Keynote Speaker

Avidly Sharing Stories of Focus and Courage that help
audiences embrace what they need to thrive

We live under a barrage of data and sensory blasts that compete for our attention, distract us, and wear us out. Determining what to give our attention to – what to chase – burns up the energy of individuals and teams and erodes the effort to succeed at worthwhile goals.

Diane offers a solution. Chase what you need to thrive as passionately as if you were seeking water in a desert! In her award-winning book The Waypoints: From 400 Farewells and 3,000 Miles, Diane gleans the wisdom from her career interviewing hundreds of people to honor well-lived lives, and the thousands of hours she spent deep in nature walking from Mexico to Canada. These very different experiences gave her compelling examples of what’s essential to reaching our full potential, and that’s what she shares in this speech.

Diane founded a highly successful Funeral Celebrant program in metro-Denver and officiated more than 400 Life Celebrations while also cobbling together time for her seven-summers walk along the Continental Divide. What she found were over-riding themes on what it takes to achieve goals in a complicated environment, with a unique perspective on the resilience needed to thrive in any of life’s landscapes.

Through stories selected from her long-distance trail and from lives well-lived, Diane will share examples of what we should cultivate to move forward through daunting challenges.

Whether you’re walking in a desert, crossing a fearsome river, or scaling a mountain summit – personal or professional – there is a path to thriving. In a one-hour keynote, your audience will walk away with the key elements of this path:

• What we gain from intentional, devoted focus
• The benefits of releasing what weighs us down
• When it’s worth dropping good plans and making the big pivot
• How to consistently practice courage
• The results of perseverance out-classing speed

Business entrepreneurs credit focus as the number one factor in their success.

Healthcare studies indicate interrelatedness of courage and resilience.

These aren’t character traits born in a lucky few; they are learnable skills, qualities that can be cultivated, nurtured and grown. Research indicates that a supportive environment enhancing these skills can reduce distress and fatigue, strengthen well-being, and provide a positive foundation to promote thriving in a professional environment, in our personal life, and in communities.

This keynote is perfect for opening spots at conferences and speeches for ERG’s, Young Professional Networks, those about to retire, and women’s events.