As a leader, sharing vulnerable moments makes you more relatable.

On March 5th, I received an unexpected call from Pamela Christopher, President and CEO of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, “Hailey, I have known you for years but I had no idea what you had been through. Would you please speak at our next Women’s Luncheon?” Surprised by her kind offer, I immediately said, “Of course, I’d love to!”

She was referencing my Facebook post from the day before (National Sons Day) where I had “bared it all” as I shared my struggles as a single Mom with two teenage sons. Never before had I felt the courage to share publicly such a humbling chapter of my life, yet the positive response was as overwhelming as it was reassuring. What I learned is that, people appreciate authenticity! (Link to full story)

Here is a 1-min demo reel of my Storytelling Keynote and how my decision to let others see my imperfections resulted in accelerating my career to offer keynotes and workshops, on how to transform your business through Strategic Storytelling.

After my speech, Pam said, “Hailey, I liked you before but now that I understand the challenges you endured, I love you.”

Backstory: In 2010, I became a single Mom. However bleak my circumstances were, I decided that this unending black hole would not define me. It would be yet a blip in the story of my life. I knew that the only way through my mess was to earn my college education.

Between working multiple jobs to keep food on the table, running my sons back and forth to soccer practice, church activities and school, I was exhausted. However, I persevered and completed three college degrees in five years, including an MBA and two healthcare degrees.

I graduated magna cum laude, earned five prestigious university awards and became a designated speaker for the Office for Philanthropy, because I had earned all three degrees debt free, entirely paid for with grants and scholarships.

I used my storytelling skills and followed a sales framework throughout my essays to effectively communicate my story of resilience. This technique appealed to university boards and committees, which gave me an edge over other applicants.

I had discovered a secret: the power of clearly communicating my message through storytelling increased my influence every time I told it.