Nora's Copy

Chief Storyteller 

Big Change Makers

As a Social Impact Coach, I : 

- Mentor purpose-driven entrepreneurs to turn their purpose into projects
- I help you identify social missions and craft sustainable strategies to achieve them
- Refine business models so you can create social impact without a financial trade-off
- Provide guidance on securing funding, accessing resources, and building strategic partnerships
- Offer ongoing support and accountability to help you navigate challenges to your social goals
-Facilitate networking opportunities and connections within the social entrepreneurship ecosystem

Practitioner Coach

Nora's Needle

www.norasneedle.com is a sustainable fashion brand that was registered with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2014 and focuses on the designs of timeless pieces of female clothing using African print.  A sustainable, minimalist and urban brand, Nora’s Needle creates clothing that are elegant and at the same time eco-friendly. Using a variety of channels, Nora’s Needle advocates and raises awareness via its #whomademyclothes campaign on the environmental impact of fast fashion and why consumers should be interested in the global discussion using #whomademyclothes.

•      In this role, I managed internal communication, external communication and employee 
        engagement activities for Nora's Needle.

•	Led a 5-man team of designers to Conceptualize and create timeless and trans-seasonal clothing 
        designs that do not end up in landfills.

•	Generated web content and social media content for the brand.

•	Worked closely with the team to implement ethical and sustainable methods of production and 
        supply that ensures maximum benefits to customers while minimizing impact to the environment.

•	Designed and delivered strategic capacity building workshops that integrate ethical and 
        sustainable design principles to all employees, including but not limited to tailored tools, 
        resources, visual management or communications tools, one on one support and/or training 
        workshops.

•	Created pitches for collaborations with key partners and supervised marketing and public relations 
         efforts.

•	Supervised order fulfillment on all sales channels and general customer-retention strategies

Project Manager

Inspire Decisions Consulting

www.inspiredecisions.com is a social enterprise and certified ISO 20700 Management Consultancy Service Provider that collaborates with government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector companies and leading international development organizations to conduct research, analyse policies, develop strategies and implement programs that promote resilience, sustainable food security, improved nutrition, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.
While with IDC, I : 

• Developed and conducted due diligence and organizational capacity assessments prior to  entering strategic relationships and partnerships with the company’s network of private  companies, financial institutions, civil society organizations, other public agencies, and 
Smallholder farmers’ cooperatives and associations while maintaining a Management Information System (MIS) for partners 
• Led the development of external advocacy and communication messages and campaigns for key donor-funded projects/assignments such as (FCDO/Palladium) implemented by Inspired Decisions Consulting Ltd.
• Managed all communication, branding, social media, video production, and web content creation processes.
• Managed the communications team and track performance 
• Managed company relationships with the media, and advertising and public relations agencies. 
• Generated sales leads through events and content marketing. 
• Supported local smallholder farmer cooperatives and associations executives to use and internalize effective mass and tailored media communication and information channels adapted to their contexts including channels such as radio, SMS, WhatsApp and interactive voice response channels (IVR).

Head of Partnerships and Communications

Seconded to Meadow Foods, I provided communications and public relations-related technical advisory services on its GrowIT Project. GrowIT targets 20,000 smallholder farmers in Adamawa and Gombe State and is funded by the Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity implemented by a consortium led by Mercy Corps, alongside Save the Children and IFDC as implementing partners. I was primarily responsible for leading communications and strategically positioning the GrowIT brand. To that end, I :

 *Led the development of external advocacy and communication messages and campaigns for key donor-funded projects/ assignments funded by USAID through Mercy Corps Nigeria's Rural Resilence Activity.
* Managed all communication, branding, social media, video production, and web content creation processes. (Create a social media calendar, create captions for each post and schedule posts on Hootsuite and other apps so I can Copy Once & Post Everywhere -COPE )
* Managed the communications team and track performance
* Managed company relationship with the media, and advertising and public relations agencies.
*Managed strategic communications for Meadow Foods Co-founder
*Worked with Directors, Deputies, and Program Managers or their designates so I can write, edit, design, and produce engaging, accurate, and useful knowledge products and resources including print and digital handouts, FAQs, talking points, newsletters, success stories, articles, blog posts, presentations, infographics, posters, journal articles, conference and event materials and training resources.
*Created and managed an editorial calendar while maintaining editorial vision: voice, image across all content and assets.
*Ensured that the GrowIT project is on the major screens, airwaves, social media, print etc so that the project gets measurable traction and mileage which eventually converted to sales.

Communications Consultant for Meadow Foods GrowIT Project

Ciphermedia Limited

www.ciphermedialtd.com is an information technology firm  with the primary objective of helping businesses leverage on the power of the internet by having an online presence in the forms of ecommerce sites, content management systems and/or online marketing. 

•	Led a 3-man team of content producers to ensure contents met clients’ brief and overall objectives of their website.
 
•	Collaborated with the design team to plan and develop content, style and layout that were consistent for 20 brands, across 10 industries.

• Provided audience mapping and created compelling content for Ciphermedialtd subscribers via
Mailchimp marketing.

•	Edited the "About" and "Services" pages for www.ciphermedialtd.com 

•	Built staff capacity through trainings on SEO and SEM to ensure that clients’ ranked high in search results.

•	Worked closely with the team to create business pitches to attract new projects for Ciphermedia Limited.

Communications Manager

Etisalat Nigeria

Etisalat Nigeria (now 9mobile) is a multinational Emirati based telecommunication services provider, with operations in 15 countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

•	Provided superior customer service via phone and email both as a caller and receiver.

•	Employed questioning and listening skills to support callers/clients 

•	Escalated high level queries to support units

•	Appropriately communicated with different behaviour types on the telephone and via email and managed irate customers. 

•	Appropriately communicated with different behaviour types on the telephone and via email and managed irate customers. 

•	Marketed the company’s products and services through various cross-selling strategies.

Customer Care Executive

MTN Nigeria

MTN is an emerging markets mobile telecommunications operator at the forefront of technological and digital changes. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, its operations cut across a number of African, Asian and European countries. 

•	Answered incoming calls from Pay As You Go (PAYG) and contract customers. 

•	Provided first call resolution on customers’ queries on products and services as well as network-related issues. 

•	Referred advanced queries to high level support. 

•	Logged all call types for record keeping. 

•	Telemarketed and provided after-sales services

•	I used Single View, Minsat and other applications to check the status of callers’ lines.

•	Achieved Customer Satisfaction Rating of 98% within the first six months of joining the company, thus increasing customer retention.

•	Consistently maintained a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) of over 95% for ten months.

Online Customer Care Rep

"I do this for Lucy. I'd do anything for her. Because if my presence doesn't make an impact, my absence won't make a difference".

One hot afternoon in May 2005, Nora walked into her friend Lucy's mother's empty restaurant. There, she found the woman in excruciating pain, sobbing as she rubbed some balm on her sore knees. It was clear her line of work exacerbated her arthritis.

Curious, Nora asked why she stuck with a job that worsened her health. 

"I do this for Lucy. I'd do anything for her. Because if my presence doesn't make an impact, my absence won't make a difference, she said."

Those words hit Nora hard and stayed with her through the years. 'No life is complete unless it impacts another'.

From Quilla Bohannon, who brings joy to kids with hair loss through "Free Wigs 4 Kids", to Nigerian Hydroponic Farmer, Samson Ogbole,  and all the purpose-driven individuals whose stories she has told…these impact stories, they're her jam.

With a background in development communications, feature writing, and digital storytelling, Nora has over 12 years of experience in humanitarian and gender-based issues.

In 2005, for example, she conducted the first-ever project on Female Genital Mutilation for the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri. This research yielded vital recommendations and laid the groundwork for development communication efforts in the Zawiya Community.

In 2022, Nora kicked off "Tell Your Brand Story," a 51,000-subscriber-strong newsletter that has empowered professionals and entrepreneurs with the tools to master brand storytelling. 

She’s also the creator of “The 7-Day Personal Branding Email Challenge,” where she's trained 112 entrepreneurs from 7 countries to build stellar brands on LinkedIn.

She is a strong advocate for climate action, a loving wife, and a mom.

Nora is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Storytelling and Social Impact. She has been featured in LA Weekly, InStyle, Insights Success, the Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, and Marketing Edge.

In 2023, she was listed as one of the top 100 Content Creators in Nigeria and #1 in Writing and storytelling by Favikon. 

Nora is committed to empowering organizations, entrepreneurs, and professionals to harness the power of storytelling for sustainable impact, influence, and income.

Nora Agbakhamen

BCG BrightHouse

BrightHouse Luminary

Crowley Group

Global Director

National Geographic

Anthropologist, Filmmaker, TED Speaker

TED Conferences

Global Speaker. Keynote Addresses include Oxford University, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, and Harvard University.

TED Speaker

Global Innovator | Humanitarian | National Geographic Explorer | United Nations Visionary Award Recipient | TED Speaker

After decades of bridging the world's most remote regions and Fortune 500 boardrooms, 
I've discovered this:

Your internal compass is more accurate than any external map.

As a National Geographic Explorer, 
I've studied navigators who masterfully find their way without GPS, 
maps, or permission. They navigate by trust. By instinct. By knowing.

I empower leaders to do the same.

My Work: 

National Geographic Explorer • Documented navigation mastery across 50+ cultures • UN Visionary Award Recipient • TED Speaker • BCG BrightHouse Luminary advising organizations, including Google through transformation • Author (forthcoming)

Problem: 

Most leaders navigate by committee, consensus, and comparison. 
It creates confusion and uncertainty.

Solution:

Your internal compass leads to clarity and conviction.

Methodology:

1. Navigational Intelligence
Strengthen your internal guidance system 

2. Transition Mastery
Move through change with precision, not panic.

3. Leadership Clarity
Lead by conviction, not consensus 

4. Decision Confidence
Trust your judgment when it matters most

Conclusion:

- Your first instinct holds the answer. 
It's pattern recognition and accumulated experiential knowledge. 

- Consensus dilutes clarity. 
The clearest path comes from internal alignment. 

- Navigation is a skill. 
It can be developed, strengthened, and trusted.

The same principles that guide navigators across 
vast and turbulent seas apply to your strategic decisions, 
career transitions, and leadership challenges.

The most expensive mistake leaders make is following someone else's map.
Your compass works. The question is whether you'll trust it.

🧭 Follow for daily insights on navigating with clarity and conviction.

WORK WITH ME

Keynotes | Executive Advisory | Organizational Transformation
For inquiries, please send me a direct message.

From those who’ve experienced my work:

“Elizabeth's timeless insights provided critical unlocks to our team and will no doubt do the same for a broad audience.” 

Ashley Grice, CEO BCG BrightHouse

"Elizabeth is a spellbinding presenter who embodies an inimitable coherence as a daring explorer, visionary, and courageous advocate for cultures around the world."

Dr. Chellie Spiller, Leader-in-Residence, Oxford University

"Elizabeth has greatly honored her cultural heritage. She is superbly qualified for her global quest to find and protect the essence of at-risk cultures." 

Captain Don Walsh, National Geographic, Ocean Elder

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Minutes are pieces of a life.
Look who's handing you theirs.

This Thanksgiving, I am thinking about gratitude
 in a different way.

"Appreciate those who give you their time.
 It is not just time.
 It is a piece of their life."

Not the meetings.
Not the quick calls.
The real moments.

To my mentor, who pushed me to write a keynote
I did not believe I had it in me.
Then spent hours revising it
until it became more than either of us imagined.

To the coach who taught me martial arts at dawn,
sending 6 am messages,
 walking me through each step
 like it was the middle of the day.

To the friend who stayed close after surgery,
 awake through hard nights,
 steady through painful setbacks.

When someone gives you their time,
they choose you over every other 
demand on their attention.

They give you a piece of life
they'll never see again.

They weren't just giving hours.
They were giving their heartbeats 
they'll never get back.

We thank people for gifts.
For opportunities.
For kindness.

But do we really see
the magnitude of their time?

In a world chasing "more,"
one truth is unchanging:

Time is the only currency
that doesn't return.

You can make more money.
Find new chances.
Meet new people.

But those long afternoons
someone spent teaching you.

Those early mornings
they chose you over rest,
are pieces of a finite life.

They decided you were worth it.

So this Thanksgiving, my gratitude is simple.

Not just for what people gave me,
but for who they chose to be
in my presence.

For the parts of their journey
they allowed me to witness.

For the moments they could have been
anywhere else, with anyone else,
and still chose here.

Your presence is your rarest gift.
Where you place it matters.
Who receives it matters even more.

Look around your table this week,
virtual or physical.

These are not only people sharing a meal.
They're sharing their existence.

That's not just time.
It's love.

Who deserves your gratitude?

Share this with someone
whose time changed your life.

If you found this valuable,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more.

Visual Credit: diary2feel

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 

The right people don’t try to rebuild you.
They remind you you were never broken.

It took me decades to understand this.

I used to think relationships required work.
Constant effort. Endless compromise.
Walking on eggshells.

Then I met people who felt like oxygen.

No performance required.
No masks needed.
Just me, fully seen.

Here's how you recognize them:

• They celebrate your wins.
With genuine joy.
Your success is their happiness.

• They remember small things.
The book you mentioned.
Details that say: I see you.

• They respect your boundaries.
Your "no" is enough.
Your limits are sacred.

• You feel energized after seeing them.
Not exhausted. Not depleted.
You leave fuller than you arrived.

• They listen without defending.
They hear your hurt
without making it about them.

• They allow you to be fully yourself.
Your joys. Your sorrows.
All of you belongs.

• They make you feel safe.
Not just physically.
Emotionally. Spiritually.

• You don't have to edit yourself.
No watching what you say.
No calculating responses.

• They support your goals.
Even when it means less of them.
Your dreams matter.

I spent years accepting less.
Calling it normal.

It's not.

The right people feel like home.
The one you deserved.

They don't complete you.
They witness you completing yourself.

They don't fix you.
They create space for you to heal.

They don't need you small.
They celebrate you expanding.

Here's what changed everything:

1. I stopped explaining myself
to people committed to debating.

2. I stopped shrinking
for people who needed me small.

3. I stopped apologizing
for taking up space.

Now I protect my energy
like the precious resource it is.

The people who belong stayed.
The ones who didn't were lessons.

You deserve people who:

- Match your energy
- Honor your journey  
- Celebrate your becoming

Life's too short
for relationships that require
you to be less than you are.

The right people will find you.
But first, you must know your worth.

Who feels like oxygen for you?

If you found this valuable,
share with those who deserve more.

For more insights on navigating 
with clarity, join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: HerPsychology

Someone you know is fighting an invisible war.
Choose to lift them today.

I worked with an executive
at Google some years back.

Brilliant guy. His team loved him.
Strong leader in every way.

But something was wrong.

His energy would tank around 3 pm.
He'd lose focus during big decisions.
By evening calls, his patience was gone.

Not because of the work.
But because of what he was doing
when no one was watching.

He finally told me what his calendar
couldn't show:

4 hours of sleep most nights.
No workouts because meetings
always ran over.

Living on coffee and whatever
was in the conference room.

Eating dinner at his desk at 10 pm.
Telling his family "next
quarter will be better."

His neglected health became a problem.

We didn't touch his leadership approach.
We changed the invisible stuff:

-Saying 'no' faster to misaligned people.
-Protecting his sleep as a vital asset.
-Scheduling non-negotiable thinking time.

Three months in, the change was real.

His afternoon energy matched his mornings.
Decisions came faster and clearer.
His presence felt different, steadier, more grounded.

But here's what stayed with me most:

From the outside, this guy looked fine.
Successful. Respected. In control.

But inside he was drowning.

No one knew because he never showed it.
Because leaders aren't supposed to struggle.
Because admitting you're barely keeping it together
feels like failure.

That's when I realized something:

Everyone around us is carrying something we can't see.

The colleague who snapped in the meeting.
The friend who's been distant lately.
The person who seems fine but isn't.

We're all fighting invisible battles.

And sometimes, one kind word is the difference
between someone breaking 
and someone breaking through.

I started noticing it more after working with him.

- How a simple "you good?" can open a real conversation.
- How checking in without agenda can 
change someone's week.
- How being present for 5 minutes can mean more than 
talking for an hour.

We spend so much time managing perception.
Trying to look like we have it together.
Forgetting that everyone else is doing the same thing.

What if we stopped pretending?

What if we asked the real questions?
What if we shared the real struggles?
What if we lifted each other up instead of comparing?

You don't need a title to do this.
You don't need permission to care.

Just pay attention.
Just reach out.
Just be real.

Who can you check in on today?

If you found this helpful, share it with 
someone who may need this message.

For more on leadership mastery, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @entrepreneurshipfacts

National Geographic Explorer | Helping leaders to gain clarity in uncertainty | United Nations Visionary Award | TED Speaker

Walk like you just got good news.
Talk like the world is listening.

Energy is magnetic.
Your confidence will bend reality.

I learned this the hard way.

Years ago, my film premiered
with the Honolulu Symphony.
It received praise. And criticism.

Public. Painful. Unrelenting.

I had two choices:
1. To shrink from the noise.
2. Or stand in my truth.

So I made a quiet decision.
I would walk into every room
like my work mattered.

Like the praise was louder than the pain.
Like I belonged there.

Shoulders back.
Eyes clear.
Energy steady.

Then something shifted.

New invitations arrived.
Better projects found me.
Stronger allies appeared.

Here’s what I saw:

Confidence is not a costume.
It’s a way of moving.

It doesn’t wait for proof.
It becomes the proof.

When you move differently,
life responds differently.

Walk like you're headed
somewhere important.
People will be attracted to you.

Speak like your words matter.
People will lean in to listen.

Act like life is working with you.
You'll start to notice that it is.

I've tested this around the world.
In boardrooms. On stages.
Through criticism. Through triumph.

The pattern is clear.
People who expect good things
see what others miss.

They reach for chances others leave.
They build momentum others never start.

Not because they’re lucky.
But because they’re ready.

Critics will always exist.
But they'll only win
if you back down.

Walk like you've already won.
Talk like you matter.
Move like good news is on its way.

What’s one change you can make?

Repost for those who are ready to shift.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey for more insights.

I wasn’t ready. I did it anyway. 
That’s when everything changed.

Years ago, I accepted a job
I wasn't qualified for.
On paper, at least.

Others had better credentials.
More experience.
Stronger resumes.

During the interview, they asked:
"Why should we choose you?"

I told the truth:

"I don't know everything.
But I'll outwork everyone.
I’ll find what others miss."

They took the chance.
I took the leap.

Those first months were brutal.
Everyone else seemed to know more.
They moved faster. Spoke louder.

I wanted to quit daily.
Instead, I studied nightly.

These lessons saved me:

LESSON 1: 
Your difference is your advantage.

Stop trying to be a better version of them.
Be the only version of you.

Action: 
List 3 things you bring that others don't.
Focus there. Obsessively.

LESSON 2: 
Make your weakness your teacher

Every gap showed me where to grow.
Every struggle taught me resilience.
Every mistake became wisdom.

Action: 
Pick your biggest weakness.
Study it for 15 minutes daily.
In 90 days, it won't be a weakness.

LESSON 3: 
Build bridges, not walls.

I couldn't win by competing.
I won by connecting.
By making everyone better.

Action: 
Help one person daily.
No agenda. No expectation.

LESSON 4: 
Document everything

I kept notes on every lesson.
My struggles became my roadmap.

Action: 
End each day with this question:
"What did today teach me?" 

That role I wasn't ready for
launched my career.

Not because I was qualified.
But because I was willing.

Every expert was once unqualified.
Every master was once a disaster.
Every leader was once terrified.

The difference is
they started anyway.

Your inexperience isn't a liability.
It's your superpower.

If there’s a job you're not ready for,
take it.

If there’s an opportunity that scares you,
grab it.

If there’s a dream that feels too big,
embrace it.

You don’t need to be ready.
You need to be willing.

Ready is a luxury.
Brave is a choice.

Choose brave.
The universe is waiting.

What will you say yes to?

Repost for someone willing to say “yes.”
Love, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 💕

Critics reveal more about themselves than you.
You’ll never be judged by someone doing more.

It's often the people going nowhere
who have something to say.

I’ve noticed this pattern everywhere.

When I launched my first expedition, 
explorers cleared the path. 
Doubters waited for me to fail.

When I started speaking publicly, 
speakers cheered me. 
Critics judged me.

When I started writing, 
authors opened doors. 
Skeptics dismissed my voice.

Builders encourage building.
They know how hard the first brick is.

Climbers encourage climbing.
They remember the bottom.

Creators encourage creating.
They understand the blank page.

The critics will list every reason you'll fail.

Not because they're wiser.
But because your courage 
mirrors their fear.

Your action exposes their excuses.
Your progress threatens their comfort.

Here's what I've learned:

Criticism from the sidelines
is just noise from the stands.

The players are too busy playing
to tear down your game.

People doing the work
want you to succeed.

They've felt the fear you're facing.
They've fought the doubts you're fighting.
They've walked the path you're starting.

They'll share the shortcuts.
Open the doors.
Light the way.

Choose whose voices matter.

Listen to those who've been there.
Learn from those still going.
Ignore those who never started.

Your dreams don't need everyone's approval.
Just courage and a first step.

Who's cheering you on?

Repost for those taking their first step.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for me mindset insights.

Perspective is your hidden power.
99% of people never use it.

During the hardest year of my life, 
I thought everything was falling apart.

Years later, I realized
everything was falling into place.
I just couldn't see it yet.

Perspective isn't about being positive.
It's about being precise.

Watch what happens when you shift your lens:

1. Obstacles become opportunities
Every closed door teaches you
to build your own.

2. Struggles become strength
The weight that nearly breaks you
builds muscles you didn't know you had.

3. Setbacks become stepping stones
Each failure shows you 
what doesn't work.

4. Rejection becomes resilience
Every "no" redirects you.
It’s protection in disguise.

5. Shadows reveal hidden truth
Your shadows hold your compass.
Pay attention.

6. Mistakes become masterclasses
Your biggest errors become
your greatest teachings.

7. Fears become fuel for courage
What scares you most
shows you where to grow.

8. Pain becomes purpose
Your deepest wounds can be
the most valuable gifts.

After decades of working
with leaders around the world,
I've learned:

The hardest season prepares you
for your highest calling.

This isn't wishful thinking.
It’s strategic thinking.

Nothing is happening to you.
Everything is happening for you.

You just need the right lens.

Your current struggle
isn’t your story's end.
It's your story's turning point.

Choose your lens wisely.
Your future depends on it.

Share this with someone who needs it.

If you found this valuable, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more insights.

I lost my husband to cancer when I was 50.
Lost our company at 51.

Grief and financial uncertainty arrived together, 
uninvited and overwhelming.

I had two choices: 

Let the losses define the rest of my life, 
or choose to see a future of possibility.

That season taught me something 
I now see everywhere in my work: 

The difference between a heavy heart 
and a peaceful one isn't circumstance. 
It's perspective.

And perspective is always a choice.

Problems hide possibilities.

When funding fell through for one of my projects, 
I saw a closed door. 

Then I chose to see an invitation to innovate. 
That "problem" led to my most meaningful work.

Now when something goes wrong, 
I write down the problem. 

Next to it, I write: 

"This is teaching me..." 
It's a small shift that changes everything.

Gratitude is a practice, not a feeling.

Fear and faith require equal energy.

I've stood before audiences of thousands. 
The fear never fully disappears. 

But worrying takes the same effort as preparing. 
One paralyzes. One empowers.

When fear rises, I ask: 
"What can I actually control here?" 
Then I focus only on that.

Your morning mind shapes your entire day.
Before dawn presentations or difficult conversations, 

I protect my first thoughts. No emails. No news. 
Just intention about who I choose to be.

Those five minutes determine the next twelve hours.
You can't control what happens. 
But you absolutely control how you see it.

And how you see it changes everything that follows.

Share this to inspire those at a crossroads.

For more on Mastery Mindset, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @acalltoleap

Transformation isn't complicated.

Waiting for it is.

Most people think change happens in one big moment.

The decision. The commitment. The declaration.

But that's not how it works.

Real transformation starts small.

It begins with a thought that won't leave you alone. 
Something you keep thinking about at 2am 
or during your commute.

Then one day, you act on it.

Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Just once.

You make a choice that feels different 
from your usual pattern.

Maybe you wake up at 6am 
instead of hitting snooze three times.

Or you send that cold email 
you've been putting off for weeks.

Or you skip the group lunch 
and spend 30 minutes writing instead.

Then you do it again. And again.

At first, it takes effort. You have to remind yourself.
You have to push through resistance.

The first month of writing my doctoral dissertation
was messy and overwhelming.

Half the time I stared at a blank screen.
The other half I deleted everything.

But slowly, it got easier.

What once required willpower became routine.
What felt unnatural started to feel normal.

By week three, I woke up before my alarm.
By month two, my fingers moved across
the keyboard without thinking.

Eventually, I started trusting the process.

I became who I envisioned myself to be.
A Doctor of Philosophy, an anthropologist
specializing in ethno-navigation.

The gap between who you are
and who you want to be isn't crossed in one leap.

It's crossed in small steps,
repeated until they become part of you.

What's one small step you can take?

If you found this valuable, share it with 
those daring to take the next step.

For more insights on leadership mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Surround yourself with people
who have bigger goals than you.

Ambition is contagious.

I learned this later in life.
Luckily it wasn’t too late.

Growing up, my sister and I
were the dreamers in our family.

The ones talking about possibilities
while others talked about problems.

The ones seeing further
while others saw barriers.

Then we changed rooms.

I moved to California where people 
were building empires
while I was building projects.

People thinking globally
while I was thinking locally.

People planing decades ahead
while I was planning quarters.

At first, I felt small.
Then I felt something shift.

Their normal became my new baseline.
Their minimum became my starting point.
Their casual wins became my next goals.

Here's what happens when you're
the smallest dreamer in the room:

Your impossible becomes inevitable.
What seemed unreachable last year
becomes this year's checklist.

Your excuses evaporate.
Hard to claim it can't be done
when someone next to you did it twice.

Your timeline accelerates.
Their urgency becomes your urgency.
Their pace becomes your pace.

Your standards elevate.
Good enough stops being enough.
Excellence becomes the expectation.

Your vision expands.
You stop thinking in limits.
You start thinking in multiples.

I used to worry about being the least 
accomplished person at the table.

Now I seek those tables out.

The people you spend time with
determine the thoughts you think.

Small goals are just as contagious
as big ones.

Comfort is just as contagious
as courage.

Choose your exposure wisely.

Find the people who make
your biggest dreams
look like starting points.

The ones whose failures teach more 
than others' successes.

Not to feel inferior.
But to feel inspired.

Not to shrink.
But to stretch.

Your potential isn't fixed.
It's influenced.

By every conversation.
Every room you enter.

If everyone around you
is comfortable where they are,
you will be too.

If everyone around you
is reaching for more,
you will too.

This isn't about comparison.
It's about the environment.

You don't need permission.
You need examples of what's possible.

Protect your ambition
by choosing your circle carefully.

Five years from now,
you'll be the average
of the dreams you're exposed to today.

Not because you're not enough.
Because you're capable of more.

Who's raising your ceiling?

If you found this valuable, 
share it with those who dare to dream.

For more insights on mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

I used to overthink everything.
Presence made me unshakeable.

It's your most underrated power.

When critics attacked my film work publicly, I chose silence. Not because I had no response, but because I'd finally learned that composure is far more effective.

Through decades of navigating uncertainty, I've discovered what actually creates real, lasting confidence.

Look people in the eyes. No matter who they are.

During an important meeting with television producer Steven Bochco and his team, I could feel the skepticism in the room. Instead of looking past the group, I connected with each person. Eye contact isn't confrontation. It's confirmation that you belong there.

Never answer immediately.

Early in my career, I rushed every response, desperate to prove I knew enough. Now I pause. Breathe. Consider. Those three seconds of silence carry more weight than rushed words ever could.

Keep your struggles private. Not secret, just private.

When I lost my husband and our company, I shared with those who mattered. Not for sympathy, but for support. Your struggles aren't social currency.

Stay calm when others can't.

During meetings at the United Nations, one committee member challenged me continually. Every question designed to destabilize. I responded with steadiness, to dismissal with data. Composure isn't weakness.

Dress with intention.

Your appearance is your first statement. Make it consciously. Clean, considered, comfortable. When you respect your presentation, others respond accordingly.

Speak slowly.

I learned this giving keynotes: speakers who rush lose the room. Those who pace their words own it. When you speak slowly, people lean in.

Stop caring what they think.

I spent years editing myself for imaginary critics. The truth is most people are consumed with their own concerns to judge yours.

Accept without reacting.

Research funding that disappeared. Partnerships that dissolved. Opportunities that vanished.

I learned to acknowledge without attachment, accept without anger, move forward without resentment.

Create your vision. Follow it.

At 43, I was a student again, starting my doctorate when everyone said it was too late.

At 50, I rebuilt everything when it would've been easier to retire. Your vision doesn't need validation.

These aren't techniques for impression. They're foundations for peace.

The film critics who attacked my work taught me my greatest lesson: when you know who you are, what others think becomes irrelevant. When you trust your vision, their doubts can't derail it.

Master these principles not to impress anyone, but to become immovable.

If you found this helpful, share it with those ready to build real, lasting confidence.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visla Credit: Mindsets

Your story is someone’s survival guide.
Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s a lifeline.

For decades, I've watched 
people hide their gifts. 
I did the same.

Here's how I 'un-learned' being invisible:

✅ I stopped waiting for permission. 
Grant it to yourself.
Sit at the table.

✅ I stopped hiding my scars. 
Your scars are credentials. 
Every struggle makes you real.

✅ I stopped apologizing for what I knew. 
Own what you know. 
The world needs it.

✅ I stopped dimming my light. 
You weren't born to play small. 
Your light helps others see possibility.

✅ I stopped seeking validation. 
The only validation that matters 
comes from within. 

✅ I stopped following a template. 
Break the mold. 
Your uniqueness is your power.

Your visibility gives others hope. 
Your story becomes their map.

Be brave. 
The world needs your light. 
Now more than ever.

What will you unlearn?
I'd love to know!

Share with those who want 
to own their light. 

Love,
Dr. Elizabeth

taplio

The Battle

Nora Agbakhamen

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Nora Agbakhamen

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance