Leaderly Quote: Clip on Your Superwoman Cape
By Jo Miller
I had barely spoken a word in four days. I’d been struggling to get over a cold and dealing with the very real threat of losing my voice just in time for International Women’s Day. It was to be the kick-off to a busy week in which I was booked to deliver five speaking presentations to large groups. Granted, a raspy voice can sound quite sexy, but it’s one of the worst things that can happen when you’re a speaker. In the days leading up to the first all-day event, I carried around a notepad and pen that I used to communicate so that my poor stressed-out vocal cords could get some rest. Here’s a page from the book I used the last time disaster struck, in 2014:
So that morning in March, in addition to my MacBook and usual assortment of USB drives, slides advancers and VGA adaptors, I had arrived at my client’s site with pockets stuffed full of DayQuil and cough drops, along with industrial strength 12-hour cough syrup in a cup that I could discreetly sip from the podium. All I needed now was a reliable working voice and for my confidence to return.
My phone buzzed with a text message. It was from my Operations and Marketing Manager, Angie Klein. “Clip on your superwoman cape and kick it,” she wrote, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I smiled, took the stage, and proceeded to do exactly as Angie instructed.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.

By Jo Miller
I had barely spoken a word in four days. I’d been struggling to get over a cold and dealing with the very real threat of losing my voice just in time for International Women’s Day. It was to be the kick-off to a busy week in which I was booked to deliver five speaking presentations to large groups. Granted, a raspy voice can sound quite sexy, but it’s one of the worst things that can happen when you’re a speaker. In the days leading up to the first all-day event, I carried around a notepad and pen that I used to communicate so that my poor stressed-out vocal cords could get some rest. Here’s a page from the book I used the last time disaster struck, in 2014:So that morning in March, in addition to my MacBook and usual assortment of USB drives, slides advancers and VGA adaptors, I had arrived at my client’s site with pockets stuffed full of DayQuil and cough drops, along with industrial strength 12-hour cough syrup in a cup that I could discreetly sip from the podium. All I needed now was a reliable working voice and for my confidence to return.
My phone buzzed with a text message. It was from my Operations and Marketing Manager, Angie Klein. “Clip on your superwoman cape and kick it,” she wrote, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I smiled, took the stage, and proceeded to do exactly as Angie instructed.

Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.