A Hero's Journey: My biggest reveal yet

Find Your Superpower Newsletter 116

Read time: 4 minutes

Topics covered: Find Your Superpower Summit early bird sale ends at midnight!

 
Earlier this month, I received an email that made me sad:

"Hi Juliana, we’d love to have you keynote our flagship conference. We don’t have a budget for this session. Would that work for you?"

Zero dollars.

For a keynote speech at a commercial conference.

For me to say goodbye to my kids at home. Write a custom keynote. Clear out my calendar. Dry clean my outfit. Schedule my hair and makeup. Pay for transportation. Devote hours to rehearsals. Bring my 100% energy to the stage. Entertain and educate a crowd for an hour. Return home to an avalanche of work that was put on hold for this.

At a glittering conference that they’re probably investing $50-100K to organize.

Here’s what I wrote back: "Thank you for thinking of me. For a 30-60-minute custom keynote, my speaking fee ranges from $10-25K. If that doesn’t align with your budget, I’d be happy to recommend other speakers who might be a better fit."

But let’s take a step back. How did I get to charging those rates in the first place?

Most so-called "experts" will never command premium speaking fees (or any money at all) because they’re stuck playing supporting actor in their own industry.

Sure, they’ve joined Toastmasters. They’ve perfected their "power pose." They’ve memorized storytelling formulas. They’ve practiced their vocal variety and dramatic pauses in front of mirrors. They’ve bought their expensive stage outfit.

But they’re still the 10th choice on an event organizer’s list of potential speakers. They’re missing the one thing that separates speakers who get paid in "exposure dollars" from those who get paid $10,000 or more.

Your hero’s journey awaits

At my flagship annual Find Your Superpower Summit on October 31st, I’ll reveal how to become the industry expert that everyone wants to listen to.

The secret? Proprietary intellectual property that can’t be found anywhere else.

While other "experts" teach you to copy Vinh Giang’s style or Tony Robbins’ energy, I show you how to become the person event organizers seek out. While they teach you the "Rule of Three," I show you how to develop intellectual property that makes you irreplaceable.

The truth, my friend, is that most speaking coaches make the bulk of their income teaching you to speak, not from their own speaking careers.

I’m different. I get booked for keynotes, hired as a professional industry moderator, AND booked as a corporate trainer for global brands because I've built intellectual property that clients want, and proprietary systems that work.

As an MIT-trained scientist and former university academic with multiple US patents, I’ve spent years developing proprietary methodologies and publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers. When I transitioned to personal branding, I didn’t abandon my scientific training. I applied it with the same intensity I gave to my research career.

I also run a strategic communications firm working with government, MNC, and academic clients and we publish books and magazines under our own imprint. Did I forget to add that I'm a commissioning editor for Asia’s largest science and technology publisher with a nose for a good book proposal?

Event organizers and book publishers don’t care if you speak like Oprah or write like Mark Twain. They only care about one thing: Can you deliver insights their audience can’t get anywhere else?

Your competitors can copy your LinkedIn posts, but they cannot steal unique intellectual property that you are known throughout your industry for.

That’s the difference between a $400/hr corporate trainer and a $4,000/hr corporate trainer.

That’s the difference between an "exposure dollar" speaker and a $10K speaker.

That’s the difference between someone who fancies being an author and another whose book proposal gets auctioned.

What’s coming in 2026 (You heard it here first)

At the Summit, I’ll be sharing the methodology I’ve been secretly developing for the past year. It’s called "A Hero’s Journey," and it’s going to help industry experts like you build monetizable personal brands. 

Without giving too much away, here’s what I can tell you: This isn’t another "find your origin story" workshop. This is a complete system for transforming your expertise into the kind of intellectual property that gets you invited to speak at exclusive closed door sessions.

I’ll be launching a very limited advanced bootcamp in 2026 based on this methodology and every applicant will first be screened for seriousness and suitability. 

But first, I want to test it with our Summit audience and get your feedback.

The clock is literally ticking.

Last 12 hours: Your window is closing

Super early bird tickets for our Find Your Superpower Summit end TONIGHT at midnight, 31 August 2025, 11:59 PM (GMT +8). After that, prices increase overnight.

We’ve already sold out all of our VIP tickets in one week and 70% of our general tickets... in August??!?

When I look at our attendee list, I see CEOs, senior executives, successful consultants, and industry thought leaders. These are the people who understand that being a commodity is expensive, but being an expert is profitable.

Join us on October 31st and walk away with:

• A roadmap for building intellectual property that commands premium fees
• Access to network with professionals who are on their own hero’s journey
• First dibs to the 2026 advanced bootcamp (limited to 35 participants)

The choice is yours

You can continue perfecting your presentation skills while charging in "exposure dollars." Or you can invest in building the kind of intellectual property that transforms you into a true industry expert.

The super early bird window closes at MIDNIGHT.

Secure your Summit ticket now →

Your hero’s journey starts with a single decision.

Make it before the clock runs out.

Building your empire with you,
Juliana 

PS: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. There is no perfect moment. NOW is better than never. 🌱