The First Hand
One year ago, on October 10, 2024, I pressed “Publish” on my very first Substack post.
I called the publication Poker’s Life Lessons because poker had shaped me. It was my classroom, my proving ground, and my teacher.
I wanted to share the wisdom the game had given me — about patience, courage, making decisions with the information at hand, and remaining unattached to the outcome.
Poker is still part of me. It always will be.
The Deeper Thread
Over the past year, though, a deeper thread has emerged. Running through everything I’ve ever taught, written, or lived, it comes down to self-talk.
The voice inside your head shapes everything: how you play the hand you’re dealt, how you lead, how you love, how you sell, how you heal, and how you grow.
We talk to ourselves more than anyone else talks to us. Most of the time, we don’t even realize it. It’s a constant loop of internal chatter that can build us up or quietly chip away at our courage.
Self-talk is a master at devaluing our worth. But you can shift it. You can reframe it when you know when and how.
The results are bona fide and scientifically evidence-based.
This is what my work has always been about, whether I was coaching players during home games or the World Series of Poker, helping someone find their voice again after a stroke, or guiding executives and entrepreneurs through crises.
Putting It to the Test
This past year, I put the core of my upcoming 10-Day Self-Talk Transformation guidebook to the test for the third time. The challenge focused on tuning into your Internal GPS so that you can catch the words you say to yourself in real-time.
Each time, the response was the same. People leaned in.
Their feedback confirmed what I’ve always known. Self-talk is the quiet force that reaches into every corner of our lives. Left unchecked, it can drain our spirit and leave us playing small.
Which is precisely why I’m making this shift.
The Next Hand
As this publication steps into its second year, it’s time for a realignment.
Poker’s Life Lessons is becoming Self-Talk With Donna.
Reclaim. Reframe. Rebuild.
This shift isn’t a departure from poker. It’s an expansion — a deeper reflection of the core message I’ve been teaching for decades.
Poker will still appear in my stories, because the game clearly mirrors life. However, the focus will now be on the conversations you have with yourself and how reframing them can change everything.
What’s Ahead
Over the following months, this space will reflect that shift in full color:
Stories that reveal how self-talk shapes key moments
Practical MindShift Exercises™ to help you reframe your inner language
Personal reflections from my own life — the wins, the grief, the losses, the unexpected lessons
Sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes insights as I prepare for the February 2026 release of my 10-Day Self-Talk Transformation guidebook
A special thank you to Fleur Hull for her thoughtful counsel and for providing a focused book launch marketing plan for the guidebook. Her timing was spot on, giving me the nudge I needed to step fully into what’s ahead.
How Self-Talk With Donna Fits
This publication will be the heartbeat of my self-talk work.
If you’ve been here for the poker stories, stay for the transformation.
If you’re new, welcome to a space where we get honest about the conversations that matter most… the ones inside our own minds.
Thank you for walking this first year with me. Your presence matters more than you will ever know.
Here’s to year two.
Here’s to reclaiming, reframing, and rebuilding the voice within.
Donna
PS: On the back end, a few technical details are still being finalized. You may see the old name appear in places for a few days. It’ll all align shortly.
PPS: And if something in here has made you stop and think, please let me know in the comments. That’s how honest conversations start.
