No two organizations are exactly the same...
and my presentation style reflects this. The list of topics listed below are fully customizable to the audience size and the needs and culture of the organization.
To keep up with the needs of our clients we are always developing new topics. If what you’re looking for isn’t here, contact us, we will let you know if there is something new that hasn’t been posted yet, or maybe we can point you to another speaker who has what you need.
How can we help you?
Keynote & Training Topics
Have You Stretched Today?
(Keynote or Training)
With our focus on health and wellness today, we spend a lot of our resources discovering and engaging in ways to move and stretch our bodies. It’s easy to forget that there needs to be a balance, and that it is just as important to stretch our minds.
What do we need to stretch our minds? Learn the process of building your communication skills, and your leadership style in order to see SHIFT happen. We can’t move forward with success without intention, which is the compass we need for success. Come to learn how to be open to something different and create a new vision of how things can be done.
Who does this apply to? Pretty much everyone. Think about today’s top leaders and how they are stretching their minds, taking risks, and thinking outside of the box to envision new and better ways to accomplish their goals and achieve success. During this talk you will learn how to stretch YOUR mind, and the positive effects it will have on your communication and leadership skills both personally and professionally.
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Objectives:
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Understand the impact of open communication and its effect on your leadership style
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Understand why stretching is important
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Learn to set your intentions
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Learn to apply the STRETCH model to any personal or professional Stretch Goal
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Don’t Should’ve On Yourself
(Keynote or Training)
Too often, we find ourselves stuck in the past—questioning what we should’ve or could’ve done. But living in the past doesn’t empower us; it holds us back. “Don’t Should’ve on Yourself” is a dynamic and interactive experience designed to shift mindsets, build connection, and inspire forward momentum.
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This keynote or training session focuses on being present, planning for the future, and taking action now. Life is full of shifts, and while derailment can happen, it’s in our mindset and community where we find the strength to get back on track. Participants will learn how to:
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Be present and focus on what they can do now.
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Cultivate meaningful relationships to build trust, connection, and collaboration.
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Develop strategies to embrace change, foster momentum, and achieve outcomes that serve both individuals and teams.
Through engaging stories, actionable insights, and hands-on activities, this experience empowers attendees to step outside their comfort zones, ignite curiosity, and strengthen human connection—personally and professionally.
Tailored to inspire growth, this session delivers practical tools to foster vibrant communities, spark innovation, and create opportunities for shared success.
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Shift happens. It’s what we do now that matters.
Curious Not Furious
(Keynote or Training)
Conflict is inevitable, but how we approach it makes all the difference. Whether asa training or a keynote, “Curious Not Furious” teaches participants how to replace frustration with curiosity to strengthen relationships, enhance communication, and build trust.
By fostering emotional intelligence and asking thoughtful, curious questions, we can defuse tension, uncover unmet needs, and adapt our communication to connect with diverse audiences. This dynamic and engaging session provides practical strategies to:
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Pause, listen, and approach challenges with curiosity instead of judgment
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Navigate difficult conversations with empathy and openness.
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Turn conflict into opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Key Takeaway: By replacing frustration with curiosity, we build trust, foster connection, and create solutions that serve everyone.
Strategic Thinking
In this training, participants will explore the power of strategic thinking to achieve objectives with clarity and intention.
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Through engaging discussions and practical insights, attendees will:
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Define what strategic thinking is and why it matters.
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Learn the key steps to think and act strategically.
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Discover how to apply strategic thinking when engaging with decision-makers.
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By the end of this session, participants will have the tools to approach challenges and opportunities with a clear, strategic mindset—ultimately increasing their chances of success.
Key Takeaway: Strategic thinking isn’t just a skill—it’s a mindset that drives impactful decisions and meaningful outcomes.
Effective Communication
Power in the Language
How easily do team members connect with each other? People often find it difficult to listen with purpose when others are speaking. This presentation teaches participants how to better connect with others through the use of thoughtful language.
When we communicate with others we need to be mindful of the words we choose to use as well as the delivery and tone. We are in a time where virtual presentations, email, social media, texts etc are increasingly dominant methods of communication. So, how do we adjust to that? How do we make an impact and connect with others so that they want to listen to us despite life’s multiple distractions? This discussion shows you how.
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Objectives:
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Learn how to use the components of Emotional Intelligence
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Identify your people skills and the source to your connection conundrum
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Learn how to build powerful connections
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Emotional Intelligence
Elevating Communication, Collaboration, and Connection
Emotional Intelligence (EI) isn’t just for the workplace—it’s a powerful tool that enhances every area of our lives, no matter our age or stage. It’s what helps us connect with others, build trust, and navigate challenges with confidence. In business, EI is the foundation of great communication, collaboration, and leadership. But its benefits extend far beyond, enriching our relationships and empowering us to show up as the best version of ourselves.
In this engaging and practical program, you’ll discover the four core components of Emotional Intelligence—Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. We’ll dive into how you can recognize and strengthen your EI, turning it into a superpower that supports your personal and professional success.
Key takeaways from this talk:
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Understand where you stand with your Emotional Intelligence and how to assess it.
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Learn actionable ways to use EI deliberately to enhance your communication and interpersonal skills.
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Discover how to apply EI to foster stronger, healthier relationships in the workplace and beyond.
By the end of this program, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how EI impacts every interaction and practical tools to harness its power in your daily life.
Leading Without Authority
This interactive presentation walks through ways attendees can lead without authority. In both our personal and professional lives there are times when we are called on to lead teams and accomplish tasks without having the “authority” to enforce consequences for poor performance. How do you lead others without official authority? There is another way. Leading with Influence easily replaces leading with “authority” as the better way to guide a team to accomplish goals.
During this session, we discuss what it means to Lead with Influence, how one garners influence, maintains it and uses it without abusing it.
Attendees will walk away from this session with:
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Tips for increasing their influence
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The 5 questions leaders ask that help them maintain their influence
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Techniques to get to know people and build trust
Active Listening
Listen to Your Senses
How well do you communicate with others? How well do you listen? Do you know that listening skills have a major impact on job performance, as well as the quality of your relationships with others? To be an active listener, individuals need to use all 5 senses. This presentation will allow participants to learn just how to do this.
Research suggests that we remember between 25 and 50 percent of what we hear. So, does that mean when we are speaking to our colleagues and customers that they are only listening to less than half of what we have to say?! That’s a powerful awareness. How can we shift that and speak with our audiences and teams and not to or at them? What will inspire them to learn to listen to the words that we speak?
Key takeaways from this talk:
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How your listening skills can impact your job performance
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How becoming a better listener can improve productivity, the ability to influence, persuade and negotiate.
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How becoming a better listener will help to avoid conflict and misunderstandings.
Step Into Your Power
(Keynote or Training)
Discover, connect, show up. How hard can it be, right? Sometimes it just feels impossible. When is the last time you stepped into your office and did what you were good at? Shared your voice regarding the outcome of a major project? Shared your feedback or recommendations with your manager? The power is in your voice. The power is in you.
People who have stepped into their power are more likely to see increased productivity. They are more inclined to confidently share their ideas and unique perspectives, contributing to team unity and new innovations.
By the end of this workshop attendees will be increasingly aware of their voice, step into action and experience the benefits of being their best selves.
Key takeaways from this talk:
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How to recognize and develop your sense of power in the workplace?
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Discover how to know ‘when’ to step into your voice (power) with your colleagues and management.
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Learn what the Be-Do-Have-Give model can do for you and how you can utilize your tools to develop and implement your personal power, your confidence.
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Understand the connection between stepping into your power and improved productivity
Building Inclusive Cultures
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are more than just words—they are the foundation for creating inclusive cultures that drive innovation, process improvement, and employee loyalty. For top-performing companies, DEIB is an ongoing journey requiring continuous learning, development, and implementation of best practices to meet organizational goals while addressing the evolving needs of the workforce.
At the heart of building inclusive cultures is Emotional Intelligence (EI). The core components of EI—Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management—empower us to uncover and address our implicit and explicit biases. These skills help us align our behaviors with our values while embracing diverse perspectives to foster collaboration, effective communication, and meaningful relationships.
In this program, participants will:
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Gain insight into the four components of Emotional Intelligence.
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Explore how Implicit Bias and Microaggressions can be identified and managed using Emotional Intelligence.
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Learn actionable strategies to use EI as a tool for fostering a culture of belonging, where people from all backgrounds feel valued and included.
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Take accountability for transforming awareness into impactful, inclusive actions.
By going beyond the surface of DEIB, this program equips participants with the tools to cultivate environments where everyone feels empowered to thrive, no matter their background or experiences.
Finding Your Purpose
Organizational Culture and High Performance:
Connecting With Your Purpose as a Team
Why are we doing what we’re doing? And why are we doing it this way? Variations of these questions are frequently asked by employees (most often amongst themselves). The fact that these are such oft asked questions, shows that:
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There is a strong need to have an understanding of the motivations of one’s organization
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Most organizations do a terrible job of conveying their intent, motivation and purpose to their employees
The desire to know why an organization is doing what it’s doing isn’t just idle curiosity, it is directly tied to a person’s core needs. Most people want to know that their work has meaning. That the actions they are being asked to take have a purpose and contribute in some way to the greater whole. When people understand the deeper purpose behind their work, they are likely to be more satisfied, more invested and more productive.
This presentation aids teams and managers in:
Key takeaways from this talk:
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Identifying how to determine your team’s purpose.
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Ensuring that the purpose of the individual and the team are in alignment with the overall purpose/goals of the organization
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Understanding how defining a team’s purpose helps to deliver results
Owning Your Story
Be. Do. Have. Give
(Keynote or Training)
Often we find ourselves in a cycle of negativity. Rehashing with friends, loved ones and sometimes co-workers the trials and hardships that we face on what can seem to be a daily basis. Flat tires, delayed projects, difficult clients, raising teenagers. No matter who we are or what stage we’re in, life is constantly throwing challenges at us. What we can sometimes forget is that we own our own narrative. Our life’s story is ours to own, direct and share. How we narrate our story affects us, the people around us and the very space in which we reside.
In this session, you will learn that by owning your story, you have the opportunity to shift your perspective and take advantage of the opportunities that come along with the challenges you face. You will learn techniques you can use every day to gain something valuable from your experiences and even use what you’ve learned to help support and guide others.
Key takeaways from this talk:
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Learn to implement the Be-Do-Have-Give model
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Learn techniques to shift your narrative to one that benefits you and those around you
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Learn to see your experiences from different perspectives
Smarter Together
How Emotional Intelligence Fosters Diverse Workplaces
Think about the people you work with for a minute. Is everyone more or less the same? Does everyone have similar backgrounds, strengths and weakness? The answer is likely a resounding “no.” Our identities are comprised of innumerable experiences, informed by complex elements like race, gender and spirituality which shape the experiences we bring to our professional lives, impact the jobs we take and how and why we perform. Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to how well we handle ourselves and our various relationships in an age where we are more connected than ever before with people with whom we might not share histories or experiences. While the term EI has been around for a few decades, it has become increasingly important for workplace success as we continue to see the workforce diversify. Studies have shown that the most high performing organizations are those that encourage emotionally intelligent interactions and an interplay of perspectives (Harvard Business Review).
With the rate of change and complexity in today’s organizations, EI is evidently more important than ever. With a wealth of experience in professional development, communications, and consulting, Sonal will lead you in identifying your level of EI and start a conversation about building human connections through improved self-awareness.
Key takeaways from this talk:
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Identify your level of Emotional Intelligence
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Develop areas of communication that can help foster emotionally intelligent conversations
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Learn to apply the Be-Do-Have-Give model
Sonal’s goal is to provide tools and resources to help work through the Be-Do-Have-Give model of EI to identify “how we show up” (Be), manage our strength and weaknesses (Do), reap the benefits through social awareness and relationship management (Have) and be present enough to do for others (Give).
Leading from Where You Are
(Keynote or Training)
Each of us have our areas of strength, and whether we hold the title of "leader" or not we still retain the ability to live our lives, lead by example and move ourselves forward personally and professionally. Frequently what holds us back is fear, a poor understanding of our own motivations and a failure to understand (and own) our strengths and weaknesses.
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In this presentation we:
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Take a look at both what motivates you to push through obstacles and what sometimes keeps you from taking initiative and moving forward
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Identify the most common reason people resist change and how to overcome them
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Learn how to build our adaptability muscle, so that we get increasingly better at figuring things out and circumventing obstacles
Participants are introduced to skills and tools that make them more self-aware and able to accept and navigate changing responsibilities, team structures and professional environments.
Lead with Executive Presence
(Keynote, Training and Online Course)
Impactful leadership requires more than technical expertise—it demands Emotional Intelligence (EI). This engaging experience, designed for leaders at every stage—whether emerging, entrepreneurial, or executive—offers tools to lead with authenticity, influence, and confidence.
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Through compelling stories, relatable case studies, and practical strategies, participants will:
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Explore how EI can elevate leadership presence,
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Improve decision-making, and
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Deepen team connections.
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Key focus areas include self-awareness, empathy, and communication—essential skills for inspiring teams and driving results.
Participants will leave with actionable techniques for managing stress, navigating challenges, and building trust—core competencies for thriving in today’s dynamic workplace. Whether delivered as a keynote or a hands-on training session, this experience empowers leaders to make a lasting impact while staying true to their values.​
Looking to take this topic even further? “Lead with Executive Presence” is also available as an online course for those seeking to deepen their leadership impact at their own pace.