A Letter to the Ones Ready to be Heard.

In a world inundated with filtered realities and manicured personas, the act of showing up as your authentic self is foundational to your personal and professional growth. I’m writing this month’s article from the National Conference for Compugen Inc . This was my first opportunity to attend in person, and I had several presentations and conversations to prepare for. With plenty of lead time, outlines built, and mental planning, I might have been the last to finalize my presentations and send in all my slides. (I owe you one Michelle Cloke Neufeld !)

Today, the ability to articulate your ideas clearly is a professional expectation—it’s a fundamental necessity to grow in departments, among teams, and rise as leaders. The art of conveying your thoughts, leading discussions, and engaging with audiences of any size can open doors to opportunities you might miss or be passed over for. It’s about establishing authority in your field, influencing others, and driving change, especially when the topic is something you believe in and the audience may not fully understand. Whether you're presenting a groundbreaking idea, leading a workshop, or simply sharing insights in a meeting, each moment you have to contribute to or lead the conversation is an opportunity to shape perceptions, inspire action, and assert your role as a leader in your domain.

Leading from the Front: Speaker Notes

When asked for tips to be better, show up stronger, and own your expertise, here’s what has helped me embrace the moments and grow:

1. Hone Your Craft: Practice shapes the speaker. Speaking frequently, seeking feedback, and embracing every opportunity to articulate your thoughts aloud isn't just preparation—it's an act of self-revelation. One of the activities I was asked to do at my first job was complete a public speaking program called Toastmasters International . It was a series of sessions with a facilitator and about 10 other employees. I joined the meeting and was immediately greeted with, “Welcome, you’re up!” I was given a topic (ice cream), and I had to talk for exactly five minutes. They counted as a group (out loud) every ‘um, and so that I said, and I finished my monologue in just over three minutes. Clearly, I had some work to do! Fast forward 18 years, and I think this is still one of the most rewarding and impactful experiences I have had. (Thanks Michael Kirmse, MBA, CPSM , I get it now.)
2. Own Your Approach: Test out what feels right to you to continue refining your delivery style, ensuring you are comfortable with the topic and how you present it. Some people kick off with a video, some use a definition, while others use a joke to capture the audience’s attention. I’ve used all of these, by the way. Once I feel like I have made a connection with the audience and see some heads nodding, I can jump into the topic with passion, excitement, and purpose. The way you show up is about becoming so intertwined with your story that your presence in the room becomes irreplaceable and your impact lasting. When your purpose is discovered, your passion is felt.
3. Show Up + Forge On: The notion that you can only control what you can control is especially important in this context. How many times have you been in the middle of a thought, and someone’s not on mute but thought they were? Or the Microphone is not on, the back door in the breakout slams, or someone spills their water on the table, and you’ve suddenly lost your entire train of thought? This is life. Life is unpredictable. Confidence comes from being okay with the silence and the awkwardness. Give yourself that moment to refocus, bring the group back to the task, or simply just remember what you meant to say.Enter: Mom Brain. (It’s a real thing, trust me.) I can’t tell you how many times over the course of seven presentations last week, my Mom Brain snuck in. The words were... Just. Not. There. Poof! Gone from my mind. I have learned to prepare for the unexpected and cut myself some slack. There's a profound beauty in the imperfection of the moment. The meticulously prepared speech that goes awry, the forgotten lines, the unexpected stumbles—these are not failures but opportunities to showcase resilience and adaptability. Remember: the only person who knows what the cue cards say is you.
4. Ask for Help + Get Clarity: There is nothing worse than a looming deadline, with hours of mental space dedicated to your topic, only to feel in your deepest depths that it’s not quite right. The journey to the podium is rarely a solitary one. Seeking input, asking for clarity, and being willing to revise or discard versions of your presentation are all part of the process. This iterative process, grounded in humility and openness, ensures that when you do speak, you command the room and give it your all. Over time, I’ve taken an idea and made it into an entire 4-hour workshop. I’ll attribute some of this to my more-than-three-minute-off-the-cuff soliloquy on ice cream. I can also attribute this to being comfortable with the unknown and recognizing that I don’t need to have all the answers. Test yourself, ask for feedback, and course correct. Open up for questions during the presentation and check for time; come up with words and phrases that keep you on track. Know when to raise your hand and when to fake it until you make it because you will.
5. Champion Yourself: The moment before you step into the spotlight is crucial. When that shoe is too tight, that tag itches or your head’s pounding from the night before… that’s “a you” problem. Nobody cares that you got food poisoning the night before you met your new client in person and threw up all the way to the workshop (it happened). People are promoting you, buying from you, and giving you the floor—so you need to show up and perform. Nobody cares about your personal struggles or your woe-is-me story. When you have the floor, you take it. You rise to the occasion, block the noise, and you make it happen. I now tell myself before moments of uncertainty and anxiety: “You are ready, you deserve this, and you’ve got this.” Try it next time. You’ll bring the energy you need, and you’ll never look back. 

Now, I don’t prescribe to have all the answers. My hand still shakes, waiting in the wings. I often can’t eat while I am waiting for my turn in big moments. I’m only human, after all. But I will leave you with this: It doesn’t matter how great you look, how empowered you feel, or how ready you are. If you don’t take the stage representing the person you are— nothing else matters. People learn, adapt, buy, and partner with people, not companies, genders, or titles. Connections are made and ovations are given when people believe in you first. So, take the chance, get the help, and show up. It's the vulnerable, brave act of showing up—not as who you think you should be, but as who you truly are. Own your space in authenticity, where real connections are forged, and lasting impacts are made.