I’ve been holding back a pretty big secret recently, and I couldn’t sit on not having this conversation any longer: I was chosen by my alma mater Elon University to address the graduating class of 2022. My first reaction after getting off the phone was, “Do they have the right Hilary?” and I literally laid on the floor for a while after the phone call. This wasn’t part of my vision board or something to cross off my bucket list. I am truly honored to share my 4-month preparation for this speech because as many speeches as I’ve given in my career, this one is extra special to me. In this episode, I share why it’s different and why I’ve put so much time into prepping, rehearsing and crafting a speech that’s authentically me.


Time Stamps:


(0:48) Can’t Sit on This Episode Any Longer

(1:32) Alma Mater Commencement Speech

(7:30) Preparation and My Relentless Pursuit

(8:50) The 4 Month Preparation Process

(11:20) The 4 Most Important Steps

(13:20) Previous Talks and Why This is Different

(18:20) First Female in 5 Years

(19:08) What Rehearsing Involves

(24:12) Box Breathing Technique

(26:18) I Want to Sound Like Me

(26:48) Becoming vs Being

(28:22) Creativity vs Productivity

(29:35) Please Rate and Review

Click Here to Watch the Speech (Start at 1:07:13)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IpJrIxXGSg