Like Sy Sperling in the old Hair Club for Men ads, I’m not just the creator of the 5-Day Solution—I’m also a client.

My struggle with performance anxiety began in elementary school, when I stumbled over my words while reading aloud. Later, in Little League, I crushed batting practice but froze in actual games. As a teen saxophonist, I experienced the same paralysis while backing Sonny and Cher—despite performing well in rehearsals.

Even in college, stage fright followed me, yet my music teachers offered no real solution beyond “just push through.” It wasn’t until I joined the Empty Gate Zen Center that I discovered a way forward. Seung Sahn’s teachings on detachment helped me realize that I didn’t need to fight my anxiety—I just had to let go of it.

Years later, while co-authoring a book with a therapist, I described my Zen-based approach to handling stage fright. She immediately recognized it as mindfulness, a psychological practice gaining mainstream attention. She lent me a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn, and to my shock, I discovered that he, too, had studied under Seung Sahn—meaning our methods stemmed from the same source.

This realization led me to formalize my approach into the 5-Day Solution, which I first shared with Catawba College students and later expanded to faculty and non-musicians. Over time, I refined the method, adapting it for speakers, performers, and professionals.

When I released the 5-Day Solution book, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Readers found it life-changing, helping them manage performance anxiety and find confidence on stage. Now, after pandemic-related delays, I’m launching an online course, ensuring this method can reach and help even more people.

If performance anxiety holds you back, I’m here to tell you—there’s a way beyond it. I’ve lived it, I’ve studied it, and I can help you move past it, too.