What does it really mean to be yourself at work, not the curated version, not the corporate mask, but the fully expressed you?

In this episode of What One Thing?, transformational speaker and author Judi Holler returns to chat with Smart Meetings content director JT Long to unpack the core idea behind her new book, Holler at Your Dreams. She introduces the concept of self-expressionism, a disciplined, courageous practice of expressing who you are with intention, creativity and self-trust.

Drawing from her background in hospitality, improv and leadership, Holler challenges meeting professionals to step off autopilot and experiment with discomfort as a path to confidence, innovation and authenticity. From rediscovering childhood clues to building psychological and creative safety at work, she shares how small, intentional acts can lead to profound personal and professional shifts.

Her answer to the show’s signature question is clear and bold: The one thing you can do today is shock the system. Try something new. Go where you have no confidence, on purpose. In a world that rewards safety but craves originality, this conversation is a call to choose courage, reclaim your voice and remember that you are the art.

Further Resources

GM Mary Bogert Models Servant Leadership in Knoxville

Smart Meetings Leadership Experience Offered the Gift of Perspective

JT Long
Welcome to What One Thing?, where we ask successful people what made the difference in their lives and careers. I’m excited to welcome back Judi Holler, a transformational speaker who energized Smart Woman Summit attendees and is the author of the new book Holler at Your Dreams: Dangerously Inspiring Ideas for the Wildly Dope Soul. Judi, welcome back.

Judi Holler
It’s so good to be back. Hello to the Smart Meetings community. I love this audience. They inspire me every day.

JL
In our last conversation and in your Smart Meetings cover story, we talked about your background in hospitality and how improv helped you face fear and reclaim creativity. With this new book, you introduce the idea of self-expressionism. What does that mean for meeting professionals?

JH
At its core, everything I teach comes back to courage. You will never holler at a dream if you are not first brave. Self-expressionism is the practice of expressing yourself with discipline, courage, creativity and spiritual awareness. You are the art simply because you exist. When your inner truth moves and speaks, it changes how you show up in the world.

JL
You live that philosophy unapologetically. If I had to describe you in one word, it would be authentic.

JH
Thank you. That really is my life’s purpose. If I am on any mission, it is to help people and organizations bring psychological, creative and spiritual safety back into their lives and workplaces so they feel brave enough to express ideas, take risks and innovate.

JL
That can be challenging when people do not even know who their real selves are. How do they begin?

JH
I live by three commandments: know thyself, be thyself, then lead thyself. Most people skip the first step. Identity clarity is your competitive advantage. To know yourself, you have to go on a journey. Try new things. Fail. Put yourself in new rooms. Ask people who knew you as a child who you were before the world got a hold of you.

JL
You talk a lot about inspiration. Where should people start?

JH
Ask yourself one simple question: What inspires me? Not your job title or mission statement, but what actually inspires you right now as a human. And then ask whether that inspiration shows up anywhere in your life or work.

JL
That question seems to unlock a lot.

JH
It does. For me, it led me back to graffiti. I loved it as a kid, but it was nowhere in my business. Once I paid attention to that clue, I brought it into my visual identity. The graffiti suits are not just style. They are practice. I have to go first to show people it is safe.

JL
For people who do not stand on stages, how can they still lead through self-expression?

JH
By modeling the change they want to see. We say we want innovation, but we reward safety. People are afraid to be visible or wrong. Courage lives in the middle. It is not chaos, and it is not invisibility. It is practice.

JL
You often talk about fear experiments.

JH
Yes. The only way to build confidence is to go where you have no confidence, on purpose. Try it daily if you can. Do small things that jolt you off autopilot. That is where creativity lives.

JL
You are turning 50 soon. How does age factor into this evolution?

JH
We should be evolving. Reinvention is the point. Life moves fast. I keep a photo of my grandparents on my desk to remind me not to overthink and to trust myself enough to make the move.

JL
That brings us to the heart of this show. What is the one thing people can do today to boldly bet on themselves?

JH
Get off autopilot. Bring something new in. Shock the system. Experiment with discomfort. Go where you have no confidence and build the courage muscle. In an uncertain world, self-trust is everything.

JL
Judi, thank you for always inspiring the Smart Meetings community.

JH
Thank you. Be wildly dope.