Courage Grows Here—Long Before the Stage Does

Courage rarely announces itself. More often it looks like a quiet yes to a difficult decision, an unfamiliar path or a stage you're not sure you're ready for.

That's what struck me most while sitting down with three of this year's Remarkable Voices. Over six weeks, graduates of Biz 417's Remarkable program build a 15-minute talk rooted in their own experience and learn to deliver it with confidence. It takes courage to sign up for that. It takes a different kind of courage to walk onto the Biz 417's Ladies Who Launch stage August 13–14 and share it out loud. I got a preview of all three, and I can't wait for you to see them.

Sarah Hough is the senior manager of community and outfitter engagement at Bass Pro Shops and has a story about a decision that both terrified her and pulled her forward anyway. She ran for school board, and she's the first to say how daunting it felt to put her name on a ballot.

"I ran for school board, and it was probably one of the most terrifying things, but also something that I really wanted to do."—Sarah Hough

On stage, she's speaking to a feeling she hears from other women constantly—that we don't feel ready enough to step up and lead—and the formula that finally pushed her over the edge.

Ettie Berneking is the media relations and communications manager at Mercy Springfield Communities. She shared a story with me about courage during our chat. She left Iowa City to move back to Springfield and start her own business with, in her words, no money to her name.

"I wanted to make a career move and come back to Springfield and start my own business, but I had absolutely no money at the time. So I made the move and lived in my friend's shed for a year, saved up, got my business off the ground and bought a house."—Ettie Berneking

On stage, she's making the case for something she's come to love: solo travel, and why she thinks everyone should try it at least once. Sign me up!

Kylie Jackson is the learning and development manager at The Great Game of Business and knows what it costs to switch gears. She left a career she loved in Chicago to move home, without a clear map for what came next.

"Saying goodbye to a career that I really loved took a lot of courage, and it was a step I'm really glad I made."—Kylie Jackson

On stage, she turns that lens on leadership itself: how organizations searching for "change leaders" often overlook the women already standing in front of them, and how each of us can lead through change and bring our teams along.

Three women. Three very different roads to the same stage. What they share is exactly what Remarkable is built for—the training and the confidence to match the courage it took to get here for all of us. The application for our fall Remarkable program is August 17. Apply here.

I've watched them do the hard part already. Now I get to watch them deliver. Come see it for yourself at Ladies Who Launch, August 13-14 in Branson.