I Feel Like a Unicorn and That Sucks…
4 Thought Leaders Share Their Badassery-Rendition of “Loneliness at the Top”
4 Thought Leaders Share Their Badassery-Rendition of “Loneliness at the Top”
Sure, you’ve made it to the top. Maybe you’d even consider yourself a “Unicorn” among a field of horses, but guess what? Success, or the success that comes from standing out from the crowd, doesn’t come with an automatic exemption from the loneliness epidemic.
We love to glamorize the hustle and grind to the pinnacle, but let’s be real—many established thought leaders and public speakers quietly wrestle with the isolation that sneaks in when the spotlight isn’t paired with a sense of connection and belonging.
Members of our professional community, all thought leaders and/or speakers, have collaborated to share some lessons from the #UnicornLife🦄 you might be needing—whether you're feeling like a Unicorn right now, or not, these Badasses have got you covered.
For those who want to feel more comfortable with their authenticity, what helped me most was developing self-awareness around my communication.
In the past, the words I spoke weren’t really my own. They were borrowed from things I heard other people say and spoken only because I knew others would support them.
When I realized how much of my voice wasn’t authentic, I began to take small steps to say more things that were.
Instead, I started inserting more of my own thoughts, and discovered to my surprise how many people also resonated with my perspective. It’s not easy putting the rawest form of yourself out there, and I’m still a work in progress feeling comfortable with that - but the reward of showing up us that version of you makes it absolutely worth it.
🦄 Top Tip for Other Unicorns
Christopher turns tech professionals into star speakers. While in the data industry, he saw talented colleagues miss opportunities due to poor presentation skills. This inspired him to launch The Hidden Speaker, a consultancy that helps tech experts communicate confidently. Once an employee at Fortune 500 companies, he now trains their technical teams globally through specialized communication and data storytelling workshops. As a speaker, coach, and trainer, Christopher has helped thousands showcase leadership through communication, empowering developers, analysts, managers, and executives to deliver inspirational presentations.
Because who doesn't love things in 3's, I have 3 C's:
1. Care: ask yourself "what do I need right now to feel less disconnected, isolated, etc?"
2. Connection: ask yourself "how can I connect with that thing, based on what I currently have to work with?"
3. Community: go out into the world, phone a friend, and ask your community for what you're looking for. Ask and you shall receive!
🦄 Top Tip for Other Unicorns
After years in Sales and Marketing and running her consultancy, Kylie became a certified life and business coach to help individuals realize their potential in work and life. Working with forward-thinking professionals and top-tier organizations, Kylie addresses issues like mismatched communication styles, team transitions, and employee disengagement. Her proven coaching method builds leadership, self-management, and boundary-setting skills, transforming disconnected teams into harmonious, profitable communities.
Being a unicorn also means being able to take other people's perspective.
You can be unique, have integrity and ALSO tell people what they need to know in a way that they can hear it. That was a tough lesson for me to learn. Being a mother helped me learn it.
🦄 Top Tip for Other Unicorns
A Corporate Executive-turned-Tech CEO and Founder, Kerry Ann is committed to “Creating products that use AI for social good.” During my career, I actually wrote a letter to a manager that said, in part, "I am a unicorn and you don't want to lose me." Having said that, I also sometimes feel like Cassandra--able to predict disaster but finding it difficult to get anyone to listen.
F it!!!!
Never hold back who you are if that is what you know in your soul!
Confidence and command in who you are and what you do mixed with humility and some legit EQ are a great recipe for success. You are unique. Own that. But don't let your uniqueness be the thing that resonates.
Whatever it is that you do and whoever you are makes the magic. Just being unique but not effective in your work that you are spreading is to me, not good enough. My superpowers are connecting, gardening and saying the damn things... oh bbq too...:)
🦄 Top Tip for Other Unicorns
Stephen is a self-proclaimed “Believer in the Possible.” His main drivers are to use his talents of connecting, inspiring and facilitating change for a more harmonious world for all. A three-time “Girl Dad '' who's focussed on living a life of purpose and joy while working to change the planet. In Stephen’s words, “Perpetual positivity pays off, y'all…”
This piece, as part of The Badassery Blog, promotes the podcast episodes of real Badassery members who opted in to promote their thought leadership, workshops, and speaking. We support our community members in a myriad of ways, providing platforms to promote their work and champion each other. For the full scoop on Badassery, check out our Membership Benefits or apply now via our online application.
