PERSPECTIVES IN FOCUS
Courtney Michener Miller
As we near the close of 2025, and start to savor the holiday season, it is time to reflect.
We ponder how the time went so fast; the time thief is always in the background, we’ve learned by now. We celebrate milestones at work and in our professional lives. We quantify the patients reached by our efforts.
We look back and we plan forward, and in reflection, as we close out the year, we see ourselves. Really pause. You’ve come so far.
Brianna Wiest writes, “Nothing will initiate your momentum forward more than realizing how far you have already come. Nothing will more quickly bring you back into the awareness of your own strength.” So, take a moment and celebrate how far you’ve come on your journey in this #OneBeautifulLife.
Serendipitously, I had the opportunity to hear Hoda Kotb, Mel Robbins, Cythia Erivo, Tomi Adeyemi and Jesse Israel speak, all at the same event, the Pennsylvania Conference for Women held in Philadelphia.
It was a true moment of reflection for me as these individuals didn’t start where they are now. They dreamed. They hustled. They stood through the storms of rejections and hard times, and they are all better for it. The world is better for it.
They didn’t give up, they know who they are, what they offer and tell their stories with such conviction you truly can’t help but be moved by the power of their presence, even in a sea of 9,000 humans that attended this event.
It made me think of our career paths, those of us all joined by the mission of LTEN, those of us called to the life sciences industry as educators, leaders, trainers and change-makers. We share a common thread, the thread of believing so deeply in the work we do, of the impact that it will make for the life of a patient, that our trade, our art, is woven by the light of generosity.
We build training and development plans so that those in our business can shine. We spend countless hours fine-tuning presentations, working through training plans with our colleagues, communicating at scale, making sure every detail is covered, every piece of technology works seamlessly. We are behind-the-stage crew members, getting everyone else ready for the spotlight, for peak performance and our generosity drives us.
We ensure our businesses take time for development, for reflection and are ready for peak performance. We owe it to ourselves to do the same, to be generous to ourselves, for a moment.
As we close the year, take time to gather with the people we love the most, meet end-of-year deadlines and wrap up large training initiatives, programs and upskilling, there has never been a better time to pause. To reflect. To review how far you’ve come and all you’ve accomplished.
Your strength lies in your story. You’re capable of anything you set your mind to.
When you settle into your momentum after you reflect on the road you’ve traveled and set your intentions and goals for the year ahead, you’ll have only one question to sort: “What are you waiting for?”
I am beyond thankful for being a part of LTEN this year in my #OneBeautifulLife and meeting you at the conference or here, on the pages of LTEN Focus on Training magazine. Let’s keep changing the world of life sciences training with the forward momentum of realizing how far we’ve come and how much we have ahead.
Enjoy the holiday season. We have so much to be thankful for. I’ll see you in 2026.
Courtney Michener Miller is head of commercial learning for AstraZeneca and a member of the LTEN Board of Directors. Email her at courtney.michener@astrazeneca.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/courtneymichenermiller.