Coming soon: Boosting Teenage Resilience video for homes and schools
My sessions – online and in-person – are packed with science, unusual insights and connections that make human behaviour make sense. I aim to inspire, challenge, engage and inform, so audiences go away with eyes opened and minds buzzing. We discuss what you want so that I pitch it perfectly.
Before the pandemic, I’d been looking for ways to deliver my words without the time spent travelling and the extra costs to you. The pandemic accelerated that and I am now the mistress of the online event!
I have also created videos which schools can play over and over again, bringing the benefits to far more students at far less cost. See my Shop for details of these and more. And do consider booking a Live Q&A for students.
I cover these areas:
I am UK-based. If you’re thinking about inviting me outside the UK, see here.
Please read the FAQs below, including “What do you charge?”.
Travelling to events is very time-consuming, often occupying a whole day or more, and incredibly energy-draining, so I can only do a few. And now that I’ve perfected the art of delivering equally wonderful online events, that’s what I much prefer.
I have to charge a lot more for in-person events and that extra cost is all about the travelling and energy so you’re not getting value for that extra cost.
I don’t allow recording of in-person events but one of the advantages of online is that I do allow you to record and A) play to anyone in your audience who was unable to attend on the day and B) replay to the same audiences within the same school term and C) replay to other year groups or audiences within the same school (on the same campus). You would need to agree to the terms I set which are simply to prevent the recording going further or undermining my income.
There are two risks to an in-person event: A) We have to cancel because I or someone in my household catches Covid or because rules change and you can’t host me. B) I catch Covid while travelling and then any other events or work I have coming up are cancelled and I lose income. These risks are almost non-existent with an online event. Besides, if something does happen, it’s much easier to rearrange.
Obviously better value, because a lower fee and no travel costs, but I also honestly think it’s just as good as an in-person event. We’ve all become better at managing the tech and I’m extremely good at it! OK, I suffer from not being able to see the audience reaction but I’ve done so many in-person events that I can be pretty sure of the reaction. We can still have Q&A and it’s sometimes even better when people can type their questions – easier for introverted people, too. You still get masses of downloadable handouts and resources, plus the Powerpoint for the audience to keep for their own use afterwards.
And I make an extra commitment: on my blog, I answer any questions I didn’t manage to answer at the event. And your school or organisation gets a great shout-out on my website!
I have been studying these topics for over 20 years, and read a mass of research, from different viewpoints. I have a classically trained and analytical mind and do not believe anything I read or hear unless well supported by robust research and fitting my existing understanding. If you want a wide range of insights and connections between them, I’m your woman.
I can adapt to your time-table. However, a session with adults really needs at least an hour and a half if you want to include Q&A and a talk for students really needs an hour. INSET can be anything from 1.5 hours to a whole day. A keynote is typically an hour and anything less is very difficult.
As big as you like! I do not charge more to speak to large audiences. My talks and INSET tend to be theatre-style rather than group work. (I now usually don’t speak to large teenage audiences but I would consider speaking to a select group who have spent some time preparing to get the most out of my visit.)
Bearing in mind that I am not travelling very much at all at the moment, for the reasons above, if I DO agree to travel: as far as you like! I live about 70 miles North of London (20 miles from Peterborough, on the East Coast main line) and can reach Stansted, East Midlands, Birmingham, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. All expenses must be covered, but I keep costs to a minimum with the exception of long-haul flights, which would usually be Business Class, so that I am in the best condition to work for you. See the International Speaking page for more details but still enquire in the same way.
I compute my fee based on the total time the work will take, including preparation, admin and travelling. I value my time and expertise highly and I hope you do, too. I am not cheap but I believe you will get terrific value. Do discuss your budget with me, as there are often ways to reduce costs.
Please don’t ask me to speak for no fee or a very small fee unless you think there’s an incredibly good reason why I should/could work for little or nothing. If the other adults (caterers, electricians, teachers, tech people) are being paid, you can’t expect a professional speaker with years of expertise to be unpaid. However, if your budget is challenged, I will do my very best to help.
Expenses for in-person events are extra and will be discussed in advance. See the International Speaking page for anything that might be different for overseas trips.
Certainly. They are here.
Don’t delay, especially for overseas trips. My diary is likely to be full six months ahead and I usually take bookings 9-12 months ahead. We can make it provisional if you aren’t sure of dates or budget. Because I have to keep enough time in my diary for writing and consultancy work, I can’t fill my diary too full with events so I quite often have to say no. Getting in early will help you!
Contact me using the form. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t decided what you want: discussion is free!
I advise organisations about all the topics mentioned above in the Speaking section. You will gain accurate, nuanced information and won’t have to rely on unsupported, out-of-date or flimsy “knowledge”.
I work extremely hard for every client, following the brief precisely, and am very straightforward and flexible to work with. Above all, I pride myself on sharp intelligence and perfectionist standards.
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