The First 45 Seconds That Changed My Career (and How They Can Change Yours Too)

Erin Hatzikostas
Oct 2
3 min read

kids raising their hands in a board room

Buckle up, my friend, because I’m about to share the story of the most monumental meeting of my career—and the single biggest lesson it taught me about influence, presence, and authentic leadership.

This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill staff meeting. This was an 8th-floor, mahogany-table, C-suite-packed showdown. And the stakes? Sky high.

The parent company of the business I’d just been named CEO of was deciding whether to go big and invest in us—or sell us off. Not exactly a casual Friday.

The Power of the First 45

We’d prepped for months. The deck? Over 80 slides of financial analysis, glossy screenshots, and strategic rationale. But deep down, I knew the truth: nobody in that room was going to sit quietly for a 60-minute page turn.

That’s when I created what I call The First 45: a 45-second executive summary that laid out my entire case—clear, concise, and impossible to ignore.

Seven or eight bullet points. Memorized. Delivered with conviction. That was my weapon.

What Happened in That Room

When the meeting started, I looked around at the heavy hitters, took a deep breath, and launched into my First 45. No preamble. No fluff. Just a bold, strategic argument for why we needed to go big—and why now.

And guess who spoke up first? The executive who had doubted me from day one. The guy who didn’t believe in our business. He leaned in and said:

“Well, Erin has a very good strategic argument.”

I nearly blacked out after that (true story). But the conversation that followed was electric. Debate sparked. Ideas collided. And within 40 minutes, the parent CEO looked at me and said, “Why can’t you do this in two years instead of three?”

Just like that—we had approval. Go big, go faster, go now.

Why The First 45 Works

Here’s the thing: attention spans are short. Especially when you’re dealing with executives, investors, or even your own leadership team. If you bury your best thinking in slide 47, you’ve already lost.

The First 45 works because it’s:

Clear: No jargon, no rambling.
Confident: Delivered with eye contact and energy.
Authentic: It wasn’t a pitch-perfect script. It was me—my authenticity at work—taking a stand.

This is where authenticity in the workplace really shows its value. People don’t follow a title or a deck; they follow conviction. They follow someone willing to lead with clarity and confidence.

Your Turn: Build Your First 45

The next time you’re prepping for a big pitch, internal meeting, or presentation, here’s what I want you to do:

Do the legwork. Know your numbers, your case, your details.
Distill it. Boil it down into 6–8 powerful bullets.
Memorize it. Lock it in so you don’t rely on notes.
Deliver it. Look your audience in the eye and hit them with your First 45.
Shut up. Let the conversation flow. Trust the room to engage.

That’s authentic leadership in action—not controlling every detail, but setting the tone and then letting others step in.

The Bottom Line

That 45 seconds changed the trajectory of my career—and it can change yours too. Because when you lead with clarity, confidence, and authenticity, people don’t just listen. They follow.

So the next time you step into a big room, don’t just bring your deck. Bring your First 45.

Erin Hatzikostas is an internationally recognized leader on the impact of authenticity in the workplace. Learn more about her keynote speaking, workshops, and other authentic programs here.