Most optimism advice treats burnout like a personal failure. Keynote speaker Jess Ekstrom knows it’s the tax you pay when you’re chasing big goals the wrong way.

Today, I’m talking with the author of Making It Without Losing It (out May 5!) and a go-to voice for Women’s History Month keynotes, about optimism as a strategy, resilience after fraud and failure, and how to “make it” without torching your mental health.

This conversation hits any time you’re asking, “How do I keep going without losing myself?”

From losing a family loan to rebuilding a mission-driven company, Jess gets honest about the messy middle and how to keep moving without burning out.

Why this delivers impact for event pros:

✅ Optimism as a performance tool – Jess reframes optimism as “inspiration from frustration”: sitting in the hard stuff, then using it as fuel to solve real problems instead of faking positivity.
✅ Real resilience, not highlight reels – How sharing the messy middle (fraud, failure, court dates) makes leaders more relatable—and why audiences are done with perfectly polished success stories.
✅ Redefining success so it doesn’t eat you alive – Practical questions to balance ambition and contentment: What am I chasing? Who is it for? What is enough for me and my team right now?
✅ Playing the game at a higher level – A mindset shift that turns constant problems, emails, and hard calls into proof you’re “in the game,” not proof you’re failing.
✅ Designing 1%-more moments at live events – Why in-person keynotes still matter in an AI world, and how small phrases (like Jess’s “1% more”) can quietly change how attendees work and live long after the event.

🎤 Check out Jess Ekstrom’s keynote speaker profile here.

🚀 Programming optimism, resilience, or Women’s History Month content for your next agenda? Partner with The Keynote Curators to bring voices like Jess to your mainstage.

📞 Schedule a 15-minute strategy call to find the right keynote fit.

📩 Contact us: info@thekeynotecurators.com

#optimism #resilience #mindset #success #publicspeaking #keynotespeaker #eventprofs #meetingplanners #deliveringimpact

When you think about brand conversations, you probably think of logos and taglines.

You're not far off. But this conversation is about what your brand actually FEELS LIKE like to the people who touch it.

Join me as I sit down with brand leadership expert Denise Lee Yohn to talk about brand identity, corporate culture, and purpose when everything around you keeps shifting.

From the "five-why" method to sweating the small stuff at events, we dig into how to make your brand the filter for every decision—not an afterthought in marketing.

Why this delivers impact for event pros:

✅ Decide what your brand stands for – Get clear on the core idea at the center of your brand and use it as a filter for big decisions, agendas, and partnerships.

✅ Fuse brand + culture – Make sure your internal culture and employee experience actually match the brand promise you put on stage and online.

✅ Turn people into brand ambassadors – Help staff, vendors, and on-site teams understand what makes your brand different—and give them systems that let them live it.

✅ Protect identity from short-term pressure – Spot when you're trading long-term brand trust for a quick win, and how to pull the organization back to its core promise.

✅ Give events a distinct brand of their own – Design conferences as "brand experiences," where themes, stories, and tiny details—from badges to emails—tell one coherent story.

✅ Use AI for tasks, humans for trust – Let AI handle efficiency, while humans own empathy, intuition, and the real brand moments attendees remember.

🚀 Hire brand leadership speaker Denise Lee Yohn for your next event

🎤 Programming a block on brand, culture, or customer experience? Explore more speakers at thekeynotecurators.com

📞 Schedule a 15-minute conversation about the right speaker fit

📩 Contact us: info@thekeynotecurators.com

#branding #marketing #corporateculture #purpose #customerexperience #eventprofs #keynotespeaker #DeliveringImpact

Most leadership talks worship strategy decks.

This conversation is about what your people actually FEEL when they work for you.

I'm sitting down with bestselling author and leadership + culture expert Adrian Gostick to talk about what really drives performance in 2026: culture and empathy, not just strategy decks and town halls.

From recognition rituals to meeting design, we unpack how leaders can build teams that are engaged, energized, and clear on the purpose of their work.

🎙️ Why this delivers impact for event pros:

✅ Start with culture, not slides – Your leadership plan only works if people feel enabled, energized, and clear on where you're going—not just "aligned" in a deck.

✅ Empathy as a power skill – Empathy and compassion are now top of the leadership stack; simple check-ins and clearer vision-setting calm anxious teams.

✅ Recognition that drives behavior – Weekly, specific praise tied to values (not "nice job") makes people feel seen—and repeat the right actions.

✅ Lead like a sculptor – Strip away fear, confusion, and red tape so people can take smart risks, fail fast, and fix fast.

✅ Purpose as an anxiety filter – Clear purpose at team and personal levels helps people make better career calls and stay grounded when everything else moves.

✅ Meeting design as micro-culture – Use themes, stories, and real prep to turn your conference into a living example of your values—not just a slogan on a banner.

Listen to the full conversation with Adrian Gostick today.

🚀 Hire leadership keynote speaker Adrian Gostick to speak at your next event

🎤 Programming a leadership, culture, or empathy block on your next agenda? Explore more impactful keynote speakers

📞 Schedule a 15-minute conversation so we can discuss the best speaker fit for your next event

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#leadership #empathy #culture #workculture #purpose #meetingdesign #keynotespeaker #eventprofs #meetingplanners #deliveringimpact