Heather Whelpley giving a keynote while on a large stage

Interactive keynotes and workshops that equip women to live, work, and lead with grounded confidence

Speaking Topics

  • Heather holding a laptop with a presentation titled Discover Your Authentic Voice on it

    Discover Your Authentic Voice

  • Heather on stage speaking

    Live, Work, and Lead with Grounded Confidence

  • Heather speaking to an audience

    Navigating Your Career with Grounded Confidence

  • Heather in front of a laptop with a presentation titled Imposter Syndrome and what to do about it on it

    Imposter Syndrome

  • Heather on stage speaking at the Minnesota Bankers Association

    Surviving To Thriving - A New Way To Manage Burnout

Additional programs and fully customized keynotes and trainings are also available!

While these topics resonate deeply with women, Heather regularly speaks to all-gender audiences. Her presentations are always inclusive and customized through interviews, industry research, and meetings with key stakeholders at your organization.

Discover Your Authentic Voice

and how to use it to lead change

Have you ever felt like something had to be perfect before you could share it with anyone? Like you didn’t know enough or have enough experience to put your idea out there? Or maybe you’ve gotten feedback that you can be too direct – or need to be more confident. Or both!

You're not alone. Most of us have been handed messages that cause us to hold back our voice – and hold us back from the impact we want to create.

It’s time to flip those messages upside down.

Instead of diving into tactics on how you “should” present yourself, we're going to get clear on what is authentic to YOU so you can share your ideas, challenge the status quo, and lead positive change in your workplace – and beyond. In this interactive session we'll identify:

  • How imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and bias get in the way of sharing your authentic voice

  • The changes you want to influence with your voice

  • Concrete strategies to get your voice heard and create an impact

  • Actions you can take to build a culture where others are free to show up as their full selves and share their voice

There were so many ‘a-ha’ moments in her keynote on Discovering Your Authentic Voice. I was flooded with positive feedback from employees after her session, with people saying that it really made difference and left the session feeling better prepared to contribute, connect and deliver for their team and themselves.

— Revthi Lakhole Singh, Systems Integration Specialist, Motorola Solutions

Imposter Syndrome

and what to do about it

Do you ever hear a little voice in your head saying, “I’m not ready. It’s already been done. I just got lucky. Do I know enough to be here?” If any of these sound familiar, then you have been impacted by imposter syndrome. These fraudy thoughts influence how you show up in your career, from pursuing a new client or leadership role to speaking up in meetings and sharing new ideas.

The good news is you can do something about it! In this interactive event we will discuss how imposter syndrome impacts you, the structural and cultural reasons you experience it, and practical tools to manage imposter syndrome so you can take bold steps in your career, including how to:

  • Quiet your inner critic

  • Recover fast when doubt and imposter syndrome strike

  • Act even when you don’t feel confident

“Heather was our keynote speaker for National Women in Roofing Day. In short, she SLAYED it! Her keynote spoke to everyone on a deep level. Heather had us both laughing and crying. She just kept dropping nuggets of wisdom! I highly recommend Heather for your next event.”

— Renae Bales, former National Women in Roofing (NWIR) Executive Chair and KPost Vice President

Perfect for an employee development event, this interactive workshop will give employees the tools they need to understand where they're going in their career, create meaningful development goals, and navigate career decisions with grounded confidence.

Participants will walk away with:

  • Strategies to combat imposter syndrome and fear of failure

  • Knowing the four types of people they need to grow their career

  • Approaches to talk to managers, leaders, and mentors about their career development

  • Greater clarity on what they really want in their career - and clear development goals for next steps

Note: This workshop is customizable to your organization's performance and development processes

“It is ALWAYS an absolutely joy to work with Heather! Anyone thinking of engaging her as a speaker should absolutely do it. Heather is exceptionally well organized, thorough in her questions and review, and can tailor the experience to your organization. I would bring her on for another speaking engagement in a heartbeat!” 

— Jessica Sares, Business Relationship Manager and Women’s Network Chair, Illinois Tool Works

Live, Work, and Lead with Grounded Confidence

How to Break Free from “Should” and Live Your Truth

What rules were you handed in your career - and in your life? Do you feel like you can't disappoint anyone? Aren't allowed to fail - or even make a mistake? Need to be responsible for everything and keep everyone happy? Have to hold back your voice or change how you show up to match what a successful person is “supposed” to do?

Over time, these rules chip away at your confidence. They make you doubt yourself and your abilities. They hold you back from the career, life, and impact you want to create.

It's time to stop. It's time to break the rules.

This is more than your typical presentation.

It's an experience of reclaiming yourself. Get ready to dive deep and have big realizations. You'll see how to let go of the rules telling you to prove your worth through achievement, likability, and being “good” - and reconnect to your grounded confidence.

You'll walk away knowing how to:

  • Quiet the inner critic telling you to work harder, do more, and BE more

  • Create the space to hear your own voice over outer noise

  • Redefine success on your own terms so you can create impact and take bold steps in your career

  • Live, work, and lead from a place of grounded confidence

“Heather did a fantastic job speaking AND emceeing our entire Minnesota Bankers Association Women in Banking Conference! Her keynote connected with everyone on a deep level. As an emcee, Heather brought positive energy and enthusiasm throughout the entire day. I highly recommend Heather as a speaker and emcee for your event!”

— Kim Phillipson, Senior Executive and Education Coordinator, Minnesota Bankers Association

Surviving to Thriving

A new way to manage burnout

Massages and bubble baths are great, but they are not the cure to burnout. Instead of scratching the surface with temporary fixes, we'll dive into the REAL steps to recover from burnout so you can truly thrive in your work, life, and leadership. You'll discover the rules you've been taught that lead to burnout and how to unlearn them through practical, tangible steps you can use immediately to heal from burnout and reclaim your life, including:

  • The surprising key to releasing stress

  • Practices to build self-compassion and resilience

  • Strategies to say no, set boundaries, and create more space in your life

  • A personal toolkit to feel alive again

  • Simple actions you can take as a team to set boundaries and thrive together

“Heather hit the exact mark we were looking for! Over 400 employees chose to attend the session and the feedback was fantastic. She provided concrete tools people could use immediately to address burnout both individually and as a team. What's more, Heather talked through tangible strategies as well as dealing with the emotional side of burnout. It was the perfect balance!”

— Sarah Remakel, Manager, Talent Management, nVent

Past Clients

Pepsico Logo
Motorola Logo
National Women in Roofing Logo
Signet Jewelers Logo
Women in Manufacturing Logo
Society of Women Engineers Logo
Cargill Logo
Ameriprise Logo
Boston Scientific Logo
Bristol Myers Squibb Logo
General Mills Logo
Comcast Logo
Deloitte Logo
Discover Logo
Mortenson Logo
Lindt Logo
McGough Construction Logo
Minnesota Bankers Association Logo

Videos

Speaker Reel

Discover Your Authentic Voice - Full Virtual Session

Creating Your Own Rules For Success - Clip of General Mills event

Quick tip to speak up with grounded confidence!