Speaking
You are: Planning a conference, selecting speakers for your annual meeting, or designing your leadership development program
You want: A creative, high-energy, and joyful to leadership, grounded in 25+ years of experience both as a leader of people and as a professional speaker, targeted in a specific area of expertise (specifically - how to drive change, lead teams, and build resilience)
Not: A keynote speaker who can 'speak on anything’, with no actionable ideas, or a leadership ‘expert’ with no experience actually leading
Keynotes
Survival of the Fittest is Not a KPI
Embrace Resilience Now (Before Nature Does it for You)
Resilience is not a ‘nice to have’, when you can ‘fit it in’, nor is it solely about self-care or never-ending positivity. This keynote elevates resilience to its rightful place as an essential leadership skill and empowers audience members to assess and implement their own, unique resilience tactics. It is crucial to build the resilience you need now, because like the cheetahs, we will also slow down - this is a reality, not an option. The question is not ‘if’, it is ‘when’ - and the choice is whether we will choose to proactively, or reactively, slow down.
This program is perfect for:
Leaders and team members who currently feel overwhelmed, maybe even approaching burnout, and want concrete ways to incorporate resilience
High-functioning and super-productive people who need to make sure they have a healthy, sustainable approach to their work so they can stay that way
Learning and Development professionals searching for ways to train leaders on how to create a culture that not only accepts but embraces resilience as an essential
The audience will leave with:
A deeper understanding of their personal resilience needs and how to put resilience tools into action
A framework on how to create and sustain a culture of resilience
Inspiration and motivation to implement and champion resilience as an essential leadership skill
Lead by Instinct
Enough Learning - Time for Leading
You are unique in how you lead - how you approach a problem, the ways you communicate, the unique lens through which you see possibility, and more. This keynote is a high-energy smash-up of practical steps to take and memorable methods to implement - designed to be fun in experience and grounded in reality. The truth is that, just like nature abhors a vacuum, leadership abhors the lack of a decision. It is your task - and opportunity - to make that decision, to push forward, to ultimately (and always) lead in the way you were born to lead.
This program is perfect for:
Senior executives and experience leaders who need to dial back in to what makes them unique, tap into the leadership legacy they want to leave, and rekindle the joy of leading
Young professionals ready to put into practice everything they have learned on paper and from mentors to make it uniquely their own
Learning and Development professionals who want a purposeful, inspirational, and joyful way to kick-off or close their leadership development program
The audience will leave with:
A renewed awareness of and connection to their unique leadership skills
Tangible skills on how to leverage and effectively use leadership presence
A framework on how to establish and sustain an environment that not only invites, but craves, diverse leadership approaches
Drive (and Survive!) Change
Lead Change that Sticks instead of Getting Stuck
Spoiler alert: change is constant. Good news: it doesn’t have to be chaos! This keynote deconstructs the myths around change, why we (and those around us) may fear - or even hate - change, and what to do about it. Because whether it’s a large-scale, strategic transition or a small-scale, necessary shift, change can be approached through a systematic lens to help both people and progress. Change, like the waves, keeps coming…wouldn’t you rather face down and lead the next change rooted in a firm foundation?
This program is perfect for:
Leaders who see both the reality and the possibility - and the change that needs to occur to move between the two
Team members who, once they have an understanding about how to participate in systemic change, can do so with enthusiasm and focus
Learning and Development professionals who need a simple - but not easy - system to help leaders drive change that sticks
The audience will leave with:
A time-tested, three-phase approach to move from managing to leading change
Insider guidance on how to develop and sustain trust in you as the leader of change as well as the process and the outcomes
Key tactics on how to effectively communicate the change that is coming - the hidden truth to leading change that sticks
Trust Your Questions
Leverage Your STEM Lens for Maximum Leadership Impact
Remember that moment…when you evolved from a student of science to a scientist? Remember when leadership became more questions than answers? This keynote explores the dynamic relationship between the art and science of leadership - and why questions will always be more important, and present, then answers. The reality is that STEM professionals bring a much-needed quantitative approach to leadership prowess - and nonetheless the opportunities to embrace the fluidity and ambiguity is just as necessary. Leverage your scientific brain to maximize the create-your-own-adventure realities of leadership - and watch the magic unfold.
This program is perfect for:
Experienced STEM professionals in need of how to weave their unique, scientific lens on the world into viable leadership impact
Young STEM professionals wondering how to progress from doers to leaders in a sustainable way
Human Resources professionals in STEM fields who need a trusted resource with an actual scientific background who can help their leaders grow
The audience will leave with:
A deeper understanding of how to leverage their vast scientific knowledge into applicable leadership skills
Concrete steps on how to blossom as a leader while creating an environment for those around you to do the same
An excitement and pride in why they, as STEM professionals, are uniquely qualified to help drive change, lead teams, and build resilience - because they can interpret and construct a quantitative way in which to do so
Author Talk
From Relentless Sea Turtles to Snoozing Cheetahs
Discovering the Secrets to Leadership in Nature
Think you’ve seen it all outdoors? Think again…we learn from nature about everything else...art, architecture, medicine, engineering, and more...why not leadership? This informal talk explores Julie’s quest from a quiet, shy kid hiding off-stage during the school play to passionate, purpose-driven professional helping leaders grow with lessons from nature. Discover wildlife and wild places as you've never seen them before...full of secrets on how to drive change, lead teams, and build resilience...all while leading in the way you were born to lead.
This program is perfect for:
Bookstores and community groups wanting a highly energetic and content-rich talk to kick-off a Book Club or ignite a passion for their community
Career Days or STEM-focused programs interested in highlighting novel career paths that combine a deep knowledge of and love for science with an innovative and entrepreneurial twist on how to create your own professional journey
Professional associations serving women in leadership wanting an inspirational and reality-checked program on what it takes to lead
The audience will leave with:
A renewed sense of purpose for their own career journeys and impact
A new lens through which to view wildlife and wild places and why conservation and sustainability are vital
A sense of joy and eagerness for how they can support and/or mentor the leaders in their lives
“Julie is an amazing speaker. She led two of the highest rated sessions at our Leadership Institute. Insightful, and thought provoking, she left our attendees with valuable takeaways that they could apply to their own businesses.”
— Michael Kobylka, CAE, director of chapter development at Associated Builders and Contractors