It Takes a Village: Why Feeling Good Is the First Step to Doing Good
There is a saying often attributed to African wisdom: “It takes a village.”
After spending the past couple of weeks in South Africa, those words have taken on an entirely new meaning for me.
Because the most powerful experiences are rarely created by one person.
They are created by people coming together. People sharing their energy, their knowledge, their stories, their contacts, their creativity and, sometimes, simply their willingness to say, “Yes, I’m in. Let’s make this happen.”
That is exactly what happened with From Burnout to Brilliance, our Women’s Month events in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
What began as a conversation between a few women became two extraordinary gatherings filled with learning, laughter, movement, vulnerability, connection and an enormous amount of positive energy.
And it reminded me of something I speak about constantly as a keynote speaker on energy, Customer eXperience and human connection:
Before we can deliver good, we have to feel good.
Whether you are leading a company, serving customers, managing a team, raising a family or simply trying to get through an incredibly busy week, the energy you bring changes the experience you create.
When we are depleted, disconnected and running on empty, that energy travels with us.
When we feel energised, connected, valued and alive, that travels too.
Your inner energy becomes your outer impact.
That became one of the central messages of my From Inner Energy to Outer Impact keynote at From Burnout to Brilliance. We moved, danced, laughed and explored how quickly changing our physical state can begin changing how we feel, think and behave.
But there was an even bigger lesson happening around us throughout the whole experience.
From Burnout to Brilliance really did take a village
I certainly did not create these events alone.
Alongside me were some wonderful women, each bringing her own expertise, experiences and energy to the room.
Chantelle Botha, the Permission Catalyst and founder of She Belongs Here, brought powerful conversations around giving ourselves permission to stop waiting, stop shrinking and begin saying yes to ourselves.
Joni Peddie CSP brought her expertise in resilience, wellbeing and adaptive leadership, helping women move beyond simply “pushing through” towards creating the mental clarity, emotional agility and physical resilience required to bounce forward.
Carolyn Strauss CSP, CRP, international speaker, author and business expert, brought her fabulous wisdom, warmth and perspective from the United States.
Cindy Groenewald of Morebo Group brought another important dimension to the experience and played a huge part in bringing people and possibilities together.
And our fabulous host, Erin Anastasopoulos APC, ICF, helped hold the whole experience together and keep the conversations, energy and day flowing beautifully.
At the end of my keynote, I invited Chantelle, Cindy, Joni, Carolyn and Erin back onto the stage because the closing moment was never meant to belong to one speaker. It was designed to represent something much bigger: we rise together.
That spirit is beautifully captured by Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”
Our energy touches other people. Our confidence touches other people. Our kindness, courage, laughter, ideas and brilliance touch other people.
And sometimes somebody else’s belief in us is exactly what helps us rediscover our own.
Great events need partners who believe in the experience
A huge thank you also goes to Dermalogica South Africa, Morebo Wealth, MyGrow, Peninsula Hotel, Holistica, Lisa Raleigh, My Girl Pearl, My Easy Glow, PCG Cosmetics Group, CBN, Pick-n-Pay, Session-Fit, PCG, Hubrid Factory, Bath Salts and Veaudry, who believed in the vision behind From Burnout to Brilliance and supported the experience. Because the best sponsorships are true partnerships. They add something meaningful to the experience, and when organisations, speakers, venues, exhibitors, partners and communities bring their individual strengths together, something rather magical can happen.
I also have to give an extra special salut to two people. First, Chris, who captured some absolutely incredible photographs during our Johannesburg event and helped preserve so many of those special moments. And then, of course, Andy, my special man, who somehow became the IT guy, registration guy, photographer, suitcase guy, goody-bag-packing guy, AV guy, PPTX guy and pretty much the everything guy! The more adventures we create together, the more I appreciate just how incredible it is to have him by my side. His support, calm, humour and willingness to jump into whatever needs doing are a huge part of what makes these experiences possible.
Energy is contagious, so what are you spreading?
One of the ideas I explore in my keynote is that energy is contagious, and you have probably experienced this yourself. Someone walks into a meeting radiating enthusiasm and suddenly everybody sits a little taller. Someone gives you a genuine smile at reception and your mood lifts. A leader walks around thanking people and you feel noticed. A colleague brings humour into a stressful moment and suddenly the problem feels more manageable. The opposite is equally powerful, which is why energy is not simply a wellbeing conversation. It is a leadership, Employee eXperience and Customer eXperience conversation. Your inner state ripples outwards into your home, your team, your customers and eventually your wider community.
People may forget the PowerPoint, the process or even exactly what you said, but they remember how being around you made them feel. For organisations, that matters enormously because Customer eXperience does not begin when somebody buys something. It begins with the people creating the experience.
From burnout to brilliance does not mean running at 200 miles an hour
There is also an important distinction to make. Feeling good does not mean being permanently energetic, bouncing around the office with jazz hands at 8am. Even I need to recharge the batteries! Brilliance is not about operating at maximum speed every minute of every day. In my keynote I describe a high-energy positive state as The Force: vibrant, motivated and wonderfully contagious, but also something that needs rhythm, balance and rest. Running at 200 miles an hour indefinitely is simply another route towards burnout.
The goal is sustainable brilliance. It is about knowing how to reset yourself, recognising when you need to pause, understanding how to move your energy when you feel stuck, creating environments that support rather than drain you, connecting with people who lift you, and recognising when you need your village. One of the most damaging stories we have created around leadership and success is the idea that strong people should somehow be able to do everything alone. Real strength is often knowing when to reach out, connect, collaborate and allow others to be part of your journey too.
Your village matters
Look at the people around you.
Who energises you?
Who challenges you positively?
Who opens doors?
Who tells you something you need to hear?
Who makes you laugh?
Who reminds you who you are when your own energy has taken a little holiday?
Those people are part of your village.
And perhaps an equally important question is:
Whose village are you part of?
Who feels better because you are there?
Who gets an introduction, an opportunity, encouragement or a little extra belief because you showed up?
That, for me, is where the real magic lies.
From Burnout to Brilliance was created for women, but its lesson applies everywhere: when people feel good, supported and connected, they are far more able to do good, lead well and create exceptional experiences for others.
And when those people come together?
Oh là là. That is when brilliance really begins.
Bring this energy to your next conference
If you are planning a conference, leadership event, Customer eXperience conference, employee event or company kick-off and want your audience to do more than simply sit and listen, the girls and I would love to bring this conversation into your room.
And if one of the other extraordinary speakers from From Burnout to Brilliance is the perfect fit for your audience, book them too.
Because sometimes it takes one keynote speaker to create a spark.
And sometimes… it takes a village to create a movement.
Ready to energise your next event?
