At 16, Mary Messner wanted to be a NICU nurse. She spent spring breaks in California shadowing her aunt and cousin, both neonatal intensive care nurses, attending high-risk deliveries back before HIPAA closed those doors. Then she didn't get into nursing school. That rejection forced a question that shaped the rest of her career: if the real pull was connecting with people and making a difference, what other path could still do that? The answer turned into a 14-year run at Cerner and, eventually, a keynote speaking business built around creativity in the workplace.