.
To 29-year-old me who started Twitter meetups AKA #DCTweetup and became the go-to resource for networking, hosting 100 events in five years while running a busy agency: you found your thing.
To 32-year-old me who drove 7,000 miles in three weeks on the Live Your Brand Tour before your stories were picked up by Entrepreneur magazine: I know you were exhausted and unsure of the future. I'm so proud of you for making the most of that trip.
To 36-year-old me who spoke in Times Square with your mother in the front row and picked up more speaking gigs in one hour than in your whole career before that: that talk changed the trajectory of your life.
To 36-year-old me who went to Bali on a whim, came home, and quit the agency you'd built for eight years: you're a badass. Then you put yourself out there at a summer camp for entrepreneurs and met the love of your life. What a gift to finally give yourself the love you needed—and to put yourself in a place where he would be.
To 37-year-old me who recorded an entire speaking course in two days after a full-blown anxiety attack, then moved across the country days later: I still can't believe you did that.
To 40-year-old me who was burnt out and finally hired a coach to get out of the hustle: thank you for being willing to look at your shadows. That's when you saw how you'd been holding yourself back.
To 41-year-old me who cured her soul-crushing anxiety: can you imagine still living that way? Locked up and scared, yet doing it anyway? I'm so proud of you for seeing the truth and pushing that 800-pound monster off of you. How much lighter it feels to breathe these days.
To 44-year-old me who realized she was burning out again supporting everyone but herself: thank you for seeing the truth and putting up boundaries, even with the love of your life. He was grateful. So was everyone else.
To current me, 45 years old: I see you finally sitting in your gifts. You're a muse to exiting founders finding their second mountain. A support to those ready to be unmuted. A trainer of humans who have something big to say and are ready to take it to the stage.
The reason you're good at this isn't the books you've read or the podcasts you listen to. It's because you're embodied. You've been there. You've suffered through it. And you want to make it easier for those who are ready to share their own gifts with the people who need them.
Thank you for listening to yourself, even when you took the hard road. Even when you had to walk through fire over and over. At least now you have a map—still smoldering—to help others through those same challenges a little easier than you had it.
Now to the current YOU who is on a path to stepping into your voice, your brand, and your power: where are you going, and what kind of support are you searching for?
After eight years of online course launches and in-person retreats, I've launched our newly rewritten and updated SPEAK With Confidence 90-Day Collective. It starts Tuesday, February 18, 2026.
Some of the most brilliant speakers are already joining us to level up alongside a brand strategist who uses Gene Keys, a performance artist and comedienne, and a voice coach who will blow your mind. This isn't just a course—it's an experience. By the end of 90 days, I want you to be able to deliver your entire talk from your practice and intuition.
And if that's not what you need or want right now, send me a note and tell me who or what you're looking for. As I've done for the last 25 years, I can introduce you to the right person. I just need you to ask.
xoxo
Melanie