KEYNOTE SPEAKING
Empower your staff, leaders or conference attendees through thought-provoking, action-inspiring keynotes.
Supercharge your employees or conference attendees with my motivational talks and trainings. As a CliftonStrengths coach and leadership strategist with over two decades of experience, I’ve learned that organizational impact begins with individual development. My speaking approach helps people get out of their own way, embrace who they are, and make strategic choices to propel their team, direct reports, and organization forward.
Speaking Engagements
As a Cliftonstrengths coach and leadership strategist with over two decades of experience, I’ve learned that organizational impact begins with individual development. My speaking approach helps people get out of their own way, embrace who they are, and make strategic choices to propel their team, direct reports, and organization forward.
Add a jolt of energy to your event with a cut-to-the-chase keynote that tackles current leadership challenges. I custom prepare each talk to align with your goals while deeply connecting with your audience. Regardless of the topic, you can expect an informative and engaging speech that leaves attendees activated to make an immediate change.
– Rock Your Strengths: Work Smarter, Live Happier
Think back to a day when everything just clicked—you were energized, effective, and completely in the zone. Those moments aren’t random; they happen when you’re operating in your strengths.
Gallup research reveals that people who use their strengths at work are 6 times more engaged and 3 times more likely to enjoy life overall. So why waste time trying to be well-rounded when you can lean into what makes you exceptional?
In this dynamic keynote, you’ll discover how to identify, develop, and maximize your unique strengths using CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder). You’ll gain concrete tools to boost your confidence, amplify your impact, and shift from feeling stuck to thriving—every single day.
Forget fixing weaknesses. It’s time to unleash your strengths and do more of what makes you extraordinary.
Takeaways
Develop a system to make every day your best day
Understand why being well-rounded is overrated
Recognize your unique set of strengths
Learn simple steps to seize your strengths at work
– Embrace the Squiggle: Turning Life’s Twists into Your Greatest Advantage
Let’s be real—life rarely unfolds in a straight line. From the very start, Colleen’s journey has been a squiggle—beginning in foster care, navigating unexpected career pivots, and even launching a business just six months before a global pandemic. But instead of resisting the twists, she’s learned to embrace them—and she’ll show you how to do the same.
In this high-energy keynote, Colleen shares why life’s detours aren’t detours at all—they’re the path to growth. Forget rigid plans; this talk is about staying adaptable, spotting opportunities in uncertainty, and using the unknown as your secret weapon. Through engaging stories, practical insights, and a healthy dose of humor, you’ll walk away not just ready to handle change, but excited to make it work in your favor.
Get ready to embrace the squiggle—and turn every twist into an advantage!
Takeaways
The most unexpected paths often lead to the biggest breakthroughs
Learn to adapt and pivot with confidence
Seize new opportunities you might have otherwise missed
Develop a “squiggle mindset” to turn setbacks into stepping stones
— The 5 Risks You Need to Take: How to Step Boldly into Opportunity
Risk can feel intimidating. Most of us either avoid it altogether or stick to only the safest bets. But here’s the truth—life is a series of calculated risks, and the more intentional you are about which ones to take, the more empowered you’ll be to build a life you truly love.
In this energizing keynote, you’ll reframe the way you think about risk. With humor, real-life stories, and practical insights, you’ll learn how to identify and maximize the right risks for you—ones that align with your unique strengths and goals. Walk away ready to expand your comfort zone, spot new opportunities with confidence, and show up as the boldest version of yourself.
It’s time to stop fearing risk and start using it to your advantage!
Takeaways
Learn five important risks to take in your life
Develop a positive perspective towards taking risks
Fine-tune your eye to spot new possibilities
Become motivated to take risks—that make sense for you
– Banishing Burnout: Reignite Energy, Engagement, and Purpose
Burnout isn’t just personal exhaustion—it’s a widespread workplace crisis. Recent studies reveal that 82% of employees are at risk of burnout this year, and half of workers globally are currently grappling with burnout. Its impact ripples through every aspect of work and life, leading to quiet quitting, disengagement, absenteeism, and high turnover.
In this powerful keynote, we’ll delve deep into the root causes of burnout and, more importantly, how to prevent it. Through eye-opening insights, real-world examples, and actionable strategies, you’ll learn how to create a work environment where energy, motivation, and well-being thrive. Walk away with proven tactics to protect yourself and your team from burnout and build a culture that fuels performance without sacrificing well-being.
Burnout doesn’t have to be inevitable. Let’s banish it—for good.
Takeaways
Figure out how to lean into your strengths to decrease burnout
Learn about burnout’s consequences on employees
Master how to spot potential burnout in yourself and your team
Generate a toolkit to stay energized and motivated at work
RECENT SPEAKING & WORKSHOPS
FEATURED Clip
My thoughts on evaluations
Wouldn’t it be better if performance evaluations went this way?
Featured Clip
My thoughts on great leadership
Communication, consistency, credibility, inspires emotional intelligence. These are just the beginning.
Featured Clip
My thoughts on embracing change
Sharing why even small changes can feel uncomfortable and how to embrace them.
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"Fabulous!"
“Your presentation was fabulous! We received so much positive feedback from participants. I so appreciate how you tailored your strengths knowledge to great hybrid strategies. Many thanks!”
— Cornelia Beckett, Chair of Women of EIS, EBSCO Information Services, US
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"Inspiring."
“ I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your exceptional contribution as a speaker at this year’s conference. Your insightful presentation on burnout was a highlight of the event and provided immense value to our attendees.”
— Adara J. Sloane, Associate Director of Events & Operations, Home Care Association of Florida
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"Insightful."
Thank you so much for your time tonight. You’ve covered a lot of what I have been thinking about over the last few years but could never put into such elegant words. I couldn’t believe how insightful this was.
— Dennis, Engineer, Project Manager
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"Impressive."
“I was impressed by your wonderful presentation today. You did a great job presenting information while incorporating exercises for the audience to give us thought as to how we will reach out to strangers going forward.”
— DeAun
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"Organized."
“That was the best presentation KLM has sponsored since I joined in the fall. Very well organized, great slides, full of useful content. I loved everything about it. Can't wait to follow up on some of your suggestions.”
— Carol, Participant
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"Rave reviews!"
"Colleen was a guest on our podcast, and I knew right away that we needed to have her come and speak at our conference! Her session was one of the most popular, and we got nothing but rave reviews on our post-event surveys."
— Paul W. Critchley, President, New England Lean Consulting
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"Knowledgable."
“I just wanted to say what a great session this was. Thank you for putting it together. The speaker was very knowledgeable and informative, and helped to “debunk” some of the misconceptions I had about serving on boards.”
—Nicole, attendee on Nonprofit Boards 101 webinar
Build a dynamic business—starting with your workers.
Contact me to learn more about how I can help.