Confidence isn't loud.
It isn't about outperforming others.
It isn't' about never feeling doubt.
Confidence is steadiness.
Christy Slanaker, on what her mother's final words taught her about confidence
20+
Years in fintech, payments & international business
3x
Created her own roles by seeing gaps no one else named
200+
People led across distributed, cross-border teams
MBA
Executive MBA - Boise State University - May 2026
Built from the inside out.
Not the
I became a people manager at 23 in a conservative banking environment. By 30, I was leading 200+ people across distributed teams with a P&L over $80 million. From the outside, it looked like success. From the inside, it was performance, but built on the belief that being excellent meant being flawless.
I lost my mother to stage 4 cancer at 27. Lost my father suddenly at 36. Lost myself somewhere between grief, a toxic workplace, and the weight of always performing. Then I found my way back, losing almost 100 pounds, getting married at 40 (he had an unexpected triple bypass within 7 months of our wedding), completing an Executive MBA, and building a framework for the thing I had been trying to figure out my entire career: how to lead without anxiety running the meeting.
I created ChristySlanaker.com because no one should have to figure this out alone. The same root work that builds a steady daughter also builds a steady executive. The framework is called the SteadyGround Model™, and it starts inside, not on a productivity app.
THE ORIGIN STORY
highlight reel.
One framework. Three pathways.
Perfectionism is the root. Steady confidence is the internal recovery. Steady execution is what it looks like in the room. The work looks different depending on where you are, but the root is the same.
The Dark Horse Advisory
Execution is the leadership skill no one teaches.
For leadership teams, cross-functional teams, and revenue organizations who have solid strategy but can't seem to execute it. Most organizations have no system to close the strategy-execution gap, beacuse no one teaches how to execute. Workshops, keynotes, and fractional advisory work.
THE STEADYGROUND MODEL™
Five pillars that translate inner readiness into outward action.
Most confidence frameworks stop at "believe in yourself." The SteadyGround Model™ starts there and then gives you the behavioral structure to actually do the thing. It mirrors the STOMP Method™ taught in SteadyHeart books, scaled for adult leaders and recovering perfectionists. It all starts with a STOMP.
This is not a mindset reset. It is a repeatable structure for moving forward under pressure, with ambiguity, and without needing everything to be perfect before you begin.
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SELF-REGULATION
Finding your footing before you speak or decide. Emotional grounding, not emotional suppression.
T
TRUTH-TELLING
Naming what is actually true - about the situation, your capacity, and what you actually want.
O
OUTCOME DETACHMENT
Releasing the grip of needing it to be perfect before you will call it done or good enough to share.
M
MESSAGING SHIFT
Replacing the internal script that stalls you with one that actually reflects your earned capability.
Good leaders and good caffeine have one thing in common - both are made under pressure.
P
PURPOSEFUL ACTION
Taking the imperfect, grounded, forward step. Not the perfect one. The real one.
FREE 5-DAY EMAIL COURSE
Steady vs. performed confidence
The identity script you inherited
Translating readiness into action
What changes on Monday
Day 1
Day 2
Day 4
Day 5
Day 3
What perfectionism actually is
KEYNOTES & WORKSHOPS
The right room can change everything.
Let's find yours.
Corporate Leadership
From Perfectionism to Steady Execution
How early identity scripts show up in leadership behavior and how high-performing teams break the cycle to execute with authority, not anxiety.
Women's Leadership
Confidence isn't Loud. It's Steady.
Breaking achievement addiction. A practical keynote for high-achieving women who are tired of performing confidence they have not yet built from the inside out.
Raising Girls Who Trust Their Stomp
Parent & Educator Audiences
Prevention work for parents and educators. The STOMP Method™ gives girls the emotional tools at 5 that women spend their careers trying to learn.
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Children's Books - Parent Guides - STOMP Method
SteadyHeart Stories
BraveFoot Valley is where girls learn that confidence isn't about being fearless. It's about feeling big emotions without being ruled by them. Through gentle characters and grounded tools, SteadyHeart Stories gives girls the internal voice they will carry for life.
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Lettuce Finds Her STOMP — first book in the series
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STOMP Method™ for emotional regulation, ages 4–7
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Parent companion guides and scripts
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Educator toolkits and read-aloud resources
Two brands. One philosophy.
Prevention for girls. Recovery for women. Execution for leaders. The root is always the same.
D
Workshops - Advisory - Executive Coaching
For the teams and leaders who have the strategy but cannot seem to execute it. The Dark Horse Advisory helps organizations stop emailing strategy and start living it. Build the operating systems, cadence, and accountability structures that make execution real.
The Dark Horse Advisory
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Execution Intelligence framework for leaders
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From Perfectionism to Steady Execution workshops
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Fractional advisory for scaling organizations
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Manager enablement and team operating systems