At seven years old, I was in the backyard playing Brady Bunch with my friends. When they left for the pool, I stayed behind in the garage, lost in the story, fully myself, alive in imagination.
That’s when my mom opened the garage door.
The light poured in like a spotlight.
She could have said, “What are you doing? Stop that.” That’s what much of the world would say later in high school and my twenties: Don’t be too much. Don’t be too emotional. Don’t take up too much space.
But instead of shutting me down, my mom took me to an acting class.
That moment — that first “spotlight” — became the seed of everything I do today.
From Masks to Aliveness
Years later, I was living what I call a “split life.”
By day: an executive assistant in Silicon Valley, masked up, polished, professional.
By night: an actor, free to channel raw emotion and creative fire on stage.
I knew the “good girl” mask I wore by day wasn’t the whole truth of me. The tension built until one day, after a show, someone asked me to fax something. A voice inside screamed:
“Don’t you know I’m meant for greater things?”
That was my wake-up call.
And soon after, in an acting class, my teacher cut through my armor. “Whatever you’re doing, stop doing it,” he told me. Then:
“Part of you knows you’re meant to be seen.”
Something melted. I allowed myself to be seen, trembling, raw, alive. And in that moment, I also saw my classmates more clearly than ever before.
That breakthrough showed me the truth: speaking isn’t about performance — it’s about presence.
What Leaders Can Learn From the Stage
Here are three lessons from that journey that apply far beyond the theater:
1. Notice the masks you’re wearing.
We all have them — “I’m fine,” “I’m in control,” “I know what I’m doing.” They may have helped us survive, but they can also keep us small. The first step is simply noticing: What mask am I wearing right now?
2. Allow yourself to be seen.
Being seen isn’t about chasing likes. It’s about dropping the armor enough for others to feel your aliveness.
3. Presence is more powerful than perfection.
Your people don’t need you to “perform.” They need you to connect. To be real. To let your voice and energy shift the room. That’s what inspires trust, loyalty, and transformation.
The Heart of It All
When we allow ourselves to truly be seen — and we share ourselves and receive others — our one-in-eight-billion radiance shines through, giving others permission to do the same.
Your presence is your power.
Over to You
Think back to your own “first spotlight” moment — a time when you felt alive, unmasked, and fully yourself.
What might change if you brought more of that version of you into your leadership and speaking today?
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