What Cleyvis Natera Taught Me About Owning My Greatness

+ Announcing our Uplifters Book Talk with Cleyvis in September!

Magic multiplied with two uber-talented Uplifters, Kate Tellers (ep 59) and Cleyvis Natera (ep 63)

I had the deep joy of celebrating Cleyvis Natera's launch of her new novel, The Grand Paloma Resort, last week. If you attended Uplifters Live 2024, you don't need me to tell you who she is. She's the author who left us all shaking with laughter, fired up to go after our dreams, titillated with her love of writing steamy scenes, and hungry to read her first book, Neruda on the Park. I loved Neruda and have been so excited for Paloma to come out. As excited as I am to read it, I'm making myself wait until I leave for my vacation to start because I want to read it in context.

But none of that is actually the point of this newsletter. The point is that all of this magic exists because of Cleyvis's shameless commitment to believing in, and ensuring others understand, her gifts. At both Uplifters Live and last week in a giant, crowded room of friends and fans at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, Cleyvis did something that I am damned and determined to channel over and over again. With her bright, dimpled smile she said it:

"I am an EXCELLENT writer."

And she is! There's no doubt. But she could have gone on being a finance executive, wondering why she didn't have a book deal. Instead, she admitted what she knew in her bones: she's a really freaking talented writer.

The truth is, every one of us has gifts. Most of us keep them quiet, though. Don't wanna brag. Don't wanna get too big for our britches. Don't wanna show off.

And we never feel seen.

We wonder why nobody asks us to share our gifts, nobody celebrates our gifts. Maybe it's because we work so hard to keep them on the DL.

So this week, I practiced channeling my inner Cleyvis. I found a way to weirdly weave my superpower into every meeting I had, and I'm gonna do it right now again with you:

I am an EXCELLENT clarity-maker. Like, I'm Cleyvis-level good at it. I know because I see the impact it has on others. I know because people tell me all the time that I do it with this look of "huh, how'd she do that?" on their faces.

Lakshmi Rengarajan

, a friend I studied coaching with, said it this way when we chatted last week: "The teachers would go on and on for hours, and then you'd raise your hand and ask to summarize it. In one sentence, you'd encapsulate the entire lesson in a way we could understand it."

My clients say it all the time when I see between and behind and across what they're saying, seeing the patterns and helping them see what they've been trying to find in the tangled web of constant thoughts, ideas, and words that our brains cycle through. When I make clarity, I feel fully on purpose.

Colleges don't offer degrees in clarity-making. There are no job titles for clarity-makers, and yet this is my gift, and I've worked really hard over the past few years to build a life that lets me do this all day, every day. Understanding it has helped me see where I'm most useful and how I can best collaborate with others.

I'm telling you all of this for two reasons:

1. I want to practice owning and sharing my gifts because it's one of the most powerful things I can do to live a meaningful life.

2. I want to get you thinking about what your magic power is, what you're really freaking good at, and then saying it and sharing it loudly and proudly so that we can find our people, our purpose, and make some waves doing big, brave things.

But maybe you don't know what your thing is. If you're a paid subscriber, I hope you'll take some time to work through the courage practice below to help you find your superpower.

Or maybe you already know, and like so many of us, you've been keeping it on the DL, worrying that somebody is gonna say you're not all that great at it, actually, or that you'll be seen as a show-off. What if this week we didn't let those voices win and instead we did a little play-acting and let our inner Cleyvis lead? What if we noticed what it feels like to just freaking say it and then capture some data about what happens when we lead with our strengths instead of our shoulds?

Listen to my full conversation with Cleyvis from Uplifters Live

Join Me for an Uplifters Book Talk with Cleyvis Natera!

Ready to dive deeper into The Grand Paloma Resort with the excellent Cleyvis herself?

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 16th (location TBA) – we're gathering for an intimate book club discussion with Cleyvis Natera about her stunning new novel.

If you were at Uplifters Live, you already know the magic that happens when Cleyvis gets talking about her work, her characters, and the delicious complexity of writing steamy scenes that make us all blush and cheer. If you missed it, this is your chance to experience that infectious energy firsthand.

We'll explore the layered world of The Grand Paloma Resort, dig into the craft behind the story, and knowing Cleyvis, probably laugh until our sides hurt while learning something profound about courage, creativity, and owning our gifts.

Space is limited to keep the conversation intimate and real.

To join us: RSVP by September 10th. We'll send location details and discussion questions to confirmed attendees.

Bring your copy of the book, your curiosity, and your appetite for the kind of conversation that leaves you feeling more alive and connected to your own creative courage.

Interested in becoming a paid subscriber?

You’ll help us continue amplifying uplifting women’s stories and get instant access to our paid subscriber benefits, including:

• A weekly virtual co-working session to do deep work and a one-song dance party with other passionate, creative folks

• Weekly journal prompts that will help you keep working and playing bigger and braver!

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Lift Up an Uplifter

Jessica Varian Carroll from Episode 104 is hosting a back-to-school Backpack Supply Drive. DM here HERE to donate.

Listen to her full story