What happens when opportunity comes knocking, but you don't feel ready?
When I lost my voice just days before a major speaking gig, I called on fellow speaker and leadership coach Cherie Canning to step in. With less than 20 hours' notice, she said YES – and absolutely smashed it.
In this episode, we unpack what it takes to step up at short notice, trust your experience and back yourself when the butterflies kick in.
We also chat about the power of being visible, how speaking opportunities can open unexpected doors, and the role of coaching and community in growing your confidence and career.
Plus, Cherie shares her experience inside my Soul Speakers Advanced program and why investing in yourself can change what's possible.
Transcript
Hello. Welcome to That Voice Podcast. I'm a voice coach whose livelihood pretty much revolves around my voice. So the week before I headed off on my big Camino, I had a workshop, loads of clients, and a big speaking gig. So when the sickness took hold, I was coughing like crazy, my voice completely went. Not croaky. There was like no sound. And I hit it with everything I could, including steroids, which I hate taking, but I was hoping for a miracle, which ended up coming in another form. My voice did not come back, but the miracle was the gig worked out with Cherie Canning's diary. Like, it was unbelievable.
And so at less than 20 hours notice, Cherie Canning was able to step in for this speaking gig and she smashed it. So in this episode, we share how it all went down and how you can have the courage to say yes at short notice. Because believe me, you won't feel ready. Do we ever really feel ready for anything? But the opportunities that can come from this are huge. And a big part of the reason I reached out to Cherie is because I knew the quality of her content and her incredible delivery skills quite intimately because we've been working together for the last 12 months. Cherie is part of my Soul Speakers Advanced program. And I really talk about this program because the spots rarely come up. It includes unlimited one-on-ones, so I have to keep it small so I can actually be available. But I do have a couple of those spots at the moment available. So if you are interested, take a listen to what Cherie has to say about the program and then reach out for a chat. Okay. How to speak at short notice. Let's get into it.
Sally:
Cherie Canning, welcome to That Voice Podcast. I'm so excited to have this conversation with you in full voice.
Cherie:
Sally, it is a pleasure to be here with you. Thank you for having me.
Sally:
So let's share the story. Before I was about to go off on my big Camino, I had this speaking gig for a lunch event, and on Tuesday that week, after a full day workshop, my voice started to go. And not just like start to go, you know when you feel like it is, it's retreating and it might not come back. And by Wednesday morning, I couldn't make a sound. And I've never done this before, but I though, I'm not gonna be able to, to speak here. Like literally. Literally, I'm not gonna be able to speak. So I sent the message to say, "Can you step in?" Can you take us through like from your perspective, what it was like to receive that email in your inbox or that, that message? I think it was Instagram. Yeah.
Cherie:
Yeah. Oh, well, firstly, my heart broke for you. And the irony, like, you know, Voice Print, we're talking about using your voice and you've lost your voice. So firstly, my, I'm putting myself in your shoes going, "Oh, you've got to be kidding." You know, when you've been booked for something, you've been building up to it, you would have been practicing it for so long and I know you how dedicated you are. And then you're like, "Are you kidding me?" And there's nothing you can do. So first I felt like the compassion. And then I just went into logistics and looked at my calendar and it was, my calendar is not always that forgiving and not always that available, which is a wonderful thing, but also problematic. And I looked at it and went, "You're kidding." Like I'd actually only the week before had a client cancel and not reschedule it for a long, long time.
Cherie:
And I literally had this free day. And so when you said, "Are you available?" And you know when you go, "Oh, surely not. Like I haven't really got enough time," is like the first though. But then I went, "Well, am I even available?" And I looked at it and went, "I am." And I though, "Oh my gosh, here we go. Here we go. I'm in." And my, the butterflies were there. I was thinking, "What's this event? Who are they? Do I even have content? How long is it?" Like then I started getting into all the what if questions. But first was like, "Surely I'm not actually free. Yes, I am. Okay, this is meant to be." So actually deep down, I think it was alignment going, "This is actually meant for me. This moment is meant for me. It's unfortunately not meant for Sal, which I felt for, but I'm like, I'm ready. Okay. I'm ready!"
Sally:
Oh, I love it. And something that I would do differently again is I wouldn't leave it quite so late because I woke up on the day before and I was still having some kind of hopeful thought that was.
Cherie:
Yeah but you've got to, like, maybe it would come back.
Sally:
It will miraculously come back.
Cherie:
Yeah.
Sally:
Well, but there was no way. Like it was in such a poor state. I even had a sore throat for like the first three of my Camino vlogs to know if you've heard. Like it took, it took ages because I had quite a bad cough as well. And so there was such a break into the vocal chords that it was just, I was a long way from being well. And so I should have made the call on Wednesday night slash first thing Thursday morning, but I didn't, did I?
Cherie:
What time? I was on a workshop.
Sally:
I left Thursday afternoon.
Cherie:
Yeah. Thursday afternoon. And I was in a workshop, so I don't think I actually saw, like I got the, are you possibly available maybe Thursday morning? And when, maybe. And then Thursday afternoon when, "Okay, I've let them know they've accepted you as like my replacement." And I'm thinking, "Oh my gosh, like that's tomorrow morning!" Then I, you know, my first thought were "Yeah, I'm ready." And then I started going, "Am I ready? Oh my God!" This is going, "Oh my God, I'm not ready. I'm not ready!" Like, "Hang on a minute. Hang on a minute. You've got years, you know, those years of practice, years of moments to get to this moment. So of course you're ready."
Sally:
Take us through that more because this is what I'm really interested in and so proud and grateful to have you do this for me. This was a keynote speech at an award luncheon. So it wasn't like even it was one of many speakers at a workshop style event. You were like it. It was the, the key speech at an event and the night before I'm saying "You're on.". So you said that you were like, yes, I can bring in the experience. Take us through with a bit more detail. How did you really mobilize yourself to be ready with that notice?
Cherie:
Yeah. And it's a great question. I think there's two pieces to it. I think there's the actual speech itself and the talk itself as in for that. And then there was also the nerves and the inner dialogue and the, "Am I ready? Is this gonna be good enough? They've called Sally when she's a professional speaker coach and a professional speaker and now people in the room don't even know who I am. How's this gonna go?" So there was like the mindset piece and then there was the actual logistics that I had done a two-hour version of this talk and now I'm doing a 45-minute version at a lunch. So part of me was really grateful. You and I have been working together for a year. So one of the things when we first started working together was talking about this keynote, which has evolved over the time, but almost seeing the keynote in modules or chapters of the keynote.
Cherie:
And that was really, really helpful for me because I had, I had done a two-hour, more extended version. And so I'd, I'd tested the... And that was about a month before. So I, you know, tested their frameworks, tested their response from the audience. I knew that it should land given the demographics and everyone that you've spoken about. And I had though 45 minutes. So I went, "Okay, what pieces can I pull out? What stories do I keep?" And I think that art of what you taught me was really helpful because we see it as almost, I'm seeing it like little chapters in the long story. So which chapters are gonna be relevant for this audience? And then putting that, understanding who they are, what's important to them. So it felt like it was designed for them, but the bulk of the work was something I've been practicing for some time.
Cherie:
So there was that. And then the mindset piece, I had to really practice a lot. I had to take in my essential oils, do my breathing, imagine the room. Like there was all the things that I needed to do to settle myself more than usual, I would say, because I wasn't the invited person. And so you're like, okay, I really hope I do it justice for you. I really hope that you've recommended me. I hope that this is something that they're like, "Oh, thank you, Sally. Like she was good. Like she was a good backup."
Sally:
You know? Oh, and Cherie, the thing is as well, having worked together, I had intimate knowledge of what you were going to present. And, you know, when I was sort of thinking like who would I get on, a couple of people came to mind who I'd just heard secondhand were great on stage. You know, but I, it's always a bit of a risk if you don't firsthand know exactly what this person's going to be delivering. So because I'd, you know, worked on the speech with you -
Cherie:
Yeah.
New Speaker:
I knew it was going to land. I knew you were going to be great. And as you mentioned, we do work in that accordion style, where you can make it smaller, you can make it bigger, and you can pull out chapters. It's like puzzle pieces -
Cherie:
Yes.
New Speaker:
That you can move around. So you're not always reinventing the wheel.
Cherie:
Yeah. And that, that was on my mind around Sally would not have put my name forward if she didn't think I was ready. Sally would not put my name forward if she didn't think this would add value to the audience because it was reflecting your personal brand, too.
Sally:
Yeah. And it was a paid gig. Like it was a proper paid thing.
Cherie:
Yes, yes. Stunning event.
Sally:
And, look-- you speak the same whether you're paid or you're not. So I don't want to say that there's a difference there. However, there is a bit of a different energy around that kind of professional engagement.
Cherie:
I would agree. I think absolutely you still put in as a speaker, I do believe you put in your best foot forward every single time regardless. There is some kind of exchange of expectation maybe when people are paying from the client perspective.
Sally:
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So you're there, you're at the lunch. It looked fantastic from the photos. You, you stand up on stage. Take us through the actual delivery of the speech.
Cherie:
Well, I did start by talking about you and, you know, thanking the opportunity from Sally, like, in case anyone didn't realize I'm not Sally. No, the MC had mentioned it as well. So in some beautiful way, I think that maybe it lowered the pressure of expectation from the audience because they're like, "Okay, this lady's got like this last minute call up. Good luck to her." So that was nice. I did, yeah. I though it was really nice to start with the gratitude to you, calling you out. I said, you know, if you're not following her, please go and follow Sally, grab her book.
Sally:
Oh, Cherie, you didn't have to do that.
Cherie:
No, I know I didn't, but I feel like it's like an energy abundance, right? Like, please send her the love, send her the following, and go and check Sally out because she's brilliant. And then,
Sally:
I was literally in my pajamas on my couch watching Netflix probably with a box of tissues and a thing of Vicks.
Cherie:
Yeah. The honey and lemon that's doing nothing yet. Yeah. And then I just, I made sure I chatted to a few people in the room before. So that always makes me feel, the difference to me when I facilitate a lot so you can absolutely connect with people in a room, whereas speaking, it's one to many. It's not as, it doesn't always feel as intimate. So I think that's where I really enjoy meeting people before, so then it does feel more intimate. I feel more connected rather than a distance. So that was really lovely to have some kind faces in the room and connect with a few people. And yeah, delivered the talk. And one thing that I was, that you're like, "Okay, this mustn't be going too bad," because people kept taking photos of some of the frameworks, like the Human Intelligence framework that I'm talking about, the HI, and the taking photos, and I'm like, "Okay, all right. So this is good. This is a good sign."
Sally:
Yeah, yeah.
Cherie:
So I actually just had so much fun. I absolutely loved every second of it. It was incredible. And then meeting people afterwards, it seemed to really resonate, which, yeah, it just made me feel so, so incredibly grateful that you trusted me, you gave me a chance, and then the organizers and the audience were happy as well, which was, yeah, I just had the best time.
Sally:
Oh, I love that. And it really resonated because some opportunities came of it afterwards.
Cherie:
It really did. There was somebody came up to me and said, , "We've actually inquired with your business about a year ago, but we didn't go ahead.:" And we've heard you today and the whole company or the executive team, they, they won a lot of awards there." And they said, "We've all sat here today and said she must be at our next conference." And, and yes, I know, I can't actually believe it. Well, anyway, I do. I do believe it because, you know, it's just good karma and I guess just bringing your best and it will land for some, it won't land for everyone. And for them, I'm doing, I'm speaking and kind of MC speaking a two-day event in January, which is all locked in. And then a couple of people actually, like, a lot of people connected on social media and following and connecting, and a few Ignite tickets were also sold to the women in the room for our big conference, which was just unbelievable.
Cherie:
It really was. And just that reminder when they said, "Now that we've seen you talk, we definitely want you." So it was also a reminder around how do you get people to sense your energy? Like, if you're sending a proposal and it's listening to your podcast different ways so they can hear you and get your energy so they can decide because, you know, a PDF proposal is one thing, but how do you lift yourself off the page so people can really know that they wanna get you into their event? That was something from a, maybe building the business sales perspective that really resonated with me. Okay, if people are in the room with you and then they know they want, they'd love for you to be part of their event, how do you bridge that gap for people from a business perspective?
Sally:
Oh, Cherie, thank you. Everybody, did you hear that? Right. So when you actually get on stage, use your voice, you speak, you connect with people in a way that you simply cannot in other mediums. So to think that... I know that you would've said yes, you're, you know, we've worked together. I probably would've forced your hand if you had have said no. I would've rung Andy and been like, Andy, listen.
Cherie:
She's gotta like that.
Sally:
But I do know that there would be examples of people going, "No, I couldn't possibly step in." And then they're losing that amazing opportunity.
Cherie:
Yeah. And I really, I walked away and when I'm really proud of myself, at the end of it. I genuinely, I'm really proud of myself because, yeah, I could've easily said no and said, "I've got too much work on. I don't have time to prepare. It's one night's preparation. It's not possible."
Sally:
It's not enough. Yeah.
Cherie:
It would be, it would be valid to say, but I'm really proud that I went, "Actually, someone else backed me here. I've got to back myself." And, you know, what's the worst that can happen? You turn up, you read off some notes maybe. I didn't, but, you know, you read off some notes.
Sally:
Which people would have completely understood given the circumstances. Is this the first time that you've jumped in at the last minute for something like this?
Cherie:
Yeah. I, I think that it is. I feel like maybe in my flight center days, I was kind of pulled at, you know, the last minute to, to add in something here or jump on there. But to my memory, it may be. There might... Yeah. I think it is, like, anything major like this, for sure.
Sally:
So what a, even a great learning experience for you because if this happens again, you've been like, "You know what? I've got the evidence. I've done it. I know I can do it. I back myself." Have you ever fallen ill or had to ask somebody to step in for you at the last minute?
Cherie:
Yeah, I have. And here at Luminate, I remember I had been off... I'd had an operation and I though I was ready to go back. And I though, "Oh yeah, I'm good, I'm good." But I actually, like, asked them to come with me and whether or not... I said, "Just be with me. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna make through the day by lunchtime." I couldn't. Like, I was recovering from a hysterectomy and I just though I was much better than I was, but actually even just moving my arm.
Sally:
Major surgery. Yeah.
Cherie:
Major surgery. And, you know, they say, "You need six weeks off and three and a half weeks." I'm like, "I'm fine. I'm fine." But then when you go, and it was something that had been booked for a long time, and when I went into the room, I'm like, actually... And this is similar. You lost your voice, so you had no option. But in that moment, I had to say to myself, "Okay, I know you've got this level of commitment you feel like you need to be facilitating or presenting today, but actually, they're not getting your best. Like, this is not your best." Because I'm hurting to raise my arms. I didn't realize how physical I was when I talked so much, you know? So, yeah, I remember Mandy in our team at the time, she then stood in for me for the rest of that day, actually, and then a few days after.
Cherie:
And, and there were some things we postponed, and there were some things that we swapped. And yeah, I think it's, you feel bad. I feel bad because you're letting people down, and then you're putting pressure on other people to, to move faster than they would normally. But you know what? Everyone did a great job. So it's, it's a good lesson for everybody.
Sally:
Yeah. And I think it's... In one way, you can say it's putting pressure on someone else because you're letting people down. But the other way, which has been totally proven by this scenario, you are giving someone an opportunity to step up, to gain confidence, to grow their business, to build their skills, you know, and of course, as a coach who's worked with you, like I mentioned to you when I saw you the other day, like, I feel totally wonderful about what happened. Like, I didn't feel great my own health, but I'm so happy that I was able to give you that opportunity. If you are somebody who's looking to do more speaking, really think about this power of being the backup.
Cherie:
Mm.
Sally:
So I though of you, of course, because we've worked together. You've chosen speakers for conferences and things like that. What makes a speaker come to mind?
Cherie:
Yeah, that's a really good question. And also, I just wanna say, like, I think that's a real testament to who you are, that you were so happy about you know, getting new bookings and the Ignite tickets. And the fact you were genuinely joyful for me was so beautiful because I think it could be some other people might sit there and go, "Oh, I should've had that, and that could've been my client." You know, so the fact that you were genuinely so happy is such a testament to who you are and that you genuinely wanna see people succeed, so thank you.
Sally:
Oh, look, I'm a born coach. What can I say?
Cherie:
Yeah, exactly. And it... But it's true, right? It's so authentic, so I appreciate that. Sal, for me, you know, this is the fifth year we run Ignite as an example, and we'll have, you know, five, six speakers a year speak at Ignite. And this sounds really cliche, so maybe I need to expand on it. It is about people authentically sharing, having visibility, their authentic personality and energy. When I personally look at Ignite, there's a little bit of a balance of energy. So there'll be some big, bold -
Sally:
Erika Kramer.
Cherie:
Yeah, Erika Kramer, big personalities, and also light and shade.
Sally:
Haley Quinn.
New Speaker:
Where, you know, it's where Haley's got such a calming presence. Allie, who will speak this year, and this is also the thing, not everyone will know these people. And so I think there's an element sometimes where it's a recognizable name is maybe important, , to get the, , maybe somebody picks the conference on the name, , of the speaker. But I actually believe, like, both, five years now, I would say, of the last four years, we have opened ticket sales without announcing a single speaker, and we have sold, like, a third of the room before people even know who is speaking. And -
Sally:
Yes, but we know that Cherie Canning's gonna be there, and that's all we need to know.
Cherie:
Well, I wonder if it's also, I'm gonna put... Well, thank you, but I'm also gonna see, are they trusting the process that we know how to choose people, right? They might not know who it is, and it's a bit of a, a mystery, or even some of the names where people might not necessarily know who they are. They're not big s - big known people, but they've got a message to share, and they'll say it in a way, I would say, is they're not always overly, like, polished, polished speakers. They are, I'm not underestimating the skill that people bring, but I would say it's more around they wanna be in the room to move people, they wanna be in the room to impact people, so there's a genuine purpose and passion behind wanting to speak and share their story versus being an overly polished and performed speaker, and I think that's what people really resonate with, the authenticity.
Sally:
I'm so glad that you shared that, because it reiterates, you don't need to have a massive following. You just need to get out there and start sharing your voice. Cherie mentioned authenticity, but I imagine in all of these cases, you have heard this person's voice and seen them on video and/or met them in person.
Cherie:
Yes.
New Speaker:
So it's really hard to put that authenticity and that personality across if you're just doing Canva graphics or things like that. Like you have to get on camera, you have to talk.
Cherie:
You're absolutely right. There's Jules who's speaking at the end of Ignite this year. Jules spoke at another conference where I was speaking, where you and I were working on the Happy Lawyer retreat that I spoke at last year. That was the first big speech that I was working on with you and, -
Sally:
Huge success,
Cherie:
Yeah it was. And that afternoon, I spoke, and in the morning, Jules spoke. And I sat at the back of the room and watched Jules and, , text my team and said, "I've got my next speaker for Ignite is in this room today," because her energy was undeniable, absolutely undeniable. And I would say then, similarly, being on Allie. Allie, who might not everyone will know, Allie's a tax accountant, so by title, would not necessarily be someone you'd choose to be a keynote speaker at a conference.
Sally:
Well, after this year's budget, I think we're all gonna be listening to her very closely
Cherie:
And don't worry, people, Allie will not be speaking about finance. I heard Allie speak at a mastermind conference, and it was an intimate six-person run by Fleur Madden, and she shared her story around goal setting and what she'd achieved goal setting. And then she came on our podcast, and Lisa Pagodo, we were her first ever podcast that she came on a couple of years ago. And again, Andy and I looked at each other and went, "These stories need to be on the stage at Ignite." And it's incredible. I think similar to you about the coaching, we had a common friend, Ashley Conwell, and I remember Ashley saying, "What are you thinking about Ignite? Are you looking for any speakers?" And we said, "How about you come on the podcast first?" And she had never publicly spoken around, , losing her husband and, and everything that had happened there, and her, you know, growth with grief and her whole experience.
Cherie:
So she came on the podcast. We had the first podcast recording. She worked with you, crafted a talk, and then last year, she got a standing ovation at Ignite. And, you know, this year she can't come. This will be the only Ignite she's ever missed, because she's in New York at a business awards that she's up as a finalist for in New York. So, you know, you just think, wow.
Sally:
I know. It's so amazing. Wow. And I've worked with Ash as well, so I was in... It was an incredible moment for me last year to see her get that standing ovation at your event. It was just full body coach chills. So we've mentioned we've worked together a couple of times. The program was through a 12-month program called Soul Speakers Advanced, where we have big group calls, small group calls, and the best part of it is it's unlimited one-on-ones. And what that really means is that I'm interested in the relationship and your goals. Some days we need the quick chat, other days we need the two-hour strategy session, but we work to what you need to do. And what is your take on the program?
Cherie:
I love getting to, say, the end of a year of working in a Masterminder program and you go, "Let's actually reflect on what's changed, what, you know, what's moved the dial, because sometimes it's these one percenters, and in the moment, you don't even realize how powerful they are. And then you look back and go," Wow, that was huge. "And for me, there were a couple of key moments working with you one-to-one and then going into the group. So I remember talking around, like, my goals around speaking on more stages. Yes, I facilitate a lot, but it's a different method, I think. It's a different way of, , connecting, being more in the keynote versus facilitation. And you really challenged me around how do I introduce myself? And so then at this group meeting, and this was the beauty of being in the group, we all had to introduce ourselves, what do we do?
Cherie:
And you and I had this big chat, and you're like, "But you are a speaker, Cherie. You don't want to be a speaker. You're not trying to get to be a speaker, you're a speaker. Do you get paid multiple times a week to speak?" I'm like," "Yes, yes, for a few years now." You're Like, "Okay, so newsflash, you're a speaker!. "And It was a real change in my mindset. And to be able to turn up to that first group and say," Hi, I'm Cherie Canning. I'm a professional speaker, and I focus on leadership development.'' And Now it's just kind of become part of what I say. So there are these small things that in that moment, I was so nervous. It sounded so a bit. Am I allowed to say that? Like, it felt a little bit, like, not real. I'm like, "No, this is real."
Cherie:
And The way that you were really building that confidence to me. So another piece in the Soul Speakers Advance were the other gatherings where there were practices. And I will never forget coming onto a call and I was d - practicing my opening for the Happy Lawyer Conference, and there were other speakers and other people in the room, and then they gave me feedback at the end, and I think I did my first three to five minutes of the opening. And I remember another person on the group, she'd actually been on TV, she's been on a lot of media, and I was really respecting yours and her, and everyone in the group. She really had this elevated experience that I could see. And then when you were both giving me feedback, and then women who'd never met me before were giving me feedback, that was really powerful.
Cherie:
And then you and I went off solo and kept building on things and to come back in and go again. And then there's those added bonuses with the community because it was the beginning of this year, and I said," I've got this goal with Ignite. I just don't know if it's the right market. I don't know if the economic, you know, vibe of what's happening right now, like, businesses are doing it tough, and I don't know if it's the right time." And every woman sat on there and said," You've got to do it again. "You Know, when you're talking about why do we have this conference, what's it all about? We
Sally:
All said we'll be there. And I'm so proud of the group and we do have a table. Like they are, they are traveling from other cities in the state. They're flying down - They're flying down. For this event. It's so great. A bit more detailed. So we actually work together on Cherie’s content, so we write the content together. We also have the practice in the community. Yes. And something that's so beautiful with this particular group, it's a rolling 12-month program. So when spots come up, everybody's not doing the same 12 months. So it's this beautiful community because there's always overlap. Tomorrow, you are speaking at a conference, run by someone else in the group!
Cherie:
Someone else in the group. And we have another one. So actually I've had two new client speaking opportunities. One I'll be doing personally and one someone else in my team will be doing. Yeah, that's come from the group. Oh, I didn't go in there thinking, "Oh, my future clients could be in here at all." And so it's just more... There's another group of women learning and, and growing their skills here. And just to have that as a bonus was, yeah, unbelievable.
Sally:
Oh, Cherie, thank you. Just one more question. It might be different answers, but what would you say to somebody who does get that last minute call up?
Cherie:
Mm.
Sally:
And I also wanna hear what you'd say to the woman who might be thinking about joining the program, Soul Speakers Advanced.
Cherie:
It is probably the same answer. Just say yes. Say yes to opportunity. I'd say the, the last minute call up. There's a reason that you put yourself out there and you wanna be building a business or you wanna be building these opportunities so when they come, it might not feel like the right time. And to say yes anyway, I genuinely believe that because that's the next step to wherever next is. And what's the worst that can happen, really? So just give it a go and give it your 100%. That's all you can ask. And as for the Soul Speakers Advanced, the same thing, you know, there, there's often... It's the same mindset with our Ignite Conference where I don't actually believe there's ever gonna be a time Where you'll turn around in the future and say, "I'm really, really disappointed I invested in myself." I just don't think it's something we say.
Cherie:
I think we can look back and go, "I wish I had invested in myself. I wish I'd prioritized my own growth." And that to me is what this is about. And you can take it anywhere you want with the one-on-ones and whatever's coming up for you. I remember being in Paris and I was like voice noting you and sending you messages like, "Hey, this is what I'm thinking about, the next evolution of my talk." And you're replying. And it's, it's so, as much as you wanna put in, you'll get out. And you've got a, a depth and a wealth of knowledge that, you know, that when you look at your book, it just brings it all off the page and brings it into the context for the individual. So, so powerful. The network of women I think is a beautiful added bonus.
Cherie:
It really was around working with you and your knowledge. And that has been an incredible, incredible way of being able to see myself in a way that I hadn't yet. I think you really bring a mirror up and gives people an opportunity to see sides of themselves that maybe is not as bright yet. You know, where you feel like you've got some potential, but when you can show back and go, "You know what, you're great at this and this is where we can grow you." Like that, that is what great coaching is bringing the little blind spots or being the cheerleader and also the challenger all at once, which is definitely what happens.
Sally:
Oh, Cherie, you're gonna make me cry. That's so beautiful. You've just held a mirror up to something possibly I'm not seeing in myself. So thank you for that. It's no wonder that you are Brisbane's premier leadership coach and speaker. I absolutely adore you. You're such a beautiful human. Thank you. Fellow Taylor Swift fan as well.
Cherie:
Yes. Yes. Well, that's probably what it was. Isn't it funny, Sal? I came to see
Sally:
That vision of you coming up just like she did underneath the feathers. Like that was like her overarching.
Cherie:
Are you ready for it?
Sally:
Yes, that was the overarching metaphor of what we did. And it's been such a joy to work with you in that way. And I know that we'll continue to work together,
Cherie:
Absolutely.
Sally:
Going forward. It's definitely not a goodbye.
Cherie:
Well, I was just gonna say about opportunities, right? Like I just was thinking back, okay, how did it really, really start? Is that I sat at a, an event that Leanne Hughes ran with Michael MBS and she said, "Write down what are your goals?" And I wrote that I really wanna speak on more stages. This is something I've been thinking about more passively for a little while. And I happened to be sitting next to you. And I knew of you. I'd seen you on socials. I'd met you maybe once at an event very casually, but I knew who you were and I could not believe I'm sitting next to you. And I'm writing down. I didn't know what I'd be writing down that day. And so I'm writing my goal and I'm sitting there going, "I think the woman that I need to be helping me get there is actually sitting next to me. Like how serendipitous is this?"
Cherie:
And then I kept following you first. I wasn't jumping, didn't jump straight in, you know, when, "Okay, I'm just gonna really intentionally follow you. 'But you exactly as you say, "I'm hearing what you're saying. I'm seeing, I'm hearing your voice, your messaging." I'm like, "Yes, this is the woman that I wanna be working with." And so I feel like for all of us, it's just to put yourself in places where opportunity can actually be. And, and sometimes it's just keeping your eyes open to opportunity. You don't know where it is. You don't know where it is. We've just gotta be present in life and, and be open and ready for it. So I can't believe I sat next to you that day at Leanne and MBS's event and,
Sally:
I'm so glad you did that. I can't believe I was sitting at Ignite last year when I wrote on my little manifestation thing, I'm gonna get my book to Oprah. That's what I wrote at Ignite on that piece of paper and I did that. Like it was just so crazy.
Cherie:
Oh my gosh. You know, I have to remember to tell that story at Ignite this year when we're writing around what our goals are because that, that has to be my favorite, like, story. And then next minute I'm getting this text, "Cherie, you will not believe who's got my book in her hand right now. Like Oprah Winfrey!" What the actual, that's incredible.
Sally:
Cherie, how can people find you?
Cherie:
Instagram, LinkedIn, a website. The Lead With Courage Podcast is our podcast as well.
Sally:
Oh, Cherie, I have held you well over time. Sorry, not sorry. Thank you so much for joining That Voice Podcast.
Cherie:
Thanks for having me, Sal.
