I Was in a Hospital Bed, Mid-Contraction, Working on My Phone. Here's What It Took Me Years to Learn From It.

The IV & The Iphone

There I was in the hospital bed during childbirth — in between contractions — working. IV in one hand, iPhone in the other.

No, really. It's true. I loved working in media. Over a decade of telling people’s stories and helping them shine on camera. But I knew I needed to make a change. I didn't want to be the cliché career woman boss lady who never sees her kids.

Figuring out what I did want — and how to get there — turned into an epic journey. And somewhere along the way, I learned the thing I now build my entire business around: none of your experience matters if you can't speak up for it with confidence and clarity.
And there is a whole world out there waiting to hear from you.

Let's rewind.

As a kid, I was always creative (hello, art camp!). I ran a jewelry company for a few years. I graduated from The University of Pennsylvania, then backpacked around the world by myself for a year (yes, it was as amazing as it sounds).

When I came back to New York, I spent more than 15 years in media — writing and directing for TV news, business, and lifestyle shows. I worked at Netflix. At People Magazine. At Inside Edition. I covered everything from presidential inaugurations to red carpets. (My hand is the one you see holding the microphone, it’s quite famous.)

I launched the first-ever video unit at Us Weekly and ran all of its operations and creative. Our videos performed well and made a lot of money. When the company sold for $100 million, the video unit was a major selling point. It was a career high.

I needed to stop being Accomplished but Anonymous

When I left the hospital with my newborn and decided to build my own business, I had to step into founder mode. And that's when it hit me: I was accomplished, but anonymous.

Being good at the work was never going to be the thing that got me seen. I had trained hundreds of people to speak confidently on camera. I had produced hundreds of hours of content for national TV and social media. And I still felt self-conscious the moment I had to put myself in front of the lens. I felt unclear on what to even say.

What’s that story about the cobbler’s kids not having shoes?

That was the real lesson from the hospital bed, even if I didn't know it yet: you can have every credential in the world, but if you can't speak up clearly, confidently, consistently, no one will find out about you.

So I had to push through my own self-limiting beliefs before I could ask anyone else to push through theirs. I starting showing up on video, with a clear message. I built a strategic content framework. I stopped hiding from the camera and from potential clients.

And my business exploded.

I now help others stop hiding and start shining

I speak on stages across the country. I've been featured in Forbes and Business Insider. I've earned six awards for large video projects. It's been incredibly gratifying, but it was never just about me.

I love teaching professionals — leaders, executives, business owners, agents, coaches — how to trade quiet expertise for a clear, confident voice that actually gets heard. Or as I like to say: how to stop hiding and start shining.

My framework takes you from professional to thought leader — from business to brand — through content. I work with clients on messaging, on-camera media coaching, and video and podcast strategy.

And the results speak for themselves. One client signed three contracts directly from social media. Another landed a Fortune 500 speaking gig. Another built a referral business almost entirely from his videos. Inside conference rooms and boardrooms, I've helped people break through self-doubt, find their voice, and get seen as leaders — earning the promotions and projects that come with it. Whether you run your own business or you're climbing inside someone else's, the shift is the same: speaking engagements, partnerships, leads, and clients start showing up once you stop hiding and start being seen.

I love being part of those a-ha moments — watching someone find the confidence and clarity that was always there, just unspoken.

And for me? The best part of this path is that I finally found my purpose.

Want to help your team communicate with impact at your next conference, team offsite, sales kickoff, or ERG event?

I lead live, interactive sessions on exactly this — see keynote topics and speaker reel at kimrittberg.com/speaker, explore public speaking training at kimrittberg.com/public-speaking-training, or reach out directly at kimrittberg.com/contact to check dates.