When I was young, I was blessed to be surrounded by incredible actors, presenters, and individuals who had remarkable stories to tell. They inspired me to push past the ordinary, think differently and frequently, and to encourage others to do the same.
Since then I have had the pleasure of speaking to a number of great audiences on topics I feel very passionately about including, but not limited to:
- Leadership and community building
- Experiential event planning
- Customer service-centric communications
- Teaching old dogs new tricks (or new dogs the tricks that haven't even hit the streets).
To give you a better idea of the topics that make me come alive, see the presentation examples below. If you are interested in having me present to your community, please contact me directly.
If you still need some more convincing, read the testimonials from previous clients and presentation attendees.
If you are looking for a bio to include in your promotional materials, please see my speaker bios.
I was asked to represent the “next generation of men” at the All Male Panel at Beyond Pink, an annual conference hosted by Young Women in Business (YWiB). It was a true honour to speak beside these great gents:
We spoke about our interpretations of feminism, the “old boys club,” assertive (and aggressive) women in our offices, and other issues facing women (young and old) in our respective industries. While our opinions on each topic drastically varied, we all walked away with one common thread – we’d all hire a woman over a man any day.
- Introduced the 4 key principles to great networking: start with your inner circle; build trust; follow-up and refer; leave your mark.
- Presented to Sauder School of Business students at Frosh 2009
- Started with involving the crowd by having volunteers read out this introduction (You should read it top to bottom first, and then bottom to top to get the full effect)
This is the art of “networking”
I realize this may be a shock but
Networking is about creating positive relationships and friendships
Is a lie, and
Just getting a business card or adding them to LinkedIn will keep you connected
Every day I tell my friends and current colleagues that
They are not the most important people to be connected with
My professional network will know that
I have my priorities straight because
Making small talk and getting my name out there
Are way more successful than
Following-up and sharing value-added information
I tell you this
Networking is done everywhere
This is not true in my life
Connections are made at wine and cheese events or when looking for a job
Experts tell me
There will not be a need for connecting with people and employers online
We can’t believe that
We can be a part of changing this old school way of shmoozing
In the future
Selling yourself with an elevator pitch will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
Professors and alumni in your community are your best “ins”
It will be evident that
Your benevolence and goodwill towards others will not be needed
It is foolish to presume that
Those around you today are those that will help you find opportunities in the future
Before anything you must know
This is the way we network at Sauder.
And all of this will become your reality unless you choose to do the exact opposite.
- Paralleled meeting facilitation with directing a movie: you need to create a hook, some conflict, and a great conclusion
- Presented to UBC Residence Life student Residence Coordinator training
- Representing your brand/program through positive and affinity-building interactions with your “customers”
- Presented as part of UBC Jump Start student Residence Advisor training
- Web 2.0 strategies and how Universities can prepare for web 3.0
- Co-presented with Ryan Rodrigues, University of Western Ontario, at CCAE National 2009
- Using technology and brand-ividuals to promote your program or event
- Presented at UBC student-staff training 2009 and Residence Life Staff training 2009
- Continuing your role as a leader in the UBC community, even after graduation
- Presented at the Vice-President Students’ Student Leader Recognition Event 2009
- Creating events/programs at UBC that stand out from all the other “boring brown cows” that students see
- Co-presented with UBC student Warren Springer at the UBC Student Leadership Conference 2009
- Awarded “Best Collaborative SLC Workshop”
