By Penny Power – Business Author & Human-Centred Speaker
There’s a Japanese philosophy I’ve always loved: Kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The cracks aren’t hidden. They’re celebrated. Because they’re part of the object’s story.
I believe the same can be true for us.
As a leadership motivational speaker, I meet thousands of businesspeople who are holding things together on the outside, while quietly holding pain on the inside. And I want to offer something different:
You are not broken. You are becoming.
And your cracks? They are where the light gets in.
Why I Speak About the Hard Stuff
I’ve always welcomed people who share the real, raw parts of their journey, the moments of adversity, not just achievement.
As my wise 85-year-old friend once said:
“If someone looks like they have the perfect life, you don’t know them very well.”
And it’s true. Every inspiring leader I’ve met has known pain, and has used it to grow, not just personally, but professionally.
That’s the message I carry to every audience I serve – whether I’m speaking as an event keynote speaker, business keynote speaker, or connecting speaker in corporate spaces. I believe vulnerability is leadership. And it’s time we honoured the cracks – the quiet, unseen work that happens when no one’s watching.
Business and Life Can Break You, But It Can Also Rebuild You
When I wrote Business Is Personal, it was after my own breakdown in 2018, a time when I realised I’d been surviving, not thriving. Like many others, I’d been told to “keep going,” to perform, to stay strong. But healing doesn’t happen through pretending. It happens in stillness. In solitude. In softness.
And it was my purpose, my mission to build community, that kept me going.
10 Lessons I’ve Learned About Growth After Breaking
When I’m invited to speak as a leadership speaker, teamwork speaker, or inspirational speaker (female), I bring lived experience to the stage. Not theory. Not polished perfection. But truth.
So if I could offer a few things I’ve learned along the way, to anyone who feels broken or lost, it would be these:
- Life is about elimination. Let the dirt wash away. Keep the gold.
- When you’re exhausted, reach into your heart. It holds the deeper energy.
- Stop chasing money. Start chasing impact.
- You are more courageous than you realise. You will get through this.
- Don’t strive to be bigger. Strive to be better.
- Be someone who lifts others. Don’t repeat bad news.
- Surround yourself with high-vibe people who genuinely want you to succeed.
- Know your truth. Don’t cling to identities that no longer fit.
- Embrace the grit. It’s what makes you human, and magnetic.
- Show people they matter. Make others know that their life has significance.
These aren’t just motivational soundbites. They work.
Because business is not just strategy. It’s personal. It’s emotional. It’s real.
The New Kind of Speaker Business Needs
If you have come to my site because you heard me speak, I am so happy that we are remaining in touch. If you are seeking a speaker, then thank you for taking time to get to know me.
Remember, sometimes, being broken is the beginning of everyone’s greatest chapter.
