LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE SPEAKER · WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP EXPERT

Shelley Brown

Award-winning speaker and former Les Clefs d’Or concierge, helping leaders build trust, strengthen connection and navigate change with insight, heart and humor

Check Availability

DOWNLOAD ONE-SHEET

FEE RANGE

In Person Keynote: $15,000

Virtual Keynote: $7,500

TRAVELS FROM

Chicago, IL

FORMATS

In-Person Keynote, Virtual Keynote

About Shelley

Shelley Brown's favorite word is welcome. It has been since she was nine, when her approach to life was simple: Who can I make friends with today? She built her career in hospitality, first as a Les Clefs d'Or concierge, then across two decades in hospitality and enterprise technology, watching the small things that make or break an experience: what gets noticed, the nuance that gets missed, what people don't say out loud.

  • Outside of honing her craft, she's studied mindfulness with a former Buddhist monk, trained for marathons and endurance races, become a self-taught pop artist, and taken acting and improv classes at Chicago's Second City.

    Onstage, she brings all of it together, storytelling, visual art, mindfulness, audience interaction, humor, and over two decades of business experience, into talk experiences about the human side of work in an increasingly automated world.

    She's an award-winning international keynote speaker and author of Weird Girl Adventures from A to Z, and has spoken to audiences ranging from Fortune 500 corporations and national associations to the NBA.

    Off the stage, she's usually somewhere in downtown Chicago, oversized coffee in hand making friends with strangers, hunting for her next artistic muse, on the lakefront listening to music, or out adventuring with her dog-child, Solo.

Speaking Topics

  • Does this moment need a human? If you’ve ever yelled “REPRESENTATIVE!” at a bot like

    saying it louder might magically summon a person, you already know some moments just do. 

    AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

    NOTICE: Wait. That might matter.

    Catch the cues, shifts and little details that tell you this may not be an ordinary interaction.

    DISCERN: Hold up. Don’t assume.

    The story in your head isn’t the moment in front of you.

    ACT: Go. Be human.

    Get creative, get resourceful, and do what the moment calls for.

    As technology gets better at the predictable, the moments that need us are often the messy ones, the frustration, the nuance, the unexpected, the wait, that might matter when there’s no obvious answer and what happens next really matters.

  • “We are leaders of people, and people are looking for something more honest, more real, and more grounded - more you. This is not about being more badass. It’s about being more you.”

    Breaking the Hard Rules is a high-energy, story-driven keynote experience featuring spoken word, improv, and meaningful audience participation.

    Why are so many women leaders exhausted by rules that no longer serve them?

    Women are still leading by rules they never wrote. While these rules once helped women succeed, today they quietly drive burnout, limit effectiveness, and shape unsustainable cultures. Leadership today requires clarity, trust, and emotional intelligence.

    This session invites women to examine the rules they are perpetuating, choose a more powerful definition of strength, and recognize how their leadership models success for the next generation.

    THE ROI 

    • Stronger leadership presence 

    • Improved communication and influence 

    • Reduced burnout 

    • Greater alignment with values and legacy

    LEAVE WITH 

    • Clear awareness of the hard rules shaping how you lead and the cost of continuing them 

    • Greater ability to lead in values-aligned ways when people need it most 

    • Practical application of the L.E.A.D. framework to interrupt leadership extremes in real time 

    • Clarity around the legacy you are modeling through everyday leadership behavior

    This talk can be tailored for all leadership audiences, with an optional breakout session available. 

  • In a world of rapid change, the biggest barrier to performance is disconnection. What does it really take to keep people connected and engaged in today’s fast, fragmented workplace? 

    “We all want to be seen. We all want to be heard. We all want to be known. When leaders create alignment with who people are, what they care about, and what they value, people show up well and perform at their best.”

    The Belonging Equation is a fun, high-energy, interactive keynote experience rooted in relatable stories and meaningful audience participation. 

    Today’s workplaces are faster and more demanding than ever. Leaders are expected to deliver results while navigating change, burnout, and uncertainty. When people feel unseen or disconnected, engagement drops and collaboration suffers. Belonging is built or broken in everyday leadership moments.

    This session shows leaders how presence, curiosity, and awareness create psychological safety and strengthen connection across teams. Through storytelling, humor, interactive moments, and the W.E.I.R.D. framework, leaders explore how daily behaviors and leadership choices shape.

    THE ROI 

    • Clearer leadership decisions in people-centered moments 

    • Stronger trust and communication across teams 

    • Reduced disengagement and burnout 

    • Higher collaboration and performance as a result of psychological safety 

    LEAVE WITH 

    • Greater awareness of how belonging is built in everyday leadership moments 

    • A human-centered roadmap using the W.E.I.R.D. framework 

    • Practical ways to create safer, more inclusive team dynamics 

    • A deeper understanding of how leadership behavior shapes culture and outcomes

    This talk can be tailored for leaders and teams across industries, with optional breakouts and half day or full day workshops.

  • " Shelley is a passionate, energetic and inspirational speaker! Shelley spoke at our company's offsite business summit and she had the challenge of speaking in front of a very diverse group of associates that ranged in tenure, role and expertise. Her message and delivery was captivating and easily resonated with each person in the room. Shelley uses her wittiness, humor and personal experience to encourage her audience to create and embrace a work culture where each person feels safe to be their authentic self. I highly recommend Shelley for all audiences, especially for organizations and companies who value culture and belonging."

    — Emily Hartman, Chief Business Teams Allianz Partners US

  • "For those looking for a foundationally moving and inspiring guest speaker, look no further! For those interested in shifting the minds of leaders to focus on belonging and inclusion, look no further! Shelley's stories are genuine and authentic. Her message is simple, yet memorable. And she truly brings out the very best in others. I highly recommend Shelley Brown as a motivational speaker for organizations looking to transform the hearts and minds of many. "

    — Laura K. Nickle, Vice President, General Manager, Benchmark Electronics

  • "Shelley is one in a million (maybe billion)! We recently hired Shelley as a keynote speaker for an event that we hosted for customers and prospects. Shelley approached this engagement with such passion, energy and uniqueness while still delivering a message that was relative to the masses. She was very easy (and fun!) to work with in the preparation process. She took the time to thoroughly understand our audience, our culture, and objectives for her session. She was genuinely excited and honored to be selected for the event. Since the event, we have heard nothing but stellar feedback about her presentation and stage presence! If you are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate speaker who infuses humor into a purposeful message, I recommend Shelley 100%."

    — Diane Miller, World Travel

  • Shelley was an absolute joy to partner with for Southwest Airlines for our International Women’s Day event. Her content was so relevant, and resonated with the Southwest audience that was the biggest yet at 1500+ in person and virtual attendees. Shelley came prepared, was engaging, and truly turned into more than a partner, but also a friend. Future is bright with Shelley!

    — Sam Unell Southwest Airlines

  • “Thank you, Shelley Brown, for inspiring and energizing our team. You made one of my favorite days even more meaningful. I’m blessed to lead an incredibly talented and passionate team. Our annual business planning and CRAFTS recognition days were combined this year and oh what a great combination! You made it even better. THANK YOU!”

    — Cynt Marshall, Dallas Mavericks

Watch

Trusted By