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.