About Dr. Heidi Petak

Once upon a time there was a Turtle. She hid her head in her shell for fear that if she shared what she really thought and felt, the Foxes and Bulldogs would bite her head right off. But one day she met an Eagle who wasn't afraid! And she watched, awestruck, as the Eagle soared with confidence and trust, speaking truth but leading with love. And she desperately wanted to shed her Turtle shell and be an Eagle. So she started studying Eagle leaders, parents, spouses, teachers, and counselors to figure out the basis of their fearless confidence and how they got their wings to soar. But fear was a fierce foe, whispering threats of rejection, exposure, and failure. The fight left her bruised and beaten, ready to give up and go back to her safe space inside her shell. 

But then she saw it- the Eagle- soaring. And the Eagle turned to look at her and called out, "Come, soar with me!" And she felt her trust begin to grow, and she stood up tall, honest, and strong. Her shell fell to the ground. She ran to chase the soaring Eagle, glancing once at Fear to say, "Oh, I see you, but you don't own me anymore." And suddenly her webbed feet were lifting, launching right off the ground! Her short, turtle arms became wings and she flew to join the Eagle. And that's how Speak Eagle was born.

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The much more boring version of my bio is that I'm a communication professor-turned coach, a speaker, voiceover artist, professor, and Dove Award-winning writer. I'm passionate about inspiring leaders to Speak Eagle—to teach Turtles, Foxes, and Bulldogs to unlock the power of shame-free communication strategies to foster a thriving culture and shape an enduring, high-performing team.

You are welcome to call me, "Dr. P," as my students have in the past when I have taught for Denver Seminary, Colorado Christian University, Williamson College, and Indiana Wesleyan University. I earned a Ph.D. in Communication from Regent University, an M.A. in Communication from the University of Arkansas, and a B.S. in Broadcasting from John Brown University. My work has taken me across the USA and around the world to speak and teach in Japan, Puerto Rico, Peru, Austria, South Sudan, and Israel.

My husband, Brian, and I live in Colorado where we parent four boys, a one-eyed cat, and a jealous dog who challenge our communication skills daily.