Keynotes and Workshops That Help Audiences to:

Stop Holding Back & Rise to Their Full Potential

Hi there, I'm Sarah

I'm an Author, Coach, and Speaker Who's Lived What I Teach

I know what it’s like to let fear make the decisions. To stay quiet when I had something to say, and to hold back from what I wanted even when I knew exactly what to do, and had the skills to do it.
For more than 25 years, I’ve helped people move past the fears and self-doubt that keep them stuck, first as a mentor in professional sales and now as a coach, author, and speaker. On stage, I help audiences see what’s really holding them back, and how to move forward.

I offer keynotes and workshops for conferences, professional associations, women’s networks, and organizations that want to help their people move past fear and self-doubt, share their ideas with confidence, and take action, even when they’re afraid.

🎤 30- or 60-minute keynotes and half-day or full-day workshops

📢 Available in person and virtually

Download My Speaker Sheet

What I Bring To Your Stage

I’ve built a successful career in professional sales, and as an entrepreneur, I’ve started and grown businesses of my own. Along the way, I’ve led and coached teams, and helped people at every stage of their careers move past the fears that keep them from going after what they want.

I know the pressure your audience works under, because I’ve worked under it too, and I know what it takes to keep showing up when fear tells you it’s better to stay in the background.

My writing has appeared in several major publications. I'm also a published author, as well as a contributing author in a variety of published collections.

KEYNOTE TOPICS

Speak Up with Confidence and Make Your Ideas Count

For participants to share their ideas, trust their judgment, and make a real impact in the meetings and conversations that matter.

Too many talented professionals sit in meetings with a great idea and say nothing, waiting for the perfect moment or letting someone else speak first.

Over time, their ideas go unnoticed and their potential goes untapped.

This session gives participants the confidence and practical tools to contribute fully, even when self-doubt tells them to hold back.

By the time we're done, participants will discover:

  • Why capable people go silent at the exact moment their ideas matter most, and how to break that pattern for good

  • The one belief that keeps you holding back: it once protected you, but now it’s costing you opportunities

  • The simple shift that turns nervous energy into confident contribution

Stop Polishing and Start Finishing: Breaking Free from Perfectionism

For participants to make decisions faster, finish what they start, and stop wearing themselves out over the details.

High performers often spend hours reworking what was ready long ago, delay decisions until they have every answer, and exhaust themselves trying to get everything right.


What looks like high standards is often a fear of criticism or failure.

This session helps participants see perfectionism for what it is and gives them practical ways to move forward with confidence.

By the time we're done, participants will discover:

  • Why perfectionism feels like excellence but often slows you down and holds you back

  • The fear hiding behind high standards, and how to recognize it in your own work

  • How to decide when good enough really is enough, so you can finish, share, and move on

Move Forward with Confidence When Change Feels Uncertain

For participants to handle change with less fear, adapt faster, and keep moving when the path ahead isn’t clear.

When change hits the workplace, even strong performers can freeze.

They resist new ways of working, wait for certainty that never comes, or quietly worry about where they’ll fit.

The skills haven’t gone anywhere.

Fear of the unknown simply takes over.

This session helps participants understand how they react to uncertainty and gives them practical ways to move forward with confidence.

By the time we're done, participants will discover:

  • Why change triggers fear in even the most capable people, and how to notice it before it takes over

  • The difference between caution and fear, and how to tell which one is making your decisions

  • How to take action without waiting for certainty, so change becomes an opportunity instead of a threat

Confident on the Outside, Doubting on the Inside

For participants to overcome imposter syndrome, own their success, and step fully into the roles they’ve earned.

Some of the most successful people look confident to everyone around them while privately wondering if they really belong.

They credit their wins to luck, overprepare so no one sees them struggle, and hold back from opportunities they’re fully qualified for.

It’s called imposter syndrome, and it’s driven by fear, not a lack of ability.

This session helps participants recognize it in themselves and gives them practical ways to stop shrinking and start showing up fully in their roles.

By the time we're done, participants will discover:

  • Why capable people go silent at the exact moment their ideas matter most, and how to break that pattern for good

  • The one belief that keeps you holding back: it once protected you, but now it’s costing you opportunities

  • The simple shift that turns nervous energy into confident contribution

Bring This Message To Your Next Event

Whether you’re planning a conference, a leadership retreat, or a team event, every keynote and workshop is tailored to your audience and your goals for them.
Tell me about your event, who will be in the room, and what you’d like them to walk away with,
and together we’ll create a session your audience will be talking about, and putting into action, long after your event is over.

sarah gleeson

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