The hidden power of celebration | Michelle McKown-Campbell | TEDxSugar Creek Women

About this video

How often do you celebrate yourself, not for a major achievement, but for simply showing up? In this uplifting talk, Michelle McKown-Campbell challenges the belief that celebration should be reserved for milestones, promotions, and accomplishments. Instead, she reveals how recognizing small, everyday victories can transform confidence, increase engagement, and help us reconnect with who we truly are. Drawing on history, personal stories, and the simple practice of keeping a "Celebration Jar," she shows how our tendency to focus on what’s missing, unfinished, or imperfect causes us to overlook the evidence of our own growth. This talk is an invitation to notice the moments that matter, count the wins that often go unseen, and remember that progress is built one micro-win at a time. Michelle McKown-Campbell is a former HR practitioner turned Transformational Speaker, Positive Impact Strategist and founder of Activate the Awesome®, a human-centered company dedicated to helping people reconnect with the proof of who they already are. After more than twenty-five years in HR, recruitment, and coaching, Michelle is now leading what she calls The Reengagement Revolution of Our Time, inviting organizations to move beyond burnout, disconnection, and self-doubt by returning to the heart of identity, belonging, and human connection. She is the creator of the A.W.E.S.O.M.E.® Framework and one of the first global Positive Impact Mapping® practitioners. Known for her high-energy experiential style, Michelle’s work helps people see themselves clearly again, rebuild connection within teams, and step back into the light of their own potential. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx