Jeannie Zappe

Speaker/Coach

Jeannie Zappe, a transformative speaker and coach, excelled in leadership roles in higher education IT before pursuing her true calling as a swim coach in 2010. Harnessing her lifelong passion, she's coached a diverse spectrum, from young talents to elite national athletes and Ironmen/women.

Jeannie's personal feats include swimming around Manhattan at age 53, crossing the English Channel at 55, and joining the elite ranks of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming at 56 by swimming from Catalina Island to Long Beach, California.

Her life-altering question to herself, "What if I can?", transformed Jeannie’s perspective, and she loves to share its power. With a captivating and lively presentation style, she embarks on an emotional journey that dives into the depths of setting daring goals, braving intimidating opportunities, and upholding an unwavering optimism.

She holds a BS in Quantitative Business Analysis from Penn State and an MS in Business Administration from Bucknell University.

April 23, 2026

Quick Lift: How Women Build Confidence and Reinvent Themselves

Confidence rarely shows up first. It gets built in the smaller moments—through reps, discomfort, and the decision to move before we feel fully ready. In this Quick Lift, we unpack the biggest takeaways from our conversation with Jeannie Zappe, from building confidence in small steps to learning how to challenge the story we tell ourselves. Her story is bigger than swimming or reinvention. It is about how women build courage in real life. If we’ve been hesitating, overthinking, or talking ourselves out of something bigger, this one is the reminder to take the next step.

Guest: Jeannie Zappe

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April 16, 2026

What If I Can? Confidence, Courage, and Reinventing Your Life

What happens when a woman decides it is not too late to do something bold? In this episode, we sit down with Jeannie Zappe — coach, speaker, lifelong swimmer, and open water athlete — to talk about confidence, courage, optimism, and what it really looks like to reinvent yourself in midlife. From leaving a stable 20-year IT career to swimming the English Channel, Jeannie shares how small acts of bravery build real confidence over time. This conversation is such a good reminder that confidence is not something you magically have. It is something you build by saying yes, stretching yourself, and choosing a better story than fear. In this episode, we cover: ▪ why confidence is built through action, not waiting until you feel ready ▪ how to start small when you want to take a bigger risk ▪ the power of optimism and the stories we tell ourselves ▪ why women need to stop leading with “what if I can’t” ▪ what it looks like to reinvent your life and career at any age ▪ how suppo…

Guest: Jeannie Zappe

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