The Power of Showing Up Fully: Identity, Creativity, and Leading With Your Whole Self
September 2025
Hello Community — Last week marked 4 years since I stepped into running my coaching and consulting business full time. Four years of building, stretching, doubting, celebrating, questioning, and growing in ways I never could have imagined.
When I think back to those early days, there was one song I had on repeat:
Times Are Hard for Dreamers from the musical Amelié.
It was performed by four of my high school seniors during our Covid musical, the last one I directed and choreographed before leaving the classroom. Thinking of them singing it still brings a tear to my eyes today. These lyrics have stayed with me:
“They say times are hard for dreamers,
And who knows? Maybe they are.
People seem stuck or lost at sea,
And I might be a dreamer but it has gotten me this far…”
The Power of Showing Up Fully:
Identity, Creativity, and Leading With Your Whole Self
Four years later, I can confirm: times are hard for dreamers.
There have been seasons of feeling stuck, lost, and unsure if I was truly cut out to be an entrepreneur. Yet being a dreamer — believing in possibilities, creating something from nothing, and moving forward even when the path wasn’t clear — has carried me through.
One of the biggest lessons in these years has been about identity shifts and the importance of showing up fully.
In the beginning, I hid parts of myself. I worried that if I led with my dance and theatre background, people wouldn’t take me seriously in the world of leadership development and executive coaching.
For a long time, I kept that part of me quiet and honestly, it felt awful. I was misaligned, carrying unnecessary tension, and everything felt harder than it needed to.
Even though I was no longer directing or performing full time (an identity that was hard to release), being an artist remains central to who I am. It’s how I see the world and make sense of it.
Eventually, I chose to reintegrate all of me — the performer, the choreographer, the director, the coach, the consultant, the runner, the unapologetic John Williams fan. My arts background wasn’t something to hide; it was the very thing that made me unique.
When I began owning that story, to my surprise and relief, people didn’t dismiss me. They leaned in. They were curious. And many saw it as a strength; one that set me apart.
In addition, many of my clients began to see how they, too, could bring their full selves forward in their work and their lives.
What I’ve learned, and continue to witness through my work, is that wholeness is powerful. When we integrate all the parts of who we are and are willing to show that to others, it creates genuine connection and alignment. It’s true for individuals, teams, and even entire organizations.
I see it all the time:
Individuals who feel stuck because they’re hiding behind what they think a “leader” should be, rather than leading as who they truly are.
Teams that recycle the same ideas because people don’t feel safe sharing unconventional or creative ones.
Organizations that say they want innovation but haven’t built cultures where people feel empowered to dream, create, and experiment.
Holding back pieces of who we are keeps us stuck. When we have the courage to bring all of ourselves forward — as individuals, as teams, and as organizations — we unlock our full potential and create space for deeper connection, creativity, and impact.
Again and again, I see that creativity is what allows individuals, teams, and organizations to move from stuck to aligned.
The arts have always been my pathway to creativity and expression. The truth is, you don’t need to be a performer to tap into creativity. We are all creative beings. We are all dreamers. And when we shut down that side of ourselves — when we keep our ideas, our quirks, or our passions hidden — we often end up feeling stuck.
As I celebrate this milestone, I keep returning to another reminder from Amelié:
“It isn’t where I am
It’s only where I go from here
That matters now
And I am not afraid!”
The future isn’t built from certainty — it’s built from courage. It’s shaped by our willingness to keep dreaming, to keep creating, and to keep showing up fully, even when the times are hard.
Here’s my invitation to you this month:
*What are you dreaming of right now?
*Where might you be hiding parts of yourself that are actually your greatest gifts?
*How can you invite more creativity — for yourself, your team, or your organization — into the way you work and live this week?
Here’s to dreaming boldly, even when the times are hard. Because “as [everything we’ll ever need] appears, this is how [our] world gets made.”
✨A reminder, for the month of September, I’m offering free 30-minute laser coaching sessions. Click HERE to book your spot. ✨
P.S. If you or your team are ready to move beyond hiding parts of yourselves and start leading with creativity, courage, and wholeness, I’d love to support that journey. Through 1:1 coaching, leadership development, and team facilitation, I help individuals and organizations unlock their full potential—building alignment, trust, and sustainable impact. Let’s connect.