Every presentation is customized to the audience, but here are some typical examples.
Topic: Finding Happiness in the Age of Disruption
Format: Keynote
Audience size: 450
Session Length: 30 mins
Room Set-up: Crescent rounds
Comments: This session begins with the most important thing for happiness based on the world’s longest study, and why it’s not simply money, health, or even love. Then we pivot to the real dynamics of stress and resilience, and how thinking differently in the face of change is fundamental to well-being, team performance, and leadership effectiveness.
The room was set with rounds, and everyone had a pen and my 7-step Active Insight worksheet. I guided participants through the 7 steps from stage on a common challenge. With only 30 minutes, we moved fast (this is the least amount of time I accept for a booking). It’s amazing when hundreds of people have a real breakthrough together, yet with total privacy. Very different from a motivational or academic talk. It’s interactive and engaging, but in an introspective way.
This event was in San Antonio and had a casual “boots and belts” theme, so I did my best to fit in.
Real Feedback: “As someone who has always struggled with stress and who loves a good structure, this honest process resonates with me. I’m interested in building this skill. Andy’s presentation style was excellent: sprinkled with humor and examples many of us could relate to.“
Topic: The How & Why of Great Teams
Format: Keynote
Audience size: 1200
Session Length: 45 mins
Room Setup: Crescent Rounds
Comments: Leaders often advance because they excel as individual contributors, but suddenly they’re managing a team — and that’s a very different skill set. In this session, we look at what makes great teams great, and why it’s not talent, will power, or IQ.
Again, since there were rounds, we used the 7-step worksheet to increase everyone’s team leadership capacity. But for big rooms, the energy is different. Some people just want to follow along verbally. So I encourage people to write, but also tell a running story/case study and examples while we do it so that others can just listen, with more stories at the end to make the outcomes clear.
Real Feedback: “I thought the session was terrific. I need to make more of an effort to regularly use these tools. This gave me a very different perspective on issues in my team.”
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Topic: The Most Important Thing (Parts 1 and 2)
Format: Keynote + Breakout
Audience size: 600 + 200
Session Length: 50 mins + 50 mins
Room Setup: Theater Style + Classroom Style
Comments: The client wanted a keynote for the whole conference audience, and then a breakout a few minutes later for one third of the crowd.
I did part one of The Most Important Thing as the keynote, sharing what matters most for happiness and team performance based on data, and giving examples of how the 7-step worksheet transforms challenges at work and at home. Since it was theater-style, people didn’t write. They just followed along in their heads.
Then I saved the practical part — doing the 7-step worksheet yourself — for the breakout in Part 2, where we had time to go through two topics together classroom-style. I felt a little badly for the other two breakouts because mine got swarmed (always nice to be your own lead-in), but they capped it at 200.
Normally I get invited to either do a keynote (more people, but not always the right people) or a breakout (fewer people, but they’ve self-selected to be there). It was cool to get to do both.
We didn’t want anyone who got blocked out of Part 2 to feel deprived, so everyone got a book and 3 months of Resilience Academy online access after the event.
Real Feedback: “Probably the most impactful and relevant session that I’ve attended at any conference in years. I love the psychological nature of this, but more importantly the simplicity of challenging my own thoughts.”
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Topic: Crucibles
Format: Executive Team Session
Audience size: 15
Session Length: 45 min presentation + Q&A
Room Setup: Boardroom
Comments: When senior leaders see me at a conference, they sometimes ask me to present this framework and toolkit to their leadership team. Those executive sessions are less formal — no green room or mic. They’re also more in-depth: I ask the team to complete a short anonymous survey so I can get a sense of where they are on some key team metrics.
The executive team session is only appropriate for high EQ leaders who understand that WHY (purpose) and WHAT (goals) are less important than HOW (the way you connect to each other). If the entire team doesn’t feel deeply and strongly connected to each other, you aren’t reaching your team’s potential for performance or enjoyment.
The session starts with data on what matters most for team and leadership performance, and why re-thinking is so essential to both, especially during adverse periods (or “crucibles”).
Then we look at the survey results so people can take in their team’s unvarnished truth.
And then we do a worksheet on a team challenge, and a special group exercise that helps people develop a few of the non-negotiable interpersonal skills great teams need.
Real Feedback: “Very helpful on both a personal and professional level. I am going to use this a lot going forward with the team for improvement, and want my family members to experience this presentation.”
