She Doesn't Shrink™: A Raw Moment at IMC
- Stephanie Puryear Helling
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 6
Sometimes the most meaningful moments happen when things don't go according to plan.
Earlier this year at International Maxwell Certification (IMC), my name was the first one drawn during the Speaker Jam lottery.
The only problem?
I wasn't in the room when it happened.
Not one, but two Maxwell coaches and friends texted me during lunch:
"Your name was the first one drawn!"
Ironically, I had already convinced myself it was unlikely my name would be selected anyway.
And if I'm being completely honest, I had also started talking myself out of it.
Not because I was afraid to speak.
I've shared this message before. I've delivered longer versions from the stage. I've spoken about resilience, reinvention, leadership, and personal growth to audiences across the country.
But this felt different.
The stories behind She Doesn't Shrink™ were years in the making. The manuscript had already been written and was being refined for publication. I had delivered versions of the message before, but condensing a deeply personal story into three minutes felt daunting.
I wasn't sure three minutes could do the message justice.
I worried about losing the impact, the arc, and the meaning of the story.
And if I'm being honest, speaking to 2,000 people has never intimidated me nearly as much as speaking in front of a room full of fellow speakers, coaches, mentors, and communication professionals.
So I passed.
Not because I didn't believe in the message.
Because I wasn't convinced the format was the right fit for a story this personal.
Later that evening, my mentor, Chris Robinson, asked if I would share the talk during the next morning's mentorship huddle.
The next morning, at 7:30 a.m., I stood on the main stage before the event officially opened and shared the message.
No slides.
No stage outfit.
No elaborate production.
Just a message.
The Question Behind the Message
The talk begins with a question life started asking me more than a decade ago:
"Can I survive this?"
For me, that question emerged through experiences that shaped both my life and this book.
A son's cancer diagnosis.
Divorce after more than two decades of marriage.
Career disruption.
Caregiving.
Reinvention.
Loss.
Uncertainty.
And the realization that resilience is not something we either have or don't have.
It is something we build.
That realization became the foundation of She Doesn't Shrink™: 21 Days and 21 Ways to Strengthen Your Resiliency Muscle.
Watch the Video
As the video closes, you'll hear the first public preview of the upcoming
She Doesn't Shrink™ song, along with photos captured from that unexpected morning at IMC.
The lyrics reinforce the message at the heart of the book:
"Stop playing small—this is your voice."
"Step into it now—this is your choice."
Looking back, I'm grateful I said yes.
Not because the talk was perfect.
Not because the moment was perfect.
But because sometimes the message matters more than the format.
Sometimes the opportunity arrives differently than we expected.
And sometimes the message finds its audience in ways we never planned.
A Book, A Message, and A Movement
What began as a personal story eventually became a manuscript.
That manuscript became a book.
That book became a message.
And that message continues to open doors to conversations about resilience, leadership, growth, faith, courage, and what it means to remain whole under pressure.
Because pressure was never meant to shrink us.
It was meant to strengthen us.
She Doesn't Shrink™: 21 Days and 21 Ways to Strengthen Your Resiliency Muscle
Now available for pre-order.
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