A client of mine recently almost passed up the opportunity of a lifetime.

This person is a senior executive in one of today's most prominent organizations. She was sought out to be a keynote speaker and share her story of how she accomplished her success (encompassing her experiences in business and personal life lessons). She would be speaking to over 800 people and the event was being televised.

Initially, she wanted to pass on this opportunity because she had no idea how to craft a 35 minute keynote speech given her lack of experience with this genre and her demanding schedule. She also admitted to being terrified of this type of event and exposure.

I implored her to reconsider and accept the invitation anyway. I promised to help craft the speech with her and a speech writer and give her the tools she needed to translate her experience authentically and powerfully.

Skeptically she agreed.

Not only did she shine on the day of event but the national exposure boosted her professional profile inside and outside her organization. The conference cited her speech as one of the most successful in their history. Most importantly, she now has the confidence to present herself in any situation.

- Ivy Naistadt