When Chaka Kahn Takes the Stage: Lessons from CruiseWorld
Last week, I spoke on the main stage at CruiseWorld. You’d think, after 20 years on TV selling makeup to hundreds of thousands, I’d be immune to nerves. But this was different. I was outside my WorldVia “house” for the first time in my travel career, sharing on a topic I know deeply—how to be your authentic self online. And I was on a mission: not just to present, but to truly impact people, to inspire them to go live on social media (even if it terrified them).
Backstage, I was surrounded by presenters—some longtime friends, some new faces. The energy? That familiar, stomach-churning dread that maybe, just maybe, this is the time the audience will revolt. We all know the pep talks: “Imagine the audience naked”—which, let’s be honest, is advice I never want to visualize. Everyone wants you to do well… until you don’t, and then, well, the crowd can be brutal.
One presenter said to another, “No one cares anyway.” That hit me wrong. People paid to be there. They deserve value. There’s no magic pill to erase nerves. Mel Robbins says to call it excitement—same physical response, different mindset. I tried it. It helped. I still wanted to throw up 15 times.
Here’s what most people don’t know: I have an inner dragon named Chaka Kahn. She’s feisty, sometimes a bear, but she always shows up when my tank is empty. Every time I step on stage, I feel like a burnt-out phoenix. But Chaka rises. She’s never failed me. And at CruiseWorld, she showed up again. The moment I was invited to the stage, so did she—carrying with her every person who’s shaped my life. (I think Maya Angelou said something similar.)
I saw genuine curiosity in the audience. I spotted a woman with a rhinestone headband—“Thank you, sparkles,” I said, knowing she’d be part of this talk. Others answered my questions or laughed at my ridiculousness. There was a Phenomenal Force in the room. That’s when the magic happens.
I’ve heard that if you don’t get nervous before taking the stage, you don’t care. Everyone at CruiseWorld cared deeply. Afterward, Chaka left (she needed a nap). I sat in the speaker lounge with a close friend as she prepped to go on. She looked up and said, “You did a really great job on stage.” I brushed it off, but she said it again—and I realized she meant it. Seven years of friendship, and that was the first time she’d seen me speak.
I don’t know if my eight minutes got anyone to go live. I hope so. But here’s what I learned:
Everyone gets nervous (or excited) to go on stage.
I will never stop trying to inspire others or add value.
Chaka needs a raise.
We’re all connected to people who want us to succeed—but sometimes you have to get your head out of your ass and open yourself up to see it.
Here’s to the next stage, the next spark, and the next time Chaka Kahn takes flight.
