Why I'm Creating In Her Words

Why I’m Creating In Her Words

On November 8, I’ll be standing in a circle of women at 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth, Maine, listening to stories. Not stories from books or movies, but the living, breathing stories of real women.

I’ve Been Asked More Than Once: Why This Conference? Why Now?

Here’s my answer.

For the past 25 years, I’ve walked alongside women as a consultant, coach, and guide. I’ve seen brilliant, capable leaders hesitate to speak. I’ve watched women hold back—not because they lacked wisdom, but because an old, internal voice whispered, “Don’t risk it. Don’t make waves.”

Those voices are what I call the Threshold Guardians on the Heroine’s Journey. They keep us safe, but they also keep us silent.

And yet, every time a woman steps beyond her comfort zone and speaks her truth, the air shifts. Something powerful is released. She claims her story, and in doing so, she invites others to do the same.

Confidence.

I remember leading an auditorium full of teachers through a planning process. During a break, one woman came up to me and said, “Someday I hope to be as confident as you are.” I was stunned. Confident? That wasn’t how I saw myself at all. What she reflected back to me was ahead of where my own self-perception was. As my teacher Gail Larsen calls it, I was experiencing “jet lag”—my growth had outpaced my self-image.

Later, in a workshop, I saw the same truth appear in a different way. I often ask women to do Barbara Sher’s crayon exercise: choose a crayon, then write as if you are that crayon, giving voice to its essence.

Ruth chose purple. She wrote in regal tones: “I am the color of royalty. I am the majesty of mountains. I adorn the garments of queens.” And indeed, Ruth carried herself like royalty—straight, proud, her head held high. She even wore golden sandals that day. But when I told her that what she had written was really about her, not the crayon, she shook her head. If she had chosen a crayon to represent herself, she admitted, it would have been gray or beige.

Why Is It So Hard For Us To See Our Own Brilliance?

I believe it’s because we’re not affirmed in that way often enough. Instead, we absorb the messages of the Threshold Guardians—the voices of parents, teachers, classmates: You’re too old. You need a job that pays. Passion won’t sustain you. Don’t follow your heart—follow the money. Slowly, the glowing ember we are born with can flicker, even sputter out.

This conference is about reigniting that ember. It’s about women seeing themselves not as beige or gray, but as gold and purple and orange and magenta—their true colors.

That Is What In Her Words Is About.

It’s not a performance. It’s not about polished speeches. It’s about practicing the art of using our voices in a safe space. It’s about rewarding courage—not with applause alone, but with recognition that every story matters.

Because When Women Tell Their Stories, They Change The Story.

So on November 8, we will gather to practice, to listen, to encourage, and to celebrate. We will remind each other that the Heroine’s Journey is not a solitary path. It’s a shared adventure—and our voices are the bridges between us.

I hope you’ll hold the date with us. Most of all, I hope you’ll remember this: your story is not just yours. It’s a gift. And when you share it, you help all of us grow braver.

👉 If this speaks to you, I invite you to learn more about the In Her Words Storytelling Conference here.

And if you’d like to go a step further, you can help make this gathering possible by becoming a sponsor. Your support ensures that every woman in the room feels seen, heard, and celebrated. Sponsorship not only strengthens the conference—it’s also a way to show your commitment to women’s voices, stories, and journeys.

✨ Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.