85. From Rock Bottom to Real Influence with Marianne Hickman

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Have you ever had one of those conversations where, halfway through, you’re thinking, “Oh… this is different. This is deeper.”
That was my entire interview with Marianne Hickman.

Marianne didn’t come to play it safe or give us a tidy inspirational moment. She came with the kind of honesty that makes you sit up a little straighter and rethink the stories you’ve been running from. She came with truth that’s been lived — not rehearsed. And she brought a kind of grounded courage that feels contagious.

And honestly? It was refreshing.

Because in a world full of perfectly polished “experts” telling you how to brand yourself, grow your influence, and follow the algorithm of the week… Marianne brings something most people don’t:

A story that wasn’t supposed to be a success story at all.

Who is Marianne?

Marianne Hickman is an international speaker, speaker trainer, and personal mentor who has graced over 2,000 stages worldwide. She’s not just a speaker—she’s a powerhouse in helping industry experts monetize their message and turn their speaking into a profitable business.

From being a single mom on food stamps to running a thriving business with her husband and raising six incredible children, Marianne knows firsthand the power of crafting a message that moves people to action.

Through her programs Marianne equips her clients with the tools to own the stage, deliver unforgettable presentations, and turn those moments into measurable results.

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The Real Story Behind the “Influence”

Marianne didn’t start on a stage.
She didn’t start with a brand.
She didn’t start with a message.

She started on food stamps.

She started in survival mode.

She started in a life that made her question whether the dreams she felt inside were even allowed to exist.

When she shared that, she didn’t say it for shock value. She said it because it’s true — and that truth shaped everything she’s doing now. That part of her life is the reason her voice is so strong today. And she doesn’t hide it, because she knows someone needs to hear the beginning to understand the rest.

Listening to her talk, I found myself thinking, “Most people would’ve skipped over this part. She refuses to.”

And that’s exactly why her story hits so hard.

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The Message Underneath the Message

If I had to boil down our entire conversation to the heartbeat running through it, it’s this:

Your story doesn’t become powerful when it’s polished. It becomes powerful when you stop trying to hide it.

That’s the part people miss.

We think the “best” version of our story is the cleaned-up one — the one after the healing, after the breakthrough, after the glow-up. The Instagrammable version.

But Marianne basically looked at that idea and said,
“No ma’am. Tell the story you’re scared to tell. That’s the one people trust.”

And she’s right.

We’ve all felt the tension of holding back the messy parts. The parts that feel too personal or too embarrassing or too “who’s gonna listen to ME after that?”

But here’s what Marianne has lived and learned:

People don’t connect to your perfection.
They connect to your humanity.

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The Moment Everything Shifted for Her

There was one moment she shared that really stayed with me.

She told her story publicly for the first time — raw, unedited, shaky voice, all of it. And instead of people pulling back, they leaned in. They wanted more. They saw her differently… because suddenly she wasn’t “a speaker” or “a coach” or “a creator.”

She was a human they could trust.

That moment changed everything for her.

It wasn’t the polished branding.
It wasn’t the content calendar.
It wasn’t the “strategy.”

It was her willingness to be seen.

And let me tell you — that hits different when you’re a podcaster, a storyteller, or anyone who shows up for a living. It reminds you that the thing you’re avoiding might actually be the thing that unlocks your influence.

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What She Really Wants Women to Understand

Throughout our conversation, I could feel this one thought pulsing underneath everything she said:

Stop shrinking your voice just because your story isn’t pretty.

She’s seen too many women say:
“I don’t have a dramatic story.”
“My beginning is too messy.”
“My story is too ordinary.”
“People will judge me.”
“Who am I to speak on this?”

And Marianne answers all of those with her life.

The stages she’s been on?
The clients she’s impacted?
The influence she’s built?

None of that came after her life got easy.
All of it flowed from the things she once thought disqualified her.

And that’s what she wants other women to understand — your early chapters don’t ruin your credibility. They’re the reason people will believe you.

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Influence Isn’t a Strategy. It’s a Becoming.

Something I love about Marianne is that she refuses to teach influence as a checklist. She’s not giving you the “magic script” or the “one proven formula.” She challenges the whole idea that influence is something you create through effort.

With her, influence is who you become when you stop pretending.

It’s built through:

• honesty
• courage
• self-awareness
• empathy
• resilience
• and a willingness to actually be human

She said something in our conversation that I wish every creator, podcaster, and entrepreneur could hear:

“People don’t want the perfect version of you. They want the real one.”

That’s the part we forget when we’re worried about sounding professional or being impressive or staying on brand. Marianne brings us back to the truth: influence doesn’t live in the perfectly curated version of your story. It lives in the part that almost broke you.

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Her Journey to the Stage

Let’s talk about that glow-up moment though — because “from food stamps to stages” isn’t a metaphor. It literally happened.

Doors opened for her once she stopped hiding the very thing she thought she needed to overcome before she could speak.

She got on stages — real stages, not the “one local event that counts as a stage if you squint.”
She started coaching.
She started leading.
She started influencing.

And all of that momentum came from one decision:

She finally told the truth about where she started.

It’s wild how often we wait for our story to look better before we share it… not realizing that sharing it is how we help other people get better.

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Why Her Story Matters to Podcasters & Creators

If you’re a podcaster, a storyteller, or someone building something with your voice, you need to hear this:

Your voice is not compelling because it’s perfect.
It’s compelling because it carries your story.

That’s what makes your message different from every other coach, creator, strategist, mentor, or entrepreneur online.
That’s what makes you recognizable.
That’s what makes people trust you.
That’s what builds real, lasting influence.

Marianne’s story is a mirror for anyone struggling to believe their voice matters.

It’s a reminder that the chapters you avoid are often the ones that carry your authority.

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This Episode Is an Invitation

Not an invitation to trauma-dump.
Not an invitation to use your past as marketing.
Not an invitation to tell everything.

But an invitation to stop silencing the parts of your story that shaped you.

An invitation to see your beginning as part of your brilliance.
An invitation to trust that your truth holds power.
An invitation to let your voice come through without the polishing.

Marianne’s story isn’t about “look at me.”
It’s about “look what happens when you stop hiding.”

And honestly… we all need that reminder.

How To Reach Marianne

Web: https://mariannehickman.com/

Instagram: marianne_hickman