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What got me in trouble as a kid became my greatest superpower.
Every report card said the same thing: talks too much. Today, that same voice has helped me build a global movement, transform thousands of voices, and create impact in rooms I never could have imagined.
Read my story
The signs were always there.
To the adults in my life, I was the kid who talked too much.
Looking back now, the signs were always there. From the school announcement club in elementary school all the way through high school, to serving as VP of student council, I was constantly finding ways to communicate, connect, and use my voice.
Long before Slay The Mic® existed, communication was already a huge part of who I was.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that life was also teaching me how differently people communicate.
At 14 years old, while completing my volunteer hours, I began working with individuals with special needs. That experience would go on to shape my life in ways I never could have imagined. What started as volunteering eventually turned into 8 years working in special needs programming, followed by 15 years in education.
During that time, I worked with individuals who communicated in many different ways. Some used ASL. Some used speech devices. Some were non-speaking and communicated through body language, behaviour, facial expressions, and emotional cues.
Working with individuals with different communication needs gave me a completely different understanding of what communication actually is. I learned how to communicate with people beyond just spoken words, how to better understand different forms of expression, and how important safety, trust, and connection are in helping someone feel comfortable enough to use their voice.
That understanding shaped the way I coach today. My years in education taught me how to meet people where they are, adapt my approach based on different communication styles and needs, and break things down in a way that actually connects. No two people communicate the exact same way, and no single strategy works for everyone.
A lot of people know how to coach. Not everyone knows how to teach. And I know how to do both exceptionally well.
The Conversation That Changed
Everything
When I first started Slay The Mic®, I thought I was helping people become more confident speakers.
Initially, I had no idea what I was doing, but I told myself that if I could help my students find their voice, I could help adults too.
Then one person reached out and said something I’ll never forget:
“I know you help people with public speaking, but I actually just want to be able to use my voice in my personal life. I have no desire to be a public speaker.”
That message completely changed the direction of my work.
One of the concepts I often used in education was generalization: the idea that a skill is not truly learned unless someone can apply it across multiple environments, not just one. And suddenly, it clicked.
I didn’t want people to feel confident using their voice only when all eyes were on them. I wanted them to feel more confident in their everyday lives too — speaking up for themselves, saying what they actually mean, and not replaying every conversation in the middle of the night wondering if they said the wrong thing.
Ironically, the same person who once said she had no desire to become a public speaker has since gone on to use her voice in incredible ways, including public speaking herself.
Today I’ll Say Something My Future Self Would Thank Me For
In 2016, over a morning cup of coffee with my husband, I told him I thought I could create something that would help people become better speakers.
I didn’t have a massive following. My name wasn’t widely known. I just had this feeling that I could help people, even if I didn’t fully know what that would eventually become. So I posted a picture of myself with a microphone and in the caption I said, “If you want to become a better speaker, I could help.”
And somehow, that one post turned into all of this.
Over the last decade, my Slay The Mic® methodology has helped clients, teams, and groups reconnect with their voice in ways that have changed how they show up in every area of their lives. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing people share stories they’ve kept buried for years, launch ideas they once doubted themselves out of, advocate for their health, strengthen relationships, and step into opportunities they never imagined possible.
“Today I’ll say something my future self would thank me for” is one of my favourite affirmations from the Slay The Mic® affirmation deck because I am living proof of it. Over a decade ago, I said out loud that I believed I could create something that would help people reconnect with their voice.
And I did.
Now I’m on a mission to help other people say something their future self will thank them for too.
WORKED WITH:
Come see the Mic Slayer in action!
@IamJamGamble
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