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 Keynote 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, through her mindset coaching practice, 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
What I Bring To Your Stage
I’ve built a successful career in professional sales and personal development. As an entrepreneur, I’ve started and grown businesses of my own. And, 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 play small or 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.
As Featured In:
KEYNOTE TALKS
Why Change Stalls, and How to Get Your Team Moving Together
For organizations to understand why people react so differently to change, ease the friction it creates between them, and keep their teams moving forward together.
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.
Their skills haven’t gone anywhere.
It's just that their fear of the unknown simply takes over.
But it doesn’t look the same in everyone.
One person keeps researching, another keeps reworking what’s already done, another takes on everyone else’s worries, and another waits for things to settle.
When those reactions meet on the same team, the change the organization is counting on stalls, and frustration builds between people who should be pulling together.
This session helps participants understand how they and their colleagues react to uncertainty and gives them practical ways to move forward with confidence, as individuals and as a team.
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
Which of four common patterns they fall into when change hits, and how it affects the people they work with
The difference between caution and fear, and how to tell which one is making their decisions
How to take action without waiting for certainty, so change becomes an opportunity instead of a threat
Why Your Best People Stay Quiet, and How to Bring Their Ideas Forward
For organizations to bring forward the ideas their best people are holding back, make better decisions, and build teams where everyone contributes.
Every organization has talented people sitting on ideas that could change the way it works.
They’re in your meetings right now, saying nothing.
Not because they don’t care, but because staying quiet feels safer than getting it wrong.
Over time, the same few voices end up shaping every decision.
When your best people hold back, leaders decide with half the picture. Problems surface late and cost more to fix. And good people quietly disengage, or leave for somewhere they feel heard.
This engaging, eye-opening session gets to the real reason people stay quiet, and it isn’t a lack of skill.
Participants will recognize themselves within minutes, discover the pattern that keeps them silent, and leave with simple tools they can use in their very next meeting.
The result is a team that speaks up, catches problems sooner, and brings its best ideas forward.
By the time we're done, participants will discover:
The real reason talented people stay quiet, and why it has nothing to do with skill
Which pattern keeps you playing small, and how it affects the people you work with
How to speak up in high-stakes moments, with leaders, in tough meetings, or when you disagree
Practical tools to use in the very next meeting, so bringing ideas forward becomes the norm
KEYNOTE TOPICS
Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt
Navigating Change and Uncertainty
Perfectionish and Overthinking
Rebuilding After Setbacks
Growing Into New Roles
Psychological Safety in the Workplace
A Session Your Audience Will Remember
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.
Together, we'll shape a talk built around the results that matter most to you.
sarah gleeson
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