speaking offerings

Speaker Bio

Rooted in Michigan by choice, values, and heart, I am the founder of Soulfully Rooted, a platform devoted to creating spaces for reflection, connection, and meaningful conversation at the intersection of people, planet, and pets.

With decades of professional experience in the recycling and materials management/resource recovery industry, I have spent my career aligning my work with what matters most-care for people, stewardship of the planet, and intentional living.

With specialized training in critical thinking, facilitative leadership and Fit Leaders Training, I combine that with leadership experience, lived wisdom, and a deep commitment to presence to facilitate conversations that foster clarity, healing, and connection.

My approach to speaking is grounded and relational. Rather than performance, I invite audiences into story, reflection, and shared inquiry—creating space to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what grounds us.

I have served for eight years on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Recycling Coalition, including time on the executive committee, and am an alum of the Great Lakes Leadership Academy's Emerging Leaders Program (Class of 2019). These experiences have shaped my facilitation style: empathetic, collaborative, and values-driven.

I share my life with two rescue dogs and am the proud parent of three young adult children. I believe a meaningful life grows from being deeply rooted —in place, in values, and in community.

My life has been shaped by resilience — navigating family illness and loss, heart health challenges, and rebuilding after my marriage ended. Those experiences became some of my greatest teachers. They taught me accountability, inner child healing, boundaries, and the power of choosing joy.

Through my work and my platform, Soulfully Rooted, I share what I’ve learned about living intentionally and stepping into our fullest selves. If you’ve ever carried heavy responsibility, navigated life or health challenges, or felt ready to move from survival to intentional living, you’ll find yourself in this work.

My mission is simple: to help people laugh, feel seen, put peace into practice, cultivate gratitude, and realize that joy is abundant — even in life’s hardest seasons. I blend heart, humor, and practical tools to inspire audiences to live boldly, authentically, and with purpose.

Life is a journey — continuously healing, growing, and choosing joy every day. I stand rooted — not in what I survived, but in who I have chosen to become.

Soulfully Rooted Collective: Live Life Out Loud, Joyfully.

Our Services

Soulfully Rooted also comes to life through live experiences designed to create space for reflection, dialogue, and action.

Curated Conversations

Thoughtfully designed, moderated dialogues that explore complex themes with care and curiosity. I convene and guide these conversations, shaping the flow, asking reflective questions, and holding the container for meaningful exchange.

Depending on the client, topic, and location, I may invite local thought leaders, authors, or organizational representatives whose work aligns with the theme. Panelists share perspectives drawn from lived experience, research, or professional practice.

Delivery: 60-90 minutes

Conversational Keynotes

Story and narrative-driven talks grounded in lived experience, followed by reflection or facilitated dialogue. I use story as the anchor, opening the space for meaningful engagement and audience insight.

Delivery: 30-40 minutes of story, followed by dialogue or Q&A; Total time investment 60-90 minutes

Gathering Circles

Small, facilitated gatherings—often invitation-only-designed for deep reflection, connection, and shared dialogue. Every participant is invited to contribute, and I guide the conversation with gentle facilitation, creating a safe container for presence, listening, and introspection.

These circles are intentionally intimate and relational, offering space to slow down and engage meaningfully with one another.

Delivery: 60-120 minutes

Topics and Themes

🐾 Pets: What Rescue Dogs Taught Me About Healing & Second Chances

What if healing isn’t about becoming perfect — but about being met with patience?

In this deeply personal and moving talk, I share the stories of four rescue dogs — each with their own trauma, anxiety, physical differences, or special needs — and what they taught me about resilience, identity, and unconditional love.

In 2025, I fostered seven puppies, including three at once, and experienced my first “foster fail” when I adopted a special-needs dog who needed more support than most. Through these stories, I explore what it means to show up for others while they are healing — and how we learn to show up for ourselves in the process.

This talk is about embracing our imperfections, finding connection through vulnerability, and understanding that second chances are rarely tidy — but they are transformative.

Audiences leave with:

A renewed perspective on healing and growth
Insight into how we support others through trauma and transition
Courage to embrace their own “wonkiness”
A deeper appreciation for compassion — for others and for themselves
Permission to live life out loud. Joyfully.

Ideal for women’s groups, nonprofits, leadership retreats, mental health communities, and animal welfare events.

👥 People: Rooted in Purpose: Finding Gratitude & Identity Through Life’s Detours

Life has not unfolded the way I expected.

Health challenges. Caregiving for my mother. Divorce. Family uncertainty. Reinvention at midlife.

In this honest and reflective keynote, I share how I learned that identity — not circumstance — determines who we become. When life disrupted my plans, I had to ask myself a different question. Not “Why is this happening?” but “Who am I becoming?”

I explore how we can find gratitude even in adversity, how we rebuild identity after loss, and how detours often carry purpose we can’t see in the moment.

This is not a talk about toxic positivity. It’s about grounded resilience. It’s about choosing expansion instead of contraction. It’s about trusting that our lives are still meaningful — even when they look different than we imagined.

Audiences leave with:

A reframed understanding of adversity
Tools for rebuilding identity during transition
Permission to release comparison and timelines
A renewed sense of personal purpose
The courage to live life out loud. Joyfully.

Ideal for leadership programs, women’s conferences, corporate retreats, and personal development events.

🌎 Planet: Rooted in Place: Identity, Stewardship & the Power of Belonging

My work in the environmental field has taught me something powerful: sustainable change doesn’t begin with policy — it begins with identity.

In this talk, I explore the connection between belonging and behavior. We don’t consistently act on what we’re told to do. We act on who we believe we are.

When we see ourselves as caretakers, stewards, and contributors to something larger than ourselves, our choices become integrated — not performative.

I weave together my professional experience and my personal journey of rebuilding identity to show how “sense of place” shapes responsibility, how identity-level change drives lasting action, and how individuals and organizations can move from obligation to ownership.

This is a hopeful and empowering conversation about impact — not fear.

Audiences leave with:

A deeper understanding of identity-based behavior change
Insight into how belonging shapes stewardship
A practical framework for integrating sustainability into culture
Renewed belief that individual actions matter
Inspiration to live life out loud. Joyfully. And rooted.

Ideal for corporate sustainability initiatives, ESG programs, environmental organizations, universities, and community leadership forums.

✨ Custom Talks & Workshops

In addition to my signature talks on People, Planet, and Pets, I create custom presentations and workshops tailored specifically to your group’s needs.

I love working with circles, retreats, and small communities to explore themes such as:

Navigating life transitions with resilience and grace
Finding gratitude and purpose in the midst of adversity
Showing up fully for yourself and others during growth and healing
Embracing joy and living authentically
Building connection, belonging, and intentional action
Cultivating mindful stewardship of the life and world around you

Every custom experience blends storytelling, reflection, interactive exercises, and practical takeaways, all grounded in my guiding philosophy:

Live Life Out Loud. Joyfully.

Whether it’s a workshop, retreat, or empowerment circle, I work closely with you to design an experience that feels meaningful, inspiring, and memorable — leaving participants with insight, tools, and motivation they can carry forward into their daily lives.

Let’s Work Together

Get in touch so we can start working together.