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Colette  Carlson

Colette Carlson

Human Behavior Expert

Colette Carlson

Human Behavior Expert

Biography

Colette Carlson is a human behavior expert and Hall of Fame keynote speaker who is acclaimed for her transformative approach in cultivating human-centric workplaces that turbocharge business results.

Colette’s presentations captivate audiences with her unparalleled energy and humor, engaging interaction, extensive customization, research-backed strategies, and the call to action for personal and professional success.

Since founding her company, Speak Your Truth, Inc., Colette has delivered hundreds of customized keynote programs across five continents, grounded in extensive interviews with leaders, sales professionals, and frontline employees across diverse industries. Colette’s trusted clientele includes industry giants like Microsoft, Pepsi, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Costco, Procter & Gamble, Fidelity, and Domino’s.

With a Master’s Degree in Human Behavior and more than 20 years of experience helping individuals prioritize intentional, impactful communication that builds trust, fuels engagement, and increases performance, Colette understands the skills required to thrive in today’s modern, changing world.

Colette is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation held by fewer than 10% of the members belonging to the International Federation for Professional Speakers, and was also inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, a recognition that honors professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of career excellence.

Speaker Videos

2024 Speaking Preview Video for Colette Carlson

Speaking Reel

Virtual Speaking Reel

Best Morning Routine for Less Stress, More Success

Three Truths to Stress Less

Speech Topics

Safe Spaces, High Performance: Leading with Psychological Safety

Create a cohesive team that thrives

In an era marked by rapid change, digital transformation, and a distributed workforce, creating a culture of psychological safety has become paramount for exceptional leadership.

This program delves into the essential techniques and strategies that leaders need to foster for an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, take risks, and express themselves without fear of judgment.

By leveraging cutting-edge communication skills, emotional intelligence, and trust-building practices, leaders can elevate team performance, productivity, and innovation. Unlock the full potential of your team by cultivating a space where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered.

Key Takeaways:

Building Trust: Learn how to create and sustain high levels of trust within your team, ensuring a foundation where members can rely on one another.

Effective Communication: Develop powerful communication skills that foster open dialogue, transparency, and collaboration, along with providing constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement and growth.

Emotional Intelligence: Enhance your emotional intelligence and empathy to understand and respond to the needs and emotions of your team members effectively.

Risk-Taking and Innovation: Encourage a culture where taking risks is welcomed and mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth – driving innovation and creativity.

Conflict Resolution: Acquire the tools to handle conflicts constructively, turning potential issues into opportunities for strengthening team cohesion and understanding.

The Connected Leader

Drive positive change through intentional and impactful communication

The future of leadership is human. As workplaces evolve, especially with a global, multi-generational workforce, advancing technology and distributed teams, the human element becomes crucial for building trust, fostering collaboration, and driving team engagement.

Connected leaders, through transparency, inclusion, and accountability, foster a psychologically-safe environment where individuals feel they belong and matter—key drivers for job satisfaction and mental health. As employees shoulder heavier workloads, leaders must be compassionate and conscious communicators capable of leading change and building a more resilient workforce.

This engaging, uplifting, research-based program empowers leaders to enhance their communication and connection skills on deeper levels to create a people-first path to success.

Key Takeaways:

Emotional Mastery: Bolster your emotional intelligence to influence and foster a connected, engaged, and loyal team.

Impactful Conversations: Learn specific, human-centric communication techniques that inspire action and cooperation among team members.

Psychological Safety: Foster an environment where team members feel valued, included, and empowered to express themselves without fear.

Celebrating Strengths: Become a Human Highlighter® to champion the unique accomplishments and strengths of each team member.

Culture of Growth: Cultivate a setting where individuals flourish, promoting continuous growth and personal development.

Connected Conversations

Essential SALES skills to increase engagement, build trust, and deepen relationships

To build relationships that close sales and earn customers, you must first make a connection. In today’s selling environment, where trust has become more fragile, the ability to quickly connect and captivate is paramount.

The way in which sales are made today has drastically changed. Salespeople must humanize and customize their communications, show up prepared, and demonstrate empathy to build an emotional connection.

In this engaging, research-based program, learn how to adopt the skillset and mindset to cultivate authentic relationships and partnerships that lead to increased sales, repeat customers, and powerful referrals. 

As a former national sales trainer, who cut her teeth in straight commission sales, Colette will provide customized, practical, actionable strategies to maximize relationships, revenue, and results.

Key Takeaways:

Building Richer Relationships: Stop transacting and start connecting to create meaningful relationships that go beyond the surface.

Personalized Communication: Deliver a personal experience in all communications to make your customer feel seen, heard, and valued.

Needs Identification: Learn to ask deeper, richer questions to uncover your customer’s needs and challenges effectively.

Empathetic Listening: Develop the ability to listen empathetically, fostering a collaborative environment conducive to problem-solving.

Stories Sell: Demonstrate value and strengthen emotional connections by harnessing the power of storytelling. 

Trust Building: Leverage both physical and digital body language to communicate clearly and build trust effectively.

Workplace Wellness

Strategies to build resilience, beat burnout, and accelerate performance

Given the volume of change, uncertainty, and relentless pressure in today’s modern workplace, it’s time to take employee health seriously.

We need to grow beyond the outdated concept of work-life balance, or that self-care is a day off or a bubble bath. More importantly, we must move past the belief that exhaustion is a requirement of success.

The digital environment collapsed the boundaries between work and home, causing remote workers to juggle opposing demands for time, energy, and attention, with some experiencing isolation and disconnection. Meanwhile, individuals who must report to a physical location face their own unique challenges, such as balancing on-site responsibilities with personal commitments. In both scenarios, levels of stress and burnout across all titles and roles are only intensifying.

Without the strategies and support to manage these situations and emotions, even the most-resilient individuals can experience chronic stress, anxiety, or burnout. When left untreated, these feelings impact motivation, engagement, and productivity.

In this program, Colette shares practical, powerful, science-based strategies to remain resilient, create a healthier workplace; and accelerate performance during the most challenging of circumstances.

Key Takeaways:

Resilience Building: Learn how to control the controllables, preempting worry, stress, and emotional exhaustion effectively.

Mindset Mastery: Implement science-backed steps to master your mindset, enhancing mental toughness and emotional regulation.

Prioritizing Well-Being: Recognize that your self-care practices impact your relationships and work and learn to reprioritize effectively.

Intentional Rituals: Develop rituals that help you maintain focus, presence, and productivity amidst demanding circumstances.

Seeking Support: Discover how to ask for and establish the support needed to perform at your best and enhance your quality of life.

Women Leading with Impact

Accelerate your position with confidence

Women are indispensable to driving progress and transforming workplaces with their unique perspectives and skills. By showing up, standing up, and speaking out with confidence, they fuel positive change, innovation, and create meaningful impact.

In this engaging, uplifting, and research-based program, participants will gain the strategies and skills necessary to become influential, credible, and self assured leaders, no matter their current role.

Addressing the unique challenges women face, from overcoming gender biases to balancing multiple roles, this program provides the tools needed to navigate and excel in professional environments. After all, isn’t it time to be recognized, respected, and rewarded in your career?

Key Takeaways:

Strategic Connections: Cultivate powerful connections that create valuable opportunities.

Self-Advocacy: Articulate your achievements effectively to advocate for yourself and others.

Overcoming Limits: Conquer self-imposed boundaries to take risks and accelerate your professional growth.

Mastering the Ask: Break through barriers by mastering the powerful art of asking for what you need to succeed.

Resilience Building: Enhance your ability to stay resilient through constant change and challenges.

Testimonials