By Penny Power – Business Author & Human-Centred Speaker
Over tea with a wise woman in her 80s, I found myself reflecting on a quiet crisis we rarely name, the need to feel significant to those who matter to us.
We spoke about the kinds of relationships that hold you when life gets messy. The rare people you can confide in without fear of judgement. People who really listen, not to compare or compete, but to understand.
We agreed on something simple but profound:
“If someone looks like they have the perfect life, you don’t know them very well.”
And that’s painful, especially for Business leaders, Business Owners and Founders
As a leadership speaker and community builder, I’m privileged to hear the stories behind the success. And what I hear most is not about money or metrics, it’s about loneliness. About comparison. About the quiet ache of feeling invisible, even when you’re surrounded by people.
Significance in the Age of Disconnection
The digital world has accelerated everything, but connection hasn’t kept up. Likes have replaced conversations. DMs have replaced coffee chats. And somewhere in the mix, we’ve started to question our worth.
You don’t need to go viral to matter.
You don’t need a million followers to feel significant.
You just need a few people in your life who really see you.
You need to be that person for someone else.
As a connecting speaker and networking speaker, I help audiences see how emotional intelligence and human connection are not “soft skills”, they are essential strategies in modern leadership.
When I Broke Down, I Woke Up
In 2018, I reached a breaking point, one that changed everything. I wasn’t thriving. I was coping. Behind my resilience was pain. Behind my smile was exhaustion. That moment birthed my book, Business Is Personal, and with it, a new way of leading, softer, deeper, more real.
Since then, I’ve made it my mission, on stage and off to bring warmth, empathy, and emotional safety back into business.
Because when we don’t feel significant, we disappear in our own lives.
And in business? Disconnection kills creativity, courage, and contribution.
As a leadership motivational speaker and event keynote speaker, I remind audiences that business is human. That leadership is about seeing people. That real success is built on significance, not just visibility.
We Don’t Need More Noise, We Need More Meaning
One line I return to again
“If someone looks like they have the perfect life, you don’t know them very well.”
Everyone is carrying something.
And we don’t need to fix it, we just need to see them.
Whether I’m speaking to founders, teams, or large audiences as a teamwork speaker or business keynote speaker, this message resonates: Emotional safety drives performance. Significance unlocks potential.
And your next conversation could be the one that reminds someone they matter.
This Week, I Invite You to Reflect:
- Do you feel significant to the people who matter most in your life?
- Is there someone in your world who may need that reminder from you?
- How could you deepen one relationship, just a little, this week?
You don’t need a stage to make an impact.
You just need the courage to ask: “How are you, really?”
That’s leadership. That’s connection. That’s how change begins.
And if you’re looking for an inspirational speaker (female) who speaks with honesty, empathy, and lived experience, I’d love to bring this message to your team, event, or audience.
Because when we remember we are significant, we rise.
And when we show others they are significant, we all rise together.
