Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to open the Behind Every Leader conference in Silicon Valley, hosted by Executive Assistants Organization (EAO). This conference was created by executive assistants for executive assistants to network, discuss challenges, and support one another as entrepreneurs and successful administrative professionals. A truly unique and powerful experience, I was blown away by numerous stories of fearless risk-taking and passionate endeavors. The attendees of this event were the gatekeepers of some of the most powerful and influential entrepreneurs and leaders of our time.

The impressive panel of speakers included Libby Moore, former COS to Oprah Winfrey; RoseMarie Terezino, former personal assistant to JFK Jr.; Adrianna Limon, executive assistant to True Blood Producer, Gregg Fienberg; Jenni Pulos, Bravo TV star of ‘Flipping Out’ and many more. Through each interaction and presentation, I was constantly reminded of how fortunate I was to be among this crowd. This was a room full of influencers and innovators, and I was lucky enough to open their conference and share my passion with them. I received some wonderful feedback about how uplifting and inspiring my Drum Cafe West program was, but truthfully, I myself was uplifted and inspired by the attendees.

So often, we distance ourselves from the possibility of life-changing success. We look at celebrities and high-powered officials, and we tell ourselves that they’re special—that they somehow know a secret about success that we don’t. But that just isn’t true. At Behind Every Leader, I was reminded that these superstars of their industries are no different than me. The only thing they did differently than most of us is have complete determination and confidence in the universe that things would work out as they were supposed to. That’s it—confidence.

I’ve written before about what it means to step into one’s power—it’s an essential component of tapping into our most valuable skillsets and embracing what makes a person uniquely gifted. At Behind Every Leader, I was reminded of the incredible influence that experience can have. When people are truly inspired by their work and they feel their work is important, they have a voice that rings out loudly. It’s why I’m able to tap into the heartbeat of corporations and kickstart change. It’s why Richard Branson can transform game-changing ideas into reality—because we love and believe in the possibility of what we can accomplish.

But we have to nurture these passions in order to make them successful. We can all agree you’re never going to make a flower grow by pulling on it, right? You have to give it water, sunlight, and space to grow. You can nurture it, but ultimately the success of the flower relies on you stepping back to let nature take its course.

So be determined. Be confident. Nurture your gifts, and then step back and get out of your way to let nature take its course.

Natalie Spiro Drum Cafe