I’ve just wrapped up my term on the Board of Professional Speakers Australia, and before I close this chapter, I want to pause and reflect.

When I was first invited to join the Board, I said yes for two reasons: (Well, three actually…)

I believe in the PSA community – these are my people.
I wanted to challenge myself to walk my talk with communication and connection.
And because Gary Edwards (The President at the time) asked me too. (And I really rate him… you should too.)

As a solo operator, I don’t work for a company, with colleagues and departments and career ladders. PSA is the closest thing I’ve had to working in an organisation since leaving corporate life. This group of peers are people who, like me, are out there using their voice to make a difference. And for the most part, working on their own or with a small support team.

Serving as Director of CPD & Events meant being responsible for the professional development of our members – from brand-new speakers to seasoned pros. That alone was an honour. But what I didn’t expect was how much I would grow.

One of the reasons I said yes was to deliberately place myself in a diverse team – where people had different experiences, strengths, perspectives and communication styles. As someone who helps others navigate tricky conversation dynamics, I wanted to stretch my own skills in influencing, collaborating and communicating across these differences. This board did not disappoint.

We were a passionate, diverse, talented mix – with different ideas, different communication styles, and different ways of seeing the world. And yet, we shared a commitment to something bigger than ourselves. That’s where the magic happened.

There were robust conversations, tough calls, and moments where I really had to put my own tools to the test. Exactly as I had hoped!

And from it all came one of the most moving pieces of feedback I’ve received in my professional career. A sentence that was deeply personal for me (and for them). A sentence that will always be burned in my heart:

“You made me feel safe to speak up.”

That, for me, is my whole mission - to help people get heard.
Not just to speak up. But to create the conditions where others want to speak up.
To create connection. To create safety. To make room for everyone’s voice.

I’m leaving the Board proud – proud of what we’ve done, proud of how I showed up, and proud of how much I learned from the team. I was totally blown away by the dedication, commitment, achievement and sheer brilliance of their work.

And deeply grateful to them for the passion, professionalism and people-ness they brought to every conversation.

It was real. It was human. It was worth it. I couldn't be more proud right now.

Hugs and high fives to my fellow Board members: Gary Edwards, Sally Foley Lewis, Amanda Lambros, Lindsay Adams, Chris Wildeboer, Rael Bricker, Denis Quinn, Mark Jones, and Alan Cameron Sweeney.

And hello’s and good luck’s to the new batch of Board members this year, Nicole Hatherly, Nancy Youssef, and Sara Merckel. You’ve made the right decision!