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

📩 Contact us: info@thekeynotecurators.com

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

If your leadership thinks events "just happen," this episode is your receipt.

Because the most dangerous thing in this business… Is invisible work.

Rachel Andrews is Global Head of Meetings & Events at Cvent and co-host of the Great Events Podcast—leading a 40-person team supporting ~800 events a year. She's refreshingly honest about what works, what breaks, and what planners are carrying behind the scenes.

🎙️Here's what you'll use immediately:

✅ Events as a trust channel (not a cost center) — why live still wins in a digital world.

✅ ROI without the "perfect dashboard" — connect touchpoints, stories, and sales outcomes.

✅ Inspiration belongs on the agenda — keynotes + emcees aren't fluff; they're the human glue.

✅ Burnout isn't personal — it's invisible work. Track hours to justify real resourcing.

✅ Radical hospitality — event pros aren't party planners; they're operators, guides, and leaders.

🎧 Listen to Rachel's podcast here

🖥️ Explore more impactful keynote speakers in our website

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

📩 Contact us: info@thekeynotecurators.com

#events #eventroi #eventstrategy #eventleadership #eventprofs #deliveringimpact

🔥 If your 2026 agenda needs pioneers (not placeholders), meet Gaby Natale.

Because "innovation" isn't a department. It's a decision—to see what everyone else missed and build what doesn't exist yet.

Gaby Natale is a triple Emmy-winning journalist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker who's made a career out of awakening the Pioneer Spirit in people and organizations. She's also a breast cancer survivor and a Susan G. Komen Ambassador, using her story to advocate for awareness and early detection. 🎗️

Here's what you'll steal and use immediately:

✅ The Virtuous Circle — 7 archetypes pioneers cycle through (Dreamer → Architect → Maker → Apprentice → Warrior → Champion → Leader).

✅ The 3 things all pioneers share: permission to dream, enthusiasm as fuel, and purpose that makes others better.

✅ Stop modeling. Start seeing. Your edge is your point of view—before you have "proof."

✅ The Santana mindset: You already are what you're becoming. The world just hasn't caught up yet.

WHY EVENT PROS SHOULD CARE: This isn't a "follow your dreams" keynote. It's a repeatable framework for teams that need courage, momentum, and a way to execute when the path isn't obvious.

BONUS: After treatment-induced menopause, Gaby Natale built menopausia.com, a bilingual menopause platform to help women across the globe. Because pioneers don't wait for resources… they create them.

🎤 Bring top latina motivational keynote speaker Gaby Natale to your stage (Pioneers, Purpose, Resilience)

📞 Schedule a pressure-free 15-min strategy chat here

📩 Send the goal. I'll send the right stage-fit: info@thekeynotecurators.com

#pioneers #communication #leadership #resilience #purpose #eventprofs #deliveringimpact #breastcancerawareness

💬 If "communication" is your 2026 theme, Sarita Maybin is the cheat code.

Because most teams don't have a strategy problem. They have a tone problem.

In today's episode, Sarita breaks down how to say the hard thing without making it weird—or starting a slow-motion workplace fire.

Here's what you'll steal and use immediately:

✅ The Kindness Check — "please" + "thank you" aren't manners. They're leadership tools.

✅ Clear, not cruel — "Say what you mean, mean what you say… but don't say it mean."

✅ The "I noticed/I'm wondering" swap — clarity without blame.

✅ When feedback stings — don't defend first. Ask: "Can you elaborate?"

✅ Culture fix in 4 words — "I need your help…" (watch defensiveness drop.)

🎙️Why event & meeting planners should care: this is a keynote that gives your audience language—not vibes. The kind of practical phrases that show up the very next day in emails, 1:1s, and leadership conversations.

🎤 Bring keynote speaker Sarita Maybin to your stage (Communication, Culture, Leadership).

📞 Pressure-free 15-min strategy chat here.

📩 Send the goal. I'll send the right stage-fit: info@thekeynotecurators.com

#Communication #Leadership #TeamCulture #EmployeeEngagement #DifficultConversations #EventProfs #TheKeynoteCuratorsPodcast #DeliveringImpact

🪄 What happens when a magician and 2x Pro Bowl NFL player teaches resilience without the usual clichés?

Jon Dorenbos has lived through the kind of adversity most people can’t imagine—and turned it into a keynote that’s equal parts belly-laughs + gut-check + standing-ovation energy.

In today's episode, Jon and I get into the real stuff:

👉 Talk to yourself. Don’t just listen. Write the script you want your brain to run.
👉 Find peace on purpose. Jon’s “ritual” is shuffling cards—your team’s might be something else… but the principle holds.
👉 Forgiveness isn’t approval. It’s freedom.
👉 Authenticity wins. Stop performing “leadership.” Start practicing it.
👉 Wear the next hat. Change isn’t a threat—it’s the assignment.

🎙️ Listen now and find out why this delivers impact for event & meeting planners:

✅ A mainstage that holds the room (entertainment + meaning, not fluff)
✅ Perfect for: resilience, change, culture, performance under pressure, sales kickoffs, leadership resets
✅ Actionable mindset tools people can use the same day (not “take a deep breath” advice)
✅ A story audiences feel—then a framework they can repeat

🎤 Book the keynote that makes “resilience” feel real from Jon Dorenbos

🛍️ Get Jon’s magic merch, with gifts that actually get used! Visit shop.lifeismagic.com

📞 Pressure-free. 15 minutes with me. Let’s see if Jon fits your room

📩 Send the goal. I’ll send the right stage-fit.
info@thekeynotecurators.com

#LifeIsMagic #Resilience #Mindset #Leadership #Change #TeamCulture #EventProfs #MeetingPlanners #KeynoteSpeakers #TheKeynoteCuratorsPodcast #DeliveringImpact

Most "champions" talks are highlight reels. 🏆 This one gets into what your team does when the cameras are off.

Keynote speaker Ross Bernstein has spent his career studying the habits, rituals, and mindsets of the world's greatest athletes and teams. He knows why some rosters become champions while others stay talented and average.

In this episode, Ross and I talk about the real DNA of winning: the unseen work, the uncomfortable feedback, and the tiny decisions that separate contenders from champions.

Why this delivers impact for event & meeting planners:

✅ Champion Habits, Not Hype – How elite performers build boring, repeatable habits that your sales, service, and leadership teams can steal

✅ Behind the Trophies – Tom Brady, Magic Johnson, and others: what actually shows up in practice, not just on posters

✅ Doors, Not Dead Ends – A fresh way to frame setbacks so your people push through, not tap out

✅ Feedback as a Competitive Edge – Turning criticism into "room for improvement" instead of resentment

✅ Humility Over Hero Ball – Why being coachable, kind, and easy to work with matters more than being the star

✅ From Locker Room to Ballroom – How Ross customizes "champion" stories so your audience leaves with plays they can run on Monday

🎙️ Listen now to hear how Ross turns locker-room stories into a practical framework any team can use to think, act, and deliver like champions:

🏆 Bring a champion-maker to your mainstage. View Ross Bernstein's full profile, topics, and videos here.

🎤 Programming a "champions" theme or performance block?

Visit thekeynotecurators.com or email us at info@thekeynotecurators.com

📞 Ready to Deliver Impact? Book a 15-minute discovery call here.

#Champions #Mindset #Leadership #HighPerformance #TeamCulture #OvercomingObstacles #EventProfs #MeetingPlanners #KeynoteSpeakers #TheKeynoteCurators #Podcast #DeliveringImpact