Courage over clout.

 I just went back and forth with a PR agency that said they wanted to feature me as a Top Speaker to Follow in 2025.

Let’s talk about those shiny features and accolades you see in the marketing world.

You know the ones:
“Be featured as a Top Speaker!”
“You’ve been selected as one of the Best in the Industry!”

And then surprise, it comes with a price tag, often $1,000 or more.

For me, this kind of pay-to-play recognition doesn’t sit right. It’s not aligned with my values or my brand. It feels inauthentic. And in a world constantly telling us to stand out, I want to make sure I’m standing on something real.

I’ve worked too hard, and for too long, to buy my way into credibility. If I’m truly one of the best at what I do, I want that recognition to come because the work speaks for itself, because someone referred me, because lives and leadership actually changed.

And truly, if those kinds of features are a good use of your marketing budget and align with your values? No judgment. You do you. We’re all navigating this in our own way.

While I appreciate the notice and the ask, I know that for me, if I have to abandon my values to gain visibility, the people who find me from that spotlight probably weren’t meant for my work anyway. I want the award I earned, and a real audience with real community, not the one I had to pay for so someone else can cover their costs.

That may be naive.
It’s also courageous.
And it’s mine.

I’m curious, how do you stay rooted in your values when the pressure to stand out feels loud?