“I don’t remember what he threw at me that day, but I do remember what he said. It terrified me enough that I took this photo [of my then five-month-old son] so I would never forget.”

Corrie LoGiudice shared her framework for finding balance and confidence despite feeling overwhelmed during the Women in Print Alliance networking luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 24, at PRINTING United Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Those were the opening sentences of a powerful keynote speech on how to build crisis-ready confidence by Corrie LoGiudice, leadership expert and author of The 5 Overwhelm Culprits, during a networking luncheon attended by more than 200 held by the Women in Print Alliance on Thursday, Sept. 24, at PRINTING United Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In her introduction of LoGiudice, Lisbeth Lyons Black noted that as director of the Women in Print Alliance – which was created to attract, advance and advocate for women in the printing industry – she has the privilege of curating a roster of coaches, leadership development professionals and experts for the community.

“Corrie helps high-performing women and leaders identify what’s deeply driving their overwhelm and turn it into clarity, confidence and decisive action,” Black said. “She’s known for blending real-life leadership insight with practical tools that audiences apply immediately.”

During her keynote, LoGiudice explained how she had been working as a senior vice president in her family business, with a grueling 20-hour-per-week commute, all while enduring an emotionally and psychologically abusive marriage. After leaving that 15-year relationship, LoGiudice found love with a man named Frank who helped her “break down all the walls” she’d put up and “step forward as my true, authentic self.” In a devastating turn, Frank died by suicide, sending LoGiudice reeling once again.

Despite undergoing crisis after crisis, LoGiudice persevered. When her therapist pointed out that others could benefit from learning the strategies she’d cultivated, LoGiudice said she found her true calling as a leadership coach.

After taking stock of her circumstances and response to each situation, LoGiudice identified five causes of overwhelm and created a leadership framework that “scales from self to system” to overcome each.

1. Lack of clarity. “Having a goal is great, but having a why is what makes you truly unstoppable,” she said. “Figure out what you want and why you want it, and you have a powerhouse strategy for starting to get there.”

2. Lack of confidence. “The only way to build your confidence is by taking action,” she said.

3. Lack of community. “Sometimes the person who’s going to help you navigate the next chapter isn’t somebody you already know or have known for 20 years,” she said. “It’s somebody sitting feet away from you that you meet at lunch.”

4. Lack of conditioning. “Leaders can’t perform if they’re physically and mentally depleted,” LoGiudice said.

5. Lack of consistency. “Consistency doesn’t require perfection,” she said. “It just requires bravery.”

For each of the overwhelm culprits, LoGiudice suggested questions and self-reflection activities to help reach clarity. She also noted that tackling overwhelm isn’t a one-and-done process. Instead, it’s a continual cycle of feeling overwhelmed, using the five C’s to tackle the feeling, then making strategy changes and progress. “You’re going to feel motivated, have momentum and be taking action,” she said. “You’re not going to feel overwhelmed anymore, but then something’s going to change, and you just rinse and repeat” the same framework for the new crisis.

What’s key to remember throughout, however, is that overwhelm isn’t a personal failure, nor should it be a source of shame. Instead, it’s a signal to figure out what’s out of balance and adapt.

“When you’re overwhelmed, it simply means that you need to adjust your strategy to accommodate your current reality,” LoGiudice said.