The stories we tell ourselves — and everyone else
What the world really needs is you
This week, I found myself in two very different classrooms.
On Monday, I was at Headquarters (hq) — a queer-owned coworking and social space for LGBTQ+ folks, women, and allies of which I am a member here in Richmond, VA — guiding a group through the intricate world of Human Design, helping people decode their energetic blueprint and understand how they're wired to move through the world.
Tuesday through Thursday, I was online with Amazon's Academy teaching "The Confident Communicator" to super smart engineers and managers spanning from Seattle to Bangalore, India — a course on public speaking and finding the courage to share your voice with clarity and presence.
Two completely different spaces, audiences, and topics.
Same work.
It didn’t matter if someone was uncovering that they do best when experimenting with life lessons, or practicing a storytelling framework to create a compelling presentation; the real transformation happened in the same place:
In our true identities – the place where we remember who we are beneath all the conditioning.
In the Human Design session at hq, I watched faces light up as people finally had language for how they innately behave and approach life. So many people talked about how resonant their human design charts felt and gave them context for what they wanted to decondition.
In the Amazon workshop, the breakthrough moments came when people stopped trying to sound like someone else and started speaking from their authentic voice — telling their stories and learning how to reset and begin again when they were challenged with questions or lack of confidence.
Every single person in both rooms was doing the same work: unlearning the things they’ve been told about who to be, and taking steps into who they are underneath all of the stories.
In fact, in both classes, we had discussions about how we see ourselves through the lens of the things that we’ve not yet taken the time to examine, explore, and expire.
It's not the question from an executive that makes you feel nervous and anxious in your presentation – it's the lens you have of appearing unprepared or unqualified.
It's not your authentic way of making decisions that's wrong – it's the conditioning that tells you to ignore your intuition and follow someone else's blueprint.
This is why both rooms felt electric with possibility – people weren't learning to become someone new.
They were remembering who they'd always been.
This is the thread that connects everything I do — whether I’m working with an agency to help them invigorate their brand voice, reading tarot as a tool to explore what comes up internally, coaching and guiding through a life transition, or helping someone vision and voice their big ideas.
It's all about identity.
About helping you find your voice and use it.
About undoing the stories that keep you stuck so you can make meaningful progress.
The world doesn't need another version of who you think you should be.
The world needs the real you – the person you are underneath.
What story are you writing now? Let me know. I’d love to hear.
xox,
Michelle
P.S. If any of this resonates and you're ready to explore your own identity work — whether through Human Design, tarot, life strategy sessions, or finding & using your voice in your career or brand — hit reply and let me know what's calling to you. I'd love to see if we should work together.
Grab the mic. Share your voice.
Want to explore how to work together? I do identity work. Whether you are looking to rediscover who you are now, realign and strategize a way forward, or want to reclaim your voice and show up in the world, I can help. Yes, this still includes brand content (which I love!) and business strategy. Everything touches — and I am here to support you in making meaningful progress.
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Be who you are. Lead with curiosity & love. The world will respond.
