We explore a powerful hypothesis: the biggest barriers holding UX professionals back are often not politics, budgets, or organizational constraints — but the quiet beliefs we carry about what it means to be good at our jobs. Through real-world examples and practical reframes, this talk invites UXers to recognize the mental models shaping their work — and offers actionable ways to shift them. The result is a compelling call to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact from day one of the conference.

Meet Trevor

Trevor Calabro is Vice President of User Research at Ascensus and a UX leader focused on making user-centered practice hold up in the real world. He is best known for turning scattered UX efforts into long-lasting systems that scale across complex enterprise environments and strengthen how UX shows up in product decisions.

A frequent invited speaker and lecturer, Trevor is also the author of the popular weekly blog, UX Research in the Wild. He writes long-form articles for bona fide UX nerds about foundational thinking, decision-making frameworks, and practical ways UX practitioners can 10x their influence on product and business decisions.