How I Turned My Story Into a Career in Motivational Speaking

People often ask me how I became a motivational speaker - as if it were a carefully designed career plan or a lifelong dream. The truth is far less tidy. I didn’t set out to become a speaker at all. I simply followed a series of bold, sometimes reckless decisions fuelled by an unwavering belief that life could be different from the one I started with. My career in speaking wasn’t born from ambition — it was born from survival, resilience, and the determination to turn my lived experience into something meaningful for others.

My Story Didn’t Start in a Place of Strength

My early years were difficult. I grew up in a chaotic environment, surrounded by instability and insecurity. Like many people who go on to develop Mental Toughness, I didn’t have the luxury of comfort; I had to learn to fend for myself emotionally and practically. I left home at 14, and the world felt dangerous, unforgiving and wildly out of reach.

But these difficult beginnings created something powerful in me: grit. An inner steel. A refusal to let my circumstances dictate the rest of my life. I didn’t know it at the time, but those early struggles would one day become the foundation of my career, my message, and my purpose on a stage.

The Audacious Leap Into Rally Driving

The turning point came when I fell in love - not with a person, but with a sport. Rally driving. To most people, it looked ridiculous: a young woman with no money, no industry connections, and no background in motorsport deciding she’d compete in one of the most demanding and dangerous arenas in the world.

But that’s exactly what I did.

I begged, borrowed, hustled and worked my way in. I trained relentlessly. I made mistakes. I crashed more times than I like to admit. But I kept going - fuelled by belief, obsession and the sheer joy of doing something that made me feel fully alive.

Eventually, I did what nobody expected: I became a British Champion and World Rally Championship rally driver.

That journey taught me everything I now teach others: discipline, focus, emotional control, resilience, courage and the power of possibility even when the odds are stacked against you.

People Wanted to Know How I Did It

After retiring from competition, something interesting happened. People began asking me to speak at events, schools and organisations. They wanted to know how I had gone from chaos to competing at the highest levels of motorsport. They wanted to understand the mindset behind the achievements. They wanted the strategies - the thinking - that allowed me to keep going.

At first, I didn’t think of myself as a “speaker.” I simply shared my story with honesty, humour, and vulnerability. And audiences connected with it - deeply. Not because of the rallying. But because of the humanity behind it.

Turning Experience Into Impact

Each talk taught me something: that people are hungry for real stories, not perfect ones. They want to know they’re not alone in their struggles. They want the truth about resilience - not the Instagram version. They want practical tools they can use in their everyday lives, not inspirational clichés.

I realised then that my story wasn’t about me anymore. It was about what it could do for others.

That’s when speaking became a calling.

A Career Built on Purpose, Not Performance

Today, I speak to some of the biggest brands and organisations in the world, helping leaders and teams develop Mental Toughness, build resilience and perform under pressure. It’s extraordinary work - not because it puts me on a stage, but because it allows me to help people shift their own stories.

My life didn’t begin in a place of power. But by choosing courage, taking risks and refusing to be limited by circumstance, I turned my story into something that now fuels others.

And that’s why I speak:
Because every story has power - especially the ones that start in the shadows.

Penny Mallory - Mental Toughness Expert & Motivational Keynote Speaker
Helping teams and leaders perform under pressure and thrive in uncertainty.
Keynote length: 30–90 minutes

Format: Live or virtual

Topics: Mental Toughness, Resilience, Performance Psychology, Wellbeing, Mindset, Leadership, Personal Development, Motivation, Inspiration