“One of the most beautiful, powerful, inspiring memoirs I have ever read. When [Nancy Regan] seemingly effortlessly interviewed everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Madonna to Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe on CTV’s Live At 5, which at its peak was bringing in a quarter of a million viewers every night, she appeared to be the most confident person imaginable. This – it transpires in brutally honest prose – was not the case, and this bizarre dichotomy is outlined in profound detail in this memoir /self-help book.”
̶ James Mullinger, host of Mullinger Meets Canadians podcast
From Showing Off
to Showing UP
An Impostor’s Journey from Perfect to Present
Nancy Regan
An intimate memoir and guide to overcoming imposter syndrome, stage fright, perfectionism, and embracing our most authentic selves, from the former host of Live at 5.
“My life was perfect. I was confident and outgoing. I was a deliriously happy wife and mother. I loved my job. That all sounds great, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, every one of those statements is false. I was false.”
This might seem like shocking honesty, but to Nancy Regan, it’s simply the result of dropping a mask she clung to for decades. In her first book, the former television broadcaster gives us a behind-the-scenes account of her experience hosting a newsmagazine with a daily audience of over a quarter million—and interviewing some of the biggest celebrities in the world—all while studiously concealing fear, insecurity, and self-doubt. With remarkable candour, Regan describes how she created the illusion of having it all together because she didn’t want anyone to know how close she was to falling apart.
In From Showing Off to Showing UP, Regan explores in lyrical prose how overcoming these challenges enriched her life and now fuels her ability to help others through her work as a presentation coach. Weaving together memoir and self-help, this intimate book takes readers on a compelling journey—from Regan’s childhood growing up in the thorny world of politics, through highlights and lowlights of her TV career, to what she considers her greatest personal accomplishment: self-acceptance. Featuring soulful lessons from her conversations with such luminaries as Oprah and bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love) and serving up some of Regan’s favourite practices for staying grounded in presence, From Showing Off to Showing UP is a powerful roadmap for living a more authentic life.
Nancy Regan is a professional communicator whose dynamic career includes tv and podcast hosting, emceeing, and presentation coaching. She has a passion for storytelling which she brings to every interaction and conversation—whether she’s assisting a business leader in sharing their vision, or helping an individual preserve their life story for future generations.
Nancy built her reputation as the highly rated host of CTV’s Atlantic’s Live at 5 for fifteen years. She also served as the national host of CTV’s Good Morning Canada and That News Show on TVTropolis, and has interviewed some of the most famous people on the planet—including Oprah, Madonna, Russell Crowe, and Harrison Ford. Nancy is also an actor, having appeared in tv and film productions such as Haven, Trailer Park Boys, and Reversible Errors. Visit nancyregan.ca for more information. From Showing Off to Showing UP hit the Globe and Mail Bestseller list upon publication.
Praise for From Showing Off to Showing UP:
“One of the most beautiful, powerful, inspiring memoirs I have ever read. When [Nancy Regan] seemingly effortlessly interviewed everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Madonna to Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe on CTV’s Live At 5, which at its peak was bringing in a quarter of a million viewers every night, she appeared to be the most confident person imaginable. This – it transpires in brutally honest prose – was not the case, and this bizarre dichotomy is outlined in profound detail in this memoir /self-help book.”
̶ James Mullinger, host of Mullinger Meets Canadians podcast
“A podcaster, host, emcee and more, [Regan] openly and strikingly describes battling through intense feelings of imposter syndrome at work and an at-times obsessive fear of failure. It’s remarkably candid writing for someone who has almost universally been seen on air entirely together, composed, even relaxed.”
–Atlantic Business Magazine
“As Miles Davis famously said, ‘Man, sometimes it takes a long time to sound like yourself.’ I have struggled for years as a broadcaster to do this. Nancy Regan taught me how. For that, I will be forever grateful. It’s all in this book.”
—Mary Lynk, CBC radio journalist and podcast host
“A beautiful call to live a more authentic and fearless life. Insightful, funny, and unblinking in its self-examination. Read it, and you may get to know yourself a little better.”
–Anne Bérubé Ph.D., author of The Burnout Antidote and Be Feel Think Do
