I've been on stages for over 20 years. And I want to be honest with you about something, it was not a straight climb upward. There were big wins, yes. But there were also very public failures. Bouts of real shame. Moments where I missed the mark badly enough that I had to sit quietly with a question I didn't want to answer: Am I actually built for this? I want to talk about that question specifically, because I think if you're wired the way I'm wired... observant, internal, introverted, someone who processes deeply and feels things more than you let on, failure doesn't just sting. It tends to confirm a story you've already been quietly telling yourself. That you're not quite enough. The people who make it look effortless must have something you don't. Maybe you should have waited until you were more ready. That shame spiral is a particular kind of trap for people like us. Because we're already doing more internal work than most people realize, and when something goes wrong in public, it doesn't just sit on the surface. It goes deep. It gets absorbed. And it can stay there for a long time if you don't know how to work with it. Here's what I eventually learned...not from a book, but from actually failing repeatedly on stages, in front of people, and having to figure out how to come back. Failure, when you don't let it finish you, strips your ego down to something more useful. It teaches you how to listen without defending yourself. How to take feedback without collapsing or shutting down. How to look at what went wrong with enough honesty to actually fix it. That capacity... to stay open when everything in you wants to contract... that became the foundation of what I now call magnetic confidence. And I want to be clear about what I mean by that, because it's different from what most people teach. Magnetic confidence is not the belief that you won't fail. It's not performing certainty you don't feel. It's not telling yourself you're the best in the room. For people who are quiet by nature, that kind of performed confidence doesn't just feel fake — it feels like a betrayal of who you actually are. And it never holds up under real pressure because it was never real to begin with.

My name is Ebonie Smith. I am a music producer based in LA. I’m excited to be here and step into this space with you all. I’m coming in with a deep interest in strengthening how I communicate my ideas, especially in a way that feels grounded, clear, and impactful. Public speaking is something I am comfortable and confident with, but I have never studied it formally. I want to grow into it more fully, not just in terms of confidence but in how I shape stories, hold attention, and connect with people in real time. I’m hoping to learn practical tools, refine my voice, and push past some of the limits I have. Looking forward to learning alongside you all and seeing how we each evolve through this process.

My name is AP Faust, I am an artist working primarily in Collage. I am currently the Operations Director at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center where I also produce our concert series and gallery programming throughout the year. Excited to see this project grow and learn more about the folks in this network!

Hi friends, this video hasn't been seen yet. I plan on releasing it next week on YouTube but I wanted to share it with my new community first. I'll be giving you all first access to content before it hits my socials. I hope you find value in my story. And thanks for being here. Let's grow our voice together and let me help you turn your own story into inspiration for others.

Let's get to know each other! Go to the "Discussions" Tab and share where you are in the world, a photo of your workspace, and something you like to do for fun. 😊 I'll go first! I'm Genesis Be, founder of Main Character Lab. I love watching American Dad and playing Zelda on Nintendo Switch. I'm based in Atlanta! I'm so psyched to work with you all... lets goooooooo