Margie Warrell

SPEAKING.COM: What do you want people to learn/take away from your presentations?

WARRELL: At the heart of my presentations is the message to live and lead with courage; to lay our pride and fear on the line for something that is more important. Depending on the audience I often share the psychology of risk taking and the unconscious biases we have that derail the quality of our decisions and impact of our actions as leaders.

I want people to leave feeling a deeper connection to the purpose of their lives and work. I want to bolster their belief in their ability to accomplish whatever it is that brings them the greatest sense of meaning and fulfillment. By doing this I help people realize where they need to step up and the bolder actions they need to take in order to make the very most of their strengths, talents and opportunities.

SPEAKING.COM: What kind of special prep work do you do prior to an event? How do you prepare for your speaking engagements?

WARRELL: I always do a briefing call (sometimes several) with a client so that I can get a clear understanding of the goals for their event, the key concerns and opportunities of attendees and how I can add the most value for all involved. Then I take myself somewhere quiet and map out the key things I want to share as well as the best ways to communicate, connect and inspire new action from attendees.

SPEAKING.COM: Have you had any particularly memorable speaking engagements / unusual situations arise while on the road?

WARRELL: I’ve had many memorable engagements over the last 10-15 years, but the ones that stand out the most always involve someone who has had a huge transformational experience as a result of what I’ve shared with them. I often get letters and emails from people sharing how a talk they attended years back set their career and life on a new trajectory, because they decided to stop letting their fear of failure direct their actions. It’s extraordinarily humbling and affirming of the work I do and why I do it.

SPEAKING.COM: What types of audiences would most benefit from your message?

WARRELL: My challenge is that my message applies to such a broad and diverse audience. While I do a lot of work with women in business and leadership, many times men who work in very ‘left brain’ fields have shared the impact of my message on them at a very personal level. Overall I would say my message most benefits audiences who are dealing with change and uncertainty and struggling with the best way to move forward.

SPEAKING.COM: Which of your keynote speaking topics are your favorites and why?

WARRELL: They’re all favorites! The truth is that the same thread of ‘dare boldly, trust yourself, lean toward risk, speak bravely, fail forward, lead from within’ weaves through all of my talks. I just dial different aspects up or down depending on the group and the goals. But as someone who has struggled with self-doubt ever since growing up on a small dairy farm as a big sister of seven, the topic title is far less important to me than the ability to empower and embolden those who are letting fear keep them in the ‘safe lane’ rather than live life bravely.

SPEAKING.COM: What inspired you to start doing speaking engagements?

WARRELL: I started speaking as a means to gain coaching clients and in the process discovered that I had a gift. It had never occurred to me to pursue a career in speaking. It was simply a way to meet with people whom I could support through my coaching skills.

Over time as I was asked to speak at more and increasingly bigger events, I realized that for me to make my own biggest mark, I needed to focus more on speaking to larger audiences than working with people 1:1. I have a very small and limited coaching clientele these days but am always happy to refer people to other coaches who aren’t called to speak from the stage.

SPEAKING.COM: How do you keep your audience engaged and actively listening during your keynotes? Do you use case studies, personal stories and/or in your speeches?

WARRELL: All of the above! A presentation without stories, humor or relatable anecdotes is going to be one very dry and boring presentation! As an Aussie, I like to think I’ve got a half reasonable sense of humor (even if my kids think it needs help)! Depending on the space I’m in and the audience size, I love to make my presentations as interactive as possible and find that engaging with audience members directly makes it more interesting and relatable for everyone! I’m also known for getting people up on their feet, but again, it really depends on the audience and I rely heavily on my intuition to guide exactly which stories I’ll share.

SPEAKING.COM: What are some of the successes you’ve helped clients achieve?

WARRELL: I’ve helped many leaders and business owners get clear about the vision they have for themselves, their teams and organizations. My website includes lots of testimonials. I’ve also helped people find the courage to have the tough conversations they’ve been avoiding which ultimately have led to all sorts of better outcomes – including improved sales, greater collaboration, less conflict, higher retention, and smarter innovation.