Deborah Everson, Keynote Speaker

06/02/2026

Where are you showing up consistently?

Take a moment and think about that.

You are showing up somewhere.

The real question is: Is it where you want to be? Or are you showing up because of someone else's expectations? Because you feel like you "should"? Because you're trying to keep everyone happy?

I've recently read a number of posts about showing up consistently, and my first reaction was guilt. My mind immediately went to all the places where I wasn't showing up.

Then I stopped myself and asked a different question: "Where ARE you showing up consistently? And is that where you want to be?"

Just like that, the guilt began to fade.

I realized I was showing up where I wanted and needed to be; in my relationships, my community, my work, and the things that matter most in this season.

And that meant I could let myself off the hook for not being everywhere else.

Sometimes the goal isn't to do more.

Sometimes the goal is to be intentional about where you're already investing your time, energy, and attention.

If you've been feeling guilty about all the places you aren't showing up, give yourself permission to pause and look at where you are. You may discover that you're already investing in the people, work, and opportunities that matter most right now.

05/18/2026

Has a project ever completely disrupted your life, but turned out to be the best thing that could have happened?

That's exactly what we lived through when the county finally broke ground on the frontage road in front of our store.

We had waited 30 years for this road. Thirty years of watching customers struggle to get in and out of our parking lot. So, when the county gave us the green light, we were elated! Right up until the moment the dirt started flying.

Maybe you know this feeling: you ask for something, you get it, and then you think, "What did I sign up for?"

The construction was messy, loud, and relentless. Dirt coated everything. Our storefront looked like a demolition zone. There were days we had to close entirely. At one point, a contractor accidentally severed a phone line while moving a pole, and our entire credit card and POS system went down mid-business day.

It was not easy. But here's what we kept reminding ourselves: it was necessary.

Here's the thing about necessary hard seasons, they don't have to be purely miserable. You get to choose the story you tell while you're in the middle of them.

Before the first shovel hit the ground, we made a decision: we were going to bring our community along for the ride. We created a hashtag, and nearly every day we posted updates: the good, the messy, and the absurd. Families started stopping by just to watch the big trucks. People began to look forward to our updates.

What started as an obstacle, became an opportunity for a shared experience.

When the project finally wrapped, we didn't just quietly reopen. We threw a road opening party; bounce houses, food trucks, live music, massages, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, alongside every other business that had weathered the construction with us.

The community showed up because they had been part of the journey the whole time.

Whatever disruption you're navigating right now; a renovation, a rebrand, a setback you didn't see coming, ask yourself: How can I bring people with me instead of suffering through it alone?

The road gets built either way. You might as well make it a story worth telling.

Question: Is there an obstacle in your life that could possibly be an opportunity?

05/16/2026

“What if you’ve done everything right… and you’re still struggling?”

Maybe you know that feeling.
You work hard.
You make improvements.
You invest in the business.
You stay consistent.
You keep believing the next season will be better.
And yet sometimes the results still don’t come as quickly as you hoped.

That question stopped me because it was a story I wasn’t sharing.

The truth is, we did everything “right,” and we were still struggling.

After remodeling our hardware store, we saw a 12% increase in business. On paper, that sounded like progress. In reality, we were so far behind that 12% barely moved the needle.

Our location made it difficult for customers to easily get in and out, and despite improvements, we were still fighting uphill battles we couldn’t fully control.

That is the reality of business, and honestly, life sometimes too.
You can make smart decisions, do the work, and still feel stuck.

But we kept showing up. Consistently. Day after day.

We continued investing in the business, reconnecting with the community, creating experiences for families, and looking for ways to improve.

What people often see as success is usually built during the quiet seasons:
The seasons where no one is clapping.
The seasons where progress feels slow.
The seasons where you wonder if all the effort will ever pay off.

We had created a 5-year plan: update the store and see if we could turn things around. If we couldn't, we would either sell the business as-is or liquidate and close the doors. Thankfully, we were able to turn things around and successfully sell the store.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is this:
Hope is important, but hope works best when paired with honest conversations, a clear plan...and prayer.

1. Create a plan with a timeline.
2. Have the hard conversations with yourself, your spouse, your family, and your team.
3. Define what success looks like and decide in advance what you’ll do if things don’t go as you had hoped.

Sometimes resilience means pushing forward.
Sometimes wisdom means knowing when to pivot.
Both require courage.

What’s a season in your life or business where you kept showing up even when you weren’t sure it would work out?

05/07/2026

Chase gives a snapshot of where most small business owners are regarding succession planning. I am still CEPA certified if you ever want to set up a call if you are not sure where to start in your succession planning.

Nearly half of small business owners plan to retire within 10 years, creating a critical opportunity to strengthen succession planning, preserve jobs and sustain community impact

05/07/2026

Take the time to invest in yourself.

Monday night I celebrated graduating from the National Speakers Associations-MN, Speakers Academy. The people I've met and the things I've learned have been invaluable.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me along with way.

04/21/2026

Purpose doesn't require reinvention. Purpose requires recognition.

For a long time, I believed my purpose was somewhere out there waiting for me. So I chased it. I searched. I wondered if I was falling behind somehow — like everyone else had found theirs and I was still looking.

Then one day I stopped.

And when I did, I looked around and saw it everywhere. In the events I was already creating. In the communities I was already building. In the rooms full of people laughing and connecting because I had dreamed something up and made it happen.

It had been there the whole time. I just hadn't recognized it as mine.

That's the thing about purpose. It often hides in plain sight, dressed up as something you do simply because you love it. The thing that lights you up.
The thing that feels less like work and more like of course.

You don't have to earn it or discover it like buried treasure. You just have to slow down long enough to see what's already true about you.

So, tell me: What's the thing you do that feels so natural, so you, that you've never thought to call it your purpose? Drop it in the comments. I'd love to celebrate it with you.

04/20/2026

To my MN Lady Friends—this night is for you.

Join me this Thursday at 6:30pm at Oakwood Community Church for an evening of sweet and salty treats, powerful testimonies, and worship.

I’ll be sharing my testimony of faith, and the journey God has taken me on to finding purpose.

If you need encouragement, connection, or just a night to pause and be filled up… I’d love for you to come. 💛

👉Here is the link to register: https://oakwood.churchcenter.com/registrat.../events/3537645

Ladies, join us for a lovely evening together on Thursday, April 23rd at 6:30pm! We will enjoy savory snacks & sweets, hear inspiring testimonies and worship together. It is a great opportunity to meet other women and to bring your friends for a fun night out.

Also, in the commons, there will be a local vendor with a variety of faith inspired clothing, accessories, and gifts for purchase!

Register here: https://oakwood.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3537645

04/18/2026

I won. I achieved everything I set out to do.

And then I felt completely lost...even with a plan in place.

Success doesn’t automatically give you a sense of self.

When the role changes, many high achievers are left asking: “Who am I now?”

I’m seeing this play out in real time.

A friend of mine is in the middle of exiting her business.

She’s stepping into a new role in a different industry.
She’s disciplined. Driven. Incredibly ambitious.
Someone you would look at and think, “She’ll be just fine.”

And yet, she told me recently her confidence has started to waver.

Not because she’s less capable.

But because the role that once defined her is changing.

That’s what no one talks about.

When your identity is built on what you do, it gets shaken when what you do changes.

This is the space so many high achievers find themselves in. Not after failure…but after success. After the goal is achieved.

The next level isn’t another goal. It’s building an identity that isn’t dependent on achievement.

That’s the real work.

✔ Drop a check if you’ve ever felt this—even for a moment.

04/15/2026

Yesterday was a beautiful morning surrounded by friends—new and old.

Women building businesses, leading non-profits, raising families, and mentoring the next generation. Each with a story. Each navigating growth in their own way.

Because life doesn't stop when the goal changes or after the milestone.

If anything, that's when the questions show up:
Who am I when my role changes?
Does my purpose change?
Can I still experience joy?

It was a privilege to lead this group through my workshop, When the Goal Changes: Finding Purpose, Identity and Joy After Achievement at Faith & Gather.

Grateful for a room that showed up with honest questions and open hearts.

These aren’t surface-level conversations, they’re the ones that help shape what comes next.

I’m looking forward to these type of conversations in future workshops.

Thank you, Erica, for the opportunity to create space for these meaningful conversations.

04/13/2026

Ladies, join me tomorrow in Chanhassen for Faith & Gather.

Sometimes we spend years working toward a goal, only to reach it and quietly think: “I thought this would feel different.”

We don’t talk about that part enough.
The part after the achievement.
After the milestone.
After the season you poured everything into.
Because something shifts.
And the question becomes… now what?

That’s exactly what we’re talking about tomorrow.

I’ll be speaking at Faith & Gather and we’re diving into the often-overlooked season that follows success, transition, or change.

➡️How to recognize where your purpose is already showing up
➡️How to separate your identity from your role
➡️How to experience joy now—not just after the next win

And most importantly, how to see where God is moving in the middle of it all.

If you’re in a season where things feel different—even after a win—you’re not alone.

Join me tomorrow. I’d love to see you there.

Join Christian women from Chanhassen and the Twin Cities for a Faith & Gather morning of connection, conversation, and encouragement as we explore purpose after achievement.