About 10 years ago I went on a bit of a shopping spree at Banana Republic. I was on a mission to buy “speaker clothes” - some slacks, blouses, and a cardigan or two. I considered a blazer, but that seemed too presumptuous of a speaking career I did not yet have. The blazer would come a few years later. I delighted in making space in my closet for my crisp new speaker clothes.
At the time, I was a gym owner. I wore workout clothes (often sweaty ones) all day #everydamnday. But I knew I wanted to be a speaker. On stages. Any stage would do.
So, I started walking through life as if I were a speaker. I bought the clothes, planned some talks, applied to speak at some events, added “Speaker” to my email signature and website. 
It would be awhile before I actually got to speak in front of anyone outside of the gym I owned, where I was definitely already a speaker (as well as coach, motivator, and maybe even part preacher), but not the Banana Republic slacks wearing kind. 
Trying to get on stages would eventually get under my skin - as I saw so many men land the speaking gigs I was applying for. 
Ultimately, I launched my podcast, this podcast, in order to step into my role as a Speaker. I stopped waiting for others to invite me to their Banana Republic stages and I built my own damn stage. I had been walking through the world as a speaker for years waiting for invitations when I realized that I didn’t need anyone’s invitation. I only needed my own permission.
In this episode, I share 4 ways you can practice walking through the world as the woman you are becoming. Perhaps you are becoming a Banana Republic wear speaker. Perhaps something totally different. No matter what, you deserve to walk through the world clear and confident about who you are and where you are going - without expecting or waiting for anyone else’s invitation.