Speaking Internationally: Finding Your Voice

From my conversation with Hayley Mulenda, International Speaker, and Coach. Overcoming adversity along her journey, she shared her story on how she came to have global impact and be invited to travel the world to share her stories and lend her voice. And all by the young age of 27.

Hayley Mulenda

Success

• International Public Speaker

• Worked with brands such as JP Morgan, PwC, Teach First and The Cabinet Office

• Music Manager for Gospel Singer, Annatoria

• Author

• Board of Directors at Wagamama (DEI)

• Non-Executive Director for a School

  
  

How Hayley Began Public Speaking

• She Began in Year 10 (15 years old)

  - She didn't have a speciality topic to speak on, rather she had a desire to speak even from a young age and decided to start. She took a step in the direction of her dreams and the direction came later on. Her speaking topics were forged by her experience - wellbeing, resilience, vulnerability and personal development. A good reminder that just deciding to start is progress, over-analysing the details can sometimes hinder your dreams!

• She had a mentor

- Around the age of 17 she got a mentor. Then began to speak at schools, growing then to Universities, then to corporates over the years. Now her focus is Universities and corporates.

• She has a Purpose behind her Speaking

- The aim of her speaking is to open doors and needed support for others. This could mean shining a light on certain issues and struggles that she has faced i.e. in mental health.

How she made her Struggles her Success

• Bullying

- Reflecting on the bullying that occurred in her early teens, she noted that she vowed to use her words to uplift and do good. Challenges that we face tend to give us either a reason to stay dejected, or a unique angle to thrive from. She chose the latter, learning how she can help others based upon her experiences.

- The importance of extracting lessons from negative experiences.

• Mental Health Struggles

- Hayley took a year out from public speaking due to her challenges with mental health. This struggle also proved to pave a new way for her to turn struggle to success. She added mental health to the focus of her speaking, choosing to shine a light on it.

- See your struggles as your unique opportunity!

• Rough Upbringing

  - "I almost got stabbed", she noted. Reflecting on this as one reason why she began public speaking. A choice to focus on her dreams to escape the external challenges.

Call to Action

• What dreams are you delaying due to Overthinking? Take the first step! Just deciding to begin can help shape the next few steps you should take.

  
  

• See your challenges as your Unique Selling Point. No one else has your exact experience or specific struggles. See these as opportunity to provide your service from a unique perspective and with unique quality that only you can provide.