(CNN) – From the time she was a little girl, Michelle Poler was afraid of the world. She avoided big, playful dogs, scared they might bite her. Terrified of pain, she dreaded doctor's appointments. She missed dinner parties that required her to drive at night.

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New York City is definitely not for the fearful. After moving here I realized I needed to do something about it. So in efforts to become a braver person I embarked on a project where I faced 100 fears in 100 days. What I didn't expect was to inspire thousands along the way.

I'm now super fortunate to have the opportunity to travel the world speaking at schools, companies and organizations on how to embrace the unknown and live a life beyond the comfort zone.

If it’s not at an airport, you can also find me on YouTube posting weekly videos or uploading stories of courage from everyday people to HelloFears.com. Check it out!

Featured

Day 100: Inspire others at TEDxHouston

Day 100: Inspire others at TEDxHouston

Day 96: Age

Day 89: Stand Up

Day 89: Stand Up

Day 85: Surf

Day 80: Teach

Day 78: Paint

Day 77: Pose

Day 72: Embrace

Day 72: Embrace

Day 65: Jump

Day 59: Quit

Click here to see the full list of fears

Day 88: Let it bee

August 14, 2015

What's the challenge?

To keep bees.

What are you afraid of?

Getting stung.

How was the experience?

In an effort to overcome my huge fear of bees, I called the New York City Beekeepers Association and asked them to teach me about beekeeping and allow me to watch from up close how they do their job. They invited me to join them this morning at 6am to one of their rooftop beehives. I couldn't sleep just thinking about being around bees and staying calm so they don't sense my fear. So I "woke up" at 5:15am and went to the rooftop where I met with Andrew, Molly and Sasha over sunrise. They were telling me all about bees, including the fact that they are vegetarian so they are not looking to harm anyone; they're just looking to do their job (delicious honey). That definitely helped as I was able to stay relaxed when they all came out, plus I was wearing my special suit. Before leaving, Andrew thought it would be really funny to throw a "bee rain" all over me which scare the sh*t out of me. This was an amazing experience and I hope I can finally stay calmed when bees fly around me (no more public embarrassment as far as bees goes for now). Thank you guys!!!

To learn more about beekeeping in NYC, visit www.bees.nyc

Why Fear?

A couple of reasons I wrote just to remind myself why am I doing this:

Fear keeps me from enjoying life
Fear will keep me from achieving success
I want to live courageously
Life starts at the end of your comfort zone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
NYC is not made for the fearful
Fear just doesn't make sense
If I don't do it now, then, when?

Instagram: @100dayswithoutfear

To make your Friday even better, I partnered with @underpantsandoverbites to create this cute little comic about fear.
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She is doing #the100dayproject and every day she uploads a different comic (you HAVE to go see ALL of them 😂).
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Now tell me, which of these fears can you relate to??? Surprisingly I was able to relate to ALL 10 fears 😱 #hellofears #collab #illustration #friday

Not sure if you knew that 👆🏼
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If I faced my fears, you can too
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If I chose growth over comfort, you can too
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If I’m living an authentic life, you can do that too
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If I found my passion, you can too
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If I became an entrepreneur, you can so do that too
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If I found real love, you can too
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If I achieved my goals, you WILL too
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If I borrowed this image from @britandco 💁🏼‍♀️... you should do so too! Spread the message✨☺️ #hellofears #youcantoo #empowerment #quotes

I’ve been a bit MIA lately here! Well, I mean here in my feed! You’ve probably been following my stories. But this is where I’ve been ⬇️
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📍Physically, we are currently in the DC area. We just did two events here and we are loving it! Georgetown is so gorgeous 💕 I kinda want to stay here longer, but we have an event in Delaware soon, so we have to leave on Sunday
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☁️ Mentally, I’m focused on my speaking events, on helping adam with his 100 day project at @stramhacks and on finishing the projects I started in earlier 2018 🔑Key word: FINISH, thing I don’t usually do before I start something else 🤦🏼‍♀️
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♥️ Emotionally, I am thankful for the life I have, the job I do and the person I get to live this adventure with.
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Where are you physically, mentally and emotionally? Is that were you want to be? Check in with yourself once in a while ✌🏼✨ #hellofears

✨New blog post✨
This time, author @km_sutherland opens up about her story with mental illness and the courage it took her to speak openly about it.
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“When people ask me what my biggest fears are, I usually give them the same answer: frogs, caves, and heights, in that order. It’s an easy answer, and a funny one—people always laugh at the frogs—but it’s not the whole truth.
My father was mentally ill.”
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Read Krystal’s story at hellofears.com and DM me or let me know here 👇🏼 if you have a story you’d like to share. If it took courage, we want to hear it 👂🏻♥️ #courageis #newblogpost #storiesofcourage #hellofears #mentalillness #mentalhealth

FREE WALLPAPER 💕💕💕💕👇🏼👆🏼👇🏼👆🏼
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I used to do so many things to impress others. Things I thought I enjoyed. But it was only when I started doing things for myself and letting the fear of being judged by others aside, that I truly learned that the only time we get to experience life to the fullest is when we do the things we love like no one’s watching 👀
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I asked illustrator @gabrielailustra to help me create a wallpaper for you guys with this saying, so every time you look at your phone, or you laptop, you remember to the the things that fulfill your soul, regardless of what others may say or think 🙌🏼
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Download wallpaper here: hellofears.com/feelingbrave and let me know in the comments the ONE thing you commit yourself to doing from now on, like no one’s watching! 👊🏻♥️ #dancelikenooneswatching #inspiring #quote #friday #motivation #hellofears #illustration #the100dayproject

Have you heard of the 100-Day Project? It is what changed my life and the life of many — funny thing, it starts today 🙆🏼‍♀️
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Officially, the 100DP, led by @elleluna launches today worldwide, but you can start whenever you feel ready. It is a matter of choosing 1 thing you want to do for the next 100 days IN A ROW! 💪🏼
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What would you do for 100 days?
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Think about your goals, the things you once said: one day I want to do X. Can you turn that into a 100 day project?
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Here are some ideas of things you can do, but ultimately this project is extremely personal ♥️ so pick an idea and make it your own:
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100 Days Without Fear (duh — tag me!)
100 illustrations
100 poems
100 videos
100 rejections
100 photos
100 quotes
100 self love activities
100 days without ______
100 healthy habits
100 days of yoga
100 inventions
100 letters
100 tutorials
100 jokes
100 hacks — @stramhacks
100 days of journaling
100 paintings / art pieces
100 short articles
100 things to be grateful for
100 acts of kindness
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Any more ideas for this project? Write some more below 👇🏼 And if you’re starting one, let me know so I can follow along 👊🏻✨ — Use the hashtag to be part of this awesome movement and to be discovered by others: #the100dayproject

Make someone’s day with your tag 👇🏼☺️♥️ (or week)
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I’m tagging my friend @veroruizdelvizo who inspires me daily to make things happen 👊🏻✨👯‍♀️ #mondaymotivation #inspiration #friends

It’s ok to have fear. Otherwise, bravery wouldn’t exist.
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What else is OKAY? 👇🏼🤔
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Art by @stacieswift 🎈

#CourageIs evolved one more time! Now, into articles that we will be sharing weekly at hellofears.com 🙌🏼
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“I was raised in a traditional, structured, and somewhat closed-minded community, with lots of roles, rules, expectations, and prefabricated boxes that everyone was expected to fit into.

The thing is, some of us never fit properly into the molds made by others. Some of us just aren’t built that way.”
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If you can relate to this 👆🏼, keep reading @maurenkg story about breaking the mold, getting divorced and rediscovering herself 🙆🏻‍♀️ — at hellofears.com ✨
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What should the next story be about?
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#hellofears #breakthemold #divorce #thattakescourage #courage #fear #quote #brave #enough

We’re 20K! 😭♥️🙏🏻 — Here are 8 things I learned on my way here:
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1) Good content keeps your current community happy, and leads to growth, slowly but surely. More about good content 👇🏼
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2) The best content is the one that comes from the heart. If it makes you uncomfortable to post, even better. Dare to be #REAL not perfect 🙏🏻
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3) Fast growth happens when other trusted accounts highly recommend your content (not mention you or tag you, highly recommend you) ✨
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4) Stories: worth investing your time. Become a storyteller. Use as many posts as needed to tell the story in the best way possible: 1. set the stage, 2. tell us what happened, 3. use screenshots, pictures or videos to show real life examples, 4. share your POV and finally, 5. interact/have a call to action 💡
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5) It is not about the amount of followers, but your level of engagement. SocialRank.com will help you see your engagement and any other account you want to check 👀
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6) Use your community to benefit your community. Someone asks a question and you don’t know the answer? Post the question to your followers, highlight their answers so we can all benefit from it 👯‍♀️
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7) Answering DM’s can be exhausting, but it leads to a higher level of loyalty. Value your audience and be grateful for their engagement — I personally love answering DM’s 🙋🏼‍♀️
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8) Any situation in life can be turned into content. Don’t look too far. Live your life and pay attention to it 🧠. Your thoughts, emotions or behaviors can help others in ways you never imagined.
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Thank you for reading me and following me and recommending me. Can’t wait to keep growing with you, learning from you and sharing every stage of my life and career with you. Deeply grateful to have you here ♥️

Being in the middle of this snow storm feels like an accomplishment.
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Two days ago we had to make a choice: stay in the comfort of sunny Florida and miss my next event, or do whatever it takes to honor our word and travel all the way to Delaware in the middle of a snow storm.
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Comfort or growth? What do you choose most often?
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We not only decided to travel, but we decided to have the best attitude come what may! — This is something I learned from my friend @blakefly 🙏🏻
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After 3 planes, 1 train ride, multiple cancellations and delays, we not only made it to our destination but we also ended up having an awesome time! 🙌🏼 It’s all about making brave choices and choosing to have the best attitude 👊🏻 #hellofears

A year ago today, my BFF called me and told me: “I want to divorce my husband, the time has come and I’m not looking back. Do I have your support?” — I will upload her story shortly (at hellofears.com) for those who’d like to get inspired by her courage, but for now I want to ask you:
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Can you make this week count? Could this be THE week you make something happen? I know I will. I will start working right away on the next product for Hello Fears 😬
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Set an intention for the week and fully commit to it. Stop prioritizing other things before your personal happiness and do something about it. Today, take responsibility and ownership of your future. The time has come my friend, and we’re here to support you on that journey 💪🏼
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The question is, are you ready for awesome?
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Image by @andyjpizza

A post on REJECTION👇🏼
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Some months ago I asked you to vote for me so I could have the chance to be a speaker at SXSW (one of the coolest events in the US). Anyways, they reviewed my application, which thanks to you had a BUNCH of votes. I was confident I was going to make it — so far, I’m too used to hearing “LOVE your demo, please be our MAIN keynote” — That wasn’t the case this time.
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Weeks later, I received an email saying that they loved my demo and that I was placed on a waiting list because they had no more spots available at the moment. Mixed feelings. You loved it, but not as much?
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A month later, I received a generic email saying that unfortunately they couldn’t find a spot for my talk. Ouch.
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SXSW is currently happening and lots of my contacts are there, posting about their experience. I can’t help but to feel empty inside when I see that (even though I’m genuinely happy for everyone there, speakers and attendees).
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Am I going to cry and give myself negative self talk about how “I am NOT enough”? — I rather not. I trust that things happen for a reason, I try to be ok with myself because I gave my best in the application, and I will make sure to try again next year with a different angle.
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Let’s all try to be more compassionate with ourselves. No reason to punish ourselves and less so because of someone else’s decision. If we tried our best according to the tools and knowledge we had at the moment, we have to let it go for now and try again, and again, until we get it.
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I know I’ll be at @sxsw someday and it will be awesome 🙏🏻♥️ #sxsw2018

2 years ago today I gave my first ever 45 min Keynote. It was at a Google’s office and about 40 people showed up.
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Today I can say that I’ve given over 70 talks in my life, spoken in front of thousands of people and inspired many of those to take action towards a more fulfilling and successful life.
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I realized that this business, the speaking business, pays in two ways: money and impact. And thank G’d I have @stramhacks with me because otherwise I would just do this for the impact and be living under a bridge, a VERY inspiring bridge 😂🙏🏻
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My point is, you would think it feels good to deposit a nice check after a successful event, and of course it doesn’t hurt, but hearing the comments from the motivated audience who now feels confident enough to pursue their biggest dreams and aim higher after they heard you speak, man, NOTHING compares to that feeling.
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These photos 👆🏼 were taken at the @weallgrowlatina Summit in Long Beach, one of the best experiences we’ve had in 2018. Not only did I empower 400 women, I empowered 400 Latina women. It was truly an honor and a joy to be there. Ana ( @laflowers ), congrats for putting together such remarkable event and bringing together so many powerful Latinas ♥️💥💪🏼
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Photos by @renatavictoria_photography #weallgrow #hellofears #impactdriven #speaker #thankful #internationalwomensday

I had to #Repost @emilymcdowell_
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Take up space and don’t apologize for it. Women: this unapologetic space-taking, in itself, is a revolutionary act.
From day one, we are warned about crossing the dangerous line into “too much.” Too loud. Too fat. Too opinionated. Too big. Too bold. Too bitchy. Too emotional. Too physical. Too dramatic. Too smart. Too crass. ///
“Too much” is bullshit. It means “unable to be contained by the box built for you by the patriarchy.” Here is how to fit in the box: Become as small as possible. Don’t act so smart, it’s intimidating. Don’t be so loud, it’s not feminine. Don’t share your point of view, it’s pushy and shrill. Stop trying to be funny; boys won’t like you if you upstage them. Don’t be dramatic; nobody likes an attention whore. Don’t be high-maintenance, but you can’t just let yourself go. Don’t be too ambitious, it’s not becoming. /// *Above all else, just focus on fitting in the box, because you’re so much easier to control when you’re all folded up in there.* /// On this International Women’s Day (btw: culturally, we spend the same amount of time celebrating donuts as we do WOMEN), let’s take up some fucking space, and let’s recognize that too much is actually just right. It’s hard to get shit done from inside a box.