Having just the right speaker is the key to hosting an exceptional event.

Whether in a keynote or a day long workshop, my primary goal is to provide your audience with highly actionable content, delivered in an engaging and accessible manner. The goal is to spark that “light bulb moment” – when things click together and you move from thinking about making plans to taking effective action towards your goal.

You’re audience will leave inspired to achieve their goals, and empowered to begin implementing key takeaways today.

Topics

I speak on a wide variety of topics related to business, productivity, and leadership, primarily around effective management and clear communications. The reality is, talking inspirationally is only the first step of the equation. Learning only has value when it translates into forward motion. As such, my aim is to spark that light bulb moment and then translate it into tangible actions that you can begin putting into effect today.

Making the Most of Every Conference

My primary speaking focus is helping people make the most of every conference, networking event, and training they attend. I’ll walk your audience through a simple before, during, and after processes that they can use for the rest of their life. This talk is a fantastic breakout session for event goers who want to dive in deep and walk out with an actionable plan to make the most of your event. Or can as a keynote so that everyone has the tools they need to make your event a standout success for them.

Every Type is Right (TypeCoach)

For decades, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) has been a standard in the assessment world measuring four key areas of personality. TypeCoach takes the eight preferences associated with MBTI and leverages the insights to drive effective outcomes. Our differences can be challenging to our interactions, but as personality types are shared and understood, the unique value that each person brings to the table can be both acknowledged and leveraged to the benefit of the entire organization.

I also have several other topics I can speak on, including: Practical Project Management, and Improving Communications, both of which work best in a training environment.

I was looking for a consultant/trainer who could help our managers improve their skillset on dealing with change as a team. Within weeks of the session with Gwen, our school, along with others, went into lockdown mode, making interpersonal interactions particularly challenging. However, the rich conversation and highly interactive participation in meetings was a direct benefit of the session we did with Gwen. 

Gwen is one of the easiest people to work with. Communication is crisp and direct, response times are short, and most importantly, expectations are discussed and laid out clearly, avoiding any potential conflict at a later stage. She is enthusiastic, matter-of-fact, detail oriented, and very well organized.

The best part of working with Gwen is her result-oriented approach. The way Gwen structured her session, my team went back with specific strategies to improve their teamwork. I recommend Gwen without any reservation! She is a great coach with a technique that produces instant results.

Santanu Bandyopadhyay

President at Columbia College, Columbia College

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Background

I’ve always been interested in a wide variety of things. 

Though I had originally planned on being a math teacher, my immediate future took a different path when I discovered computer programming back in the early ‘80s (when PCs were a novelty, and dial up was the hottest technology).

This led to a decade and a half career during which I ran my own consulting company, worked as a consultant for Ernst & Young, and ran the IT department for a competitive phone company.

From there I eventually made the obvious transition into professional knitwear designer and instructor on the national teaching circuit, before transitioning fifteen years later to a consultant and speaker bringing my breadth and depth of operational and instructional experience to helping businesses succeed.

I started public speaking at the ripe age of 13 when I wrote and gave the sermon for my church. Since then I’ve presented to over 1,000 groups, large and small, for organizations including: Merced College, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Western Jurisdiction for United Methodists Church, The National Needle Arts Association, and the Association For Creative Industries. And on a wide variety of topics ranging from software best practices, business finances, effective management, productivity, personal motivation, skills development, to spiritual inspiration. 

I’ve been told my presentation style is casual yet dynamic, both focused and fun, and I know I always enjoy presenting. 

I reached out to Gwen because ​I was new to my institution and had attended trainings by Gwen in the past. My hope was to use the TypeCoach training to connect with my team and have a better understanding of effective communication in these new dynamics.

​It was a great experience. ​The best part was how well the team responded to the training. They were engaged and wanted to better understand how to effectively communicate, plan, and work together as a team.

Gwen brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of team dynamics and has real nuggets that can be used immediately in the workplace.

​I highly recommend Gwen and the tools that she provides. We will bring her back!

Lonita Cordova, Ph.D.

Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services, San Joaquin Delta College

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Gwen was recommended as a great choice to inspire and motivate the Laity at our Annual Conference. She did not disappoint.

We started our planning for the session prior to the Covid-19 shut-downs. After Gwen had the outline and the pieces planned (ours was to be a very interactive session) for in-person attendance, the state shut down in-person gatherings. So Gwen re-worked her whole presentation and interactive pieces to be done electronically. Closer to the date of the conference, we discovered that the platform being used by the A/V company would not accommodate break-out sessions, as Gwen had planned. So she reworked those areas again! 

Gwen took all these changes in stride, coordinated with the A/V company for playing recorded sessions, for live portions and for active comments from the Laity in attendance. It was a powerful and extremely successful time together. This would not have been possible without the flexibility and positive attitude that Gwen brought to the table, along with her skill at presentations, public speaking and the ability to tie all the pieces together seamlessly.

Laurie Lineberry

Lay Leader, The United Methodist Church Desert Southwest Conference