Joanna Horton McPherson

09/11/2026

I hard to work to get to the point of being able to say all of this.

Being an author is the hardest identity to own because it called on my to rely on my inner creative self, and nothing else.

I can’t think of a scarier test of self-trust than to let go of validation or achievement, but to believe that your voice alone is worthy.

And now we begin. ✍️

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

Five leaders. Five stories. Five ideas worth hearing.

For the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of working with the five leaders taking the stage at Speak & Rise.

And underneath all of our work has been one question:

What is the thing you know now that someone else needs to hear?

On September 19, John Hardy, Steve Miksta, Michelle Rutkowski, Sara Johnson, and Thomas McPherson will each have seven minutes to answer it.

Not to perform. Not to prove.

To share something true that might change something for someone else.

Speak & Rise
September 19 | Kiln Biltmore, Phoenix
Doors open at 6 PM ❤️

09/09/2026

I had such a meaningful conversation with Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer on The Fun & Bliss Show.

We talked about emotional bravery, authentic influence, visibility, perfectionism, and what it means to be fully seen without abandoning yourself in the process.

I shared why you do not need to be perfect to be powerful, how performing for approval can disconnect us from our truth, and what becomes possible when we lead from grounded presence instead.

The more I have achieved and received, the more I’ve realized that the indestructible things that will never go away are the simplest things: being at home, with my children, my family, and creating memories with the people I love most.

Thank you, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer | Filmmaker | Radio/Podcast Host, for holding space for this beautiful conversation about being brave enough to be seen.

The episode is called “Brave Enough to Be Seen.” Watch and listen now on
🎥 YouTube | 🎧 Spotify |🍎 Apple Podcasts:

09/03/2026

Some of us were never meant to fit the mold.

We were built to create it.

The shift is recognizing that being a misfit isn’t a problem to solve. It’s an identity to own.

Because the message we put out is the drum we beat.

If you’re a thought leader, a founder, or someone with a voice that’s meant to create change, your job isn’t to keep saying something different just to be understood.

It’s to keep saying the thing you’re here to say.

Your thought leadership becomes the mold you set. The standard you believe is possible.

For me, that’s your authentic self. Your true voice.

That’s the path to greater influence. And ultimately, to mastery.

🎙️ I loved exploring this and so much more with Steve Miksta, CEO of Oppty and host of The Subconscious Blocks for Leaders to Unlock Influence and Scale Teams. Steve Miksta

09/02/2026

The most powerful thing a leader can share isn’t always what they know.

It’s what they’ve lived, what it taught them, and the truth they can now give to someone else.

That is Speak & Rise.

On September 19, five leaders and special guest speakers will take the stage in Phoenix to share the ideas and experiences shaping how they lead.

For founders, CEOs, and leaders, it’s a chance to see what authentic authority looks like in practice: how your story can strengthen your voice, clarify what you stand for, and deepen the way people connect with your leadership.

For everyone in the room, it’s an evening to hear perspectives that shift how you see yourself, your work, and what might be possible next.

Speak & Rise
September 19 | Kiln Biltmore, Phoenix
Doors open at 6 PM

Come for the ideas. Leave with something you’ll carry forward. :heart: