Guernsey Keynote (July 11, 2025)
Having had an epic welcome and introduction to Guernsey by John Hibbs and his wife Jo, I was ready to share my keynote and support the Guernsey Mind Workplace Partnership. I was happy to share my experience with mental fitness and how it could help shift and change cultures in Guernsey.
Talking mental fitness and its impact on company cultures
What I love about these speaking engagements is that it’s typically the beginning of a conversation and usually leads to deeper learning and fascinating discussions.
Taking in the people in the room before going up to speak … my favorite part.
We had under 100 participants which is a smaller room than usual for me, but I’ve learned that size is less important than who is actually there in the room. John introduced me to some of the fascinating people there and many of them shared why they decided to join today’s talk. The subject of culture change was timely and mental fitness applied to culture change was intriguing.
Many saw significant shifts ahead and were seeking to deal with some of the harder conversations and difficult choices ahead. I love this part as it’s so raw and real. Most of us have been here and can recall these difficult moments.
Time to speak from the heart and share what’s important, raw and real
Creating a space of vulnerability is critical in order to invite in the kinds of discuss I want at the closing of my talks. I invite the hard questions and allow people to share anonymously so that they need not identify themself when asking their burning question(s). This gets powerful conversations happening early and that encourages even deeper dives into topics that matter to everyone in the room.
Tracy Hubert, One of the audience members who blogged about her experience
One of the ways I know my work resonates is by the questions that are asked during the talk. Another is when people come up to me after a talk and give me their comments, compliments and feedback. But perhaps the best compliment is when the message is passed along the next day in the form of a blog like this one was by Tracy Hubert, a powerful 44 year old woman who is recovering from a bilateral mastectomy. Amazing. I love what she’s up to. I love the work I do and how the message resonates. I especially love the powerful people with whom the message resonates and how they courageously pass it on. Nice work, Tracy!
After an engaging session, there’s nothing like lunch outside to keep it going.
Did I mention the views in Guernsey are spectacular? I know I caught some exceptional weather in Guernsey (and perhaps I brought it with me), but it was nothing but sunshine, blue skies and aqua ocean everywhere you looked. Damn, so breathtaking.
View from the window of the room where you’re giving your talk.
I give props to the audience who attended my talk. When this is the view from every window in the room, how do you pay attention? I realize my topic is important and I’ve been well trained in storytelling and audience-centered speaking, but damn, this would take everything to have me keep my focus as an audience member — especially if I’m new to Guernsey.
One last sweeping view before I wrap up. Just to give you a sense of the area.
And that wraps up the “work” related content. From here on out, I’ll be sharing the beauty and depth of what makes Guernsey such a magical place to live, work and exist. John Hibbs shared so much of his time and knowledge with me, I’m excited to pass it on in my next few blog posts.
