TRAINING & SPEAKING
And shame-based leadership ain’t it.
Inclusion isn’t just a checkbox.
I WORK WITH YOU TO UNPACK BIAS, SHIFT CULTURE, CREATE LASTING SYSTEMS, AND BUILD ENVIRONMENTS WHERE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO SHRINK TO BELONG.
HI, I’M SAM.
And I don’t speak to keep you comfortable.
I speak to change the room.
I’ve burned out. I’ve f*cked up. I’ve led while unraveling—and rebuilt from the fallout. I know what shame-fueled leadership looks like because I lived it. And now I help leaders, teams and organizations unlearn the silence, fear, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism keeping them stuck.
My keynotes and trainings aren’t about optics. They’re about action, accountability, and the kind of clarity that actually builds trust.
I speak about shame, silence, survival-mode leadership, and inclusive culture from a place of truth—not performance. I’ve lived the consequences of staying silent and playing small. And I’m here to make sure your team doesn’t have to.
Inclusion doesn’t happen in cultures where shame is running the show, and we can’t perform our way into equity. We have to dismantle what’s in the way of it.
If you want your people to show up differently, we have to talk about what’s really keeping them small.
Shame trains people to shrink.
Real inclusion challenges that conditioning—and dares you to show up unfiltered, unedited, and unapologetic.
If you're ready to do real work—I'm your speaker.
KEYNOTES
KEYNOTES
SIGNATURE KEYNOTES
One
WHEN SHAME IS THE CEO
The hidden ways shame and imposter syndrome are running your business—and how to take the mic back.
Two
YOU’RE NOT TOO MUCH—YOU’RE JUST IN THE WRONG ROOM
How to reclaim your intensity, vision, and voice in spaces that ask you to shrink.
Three
THE INCLUSIVE PRACTICE PLAYBOOK:
WHY YOUR BUSINESS CAN’T AFFORD TO STAY NEUTRAL
A bold, actionable workshop for business owners and private practice owners who are ready to move beyond performative inclusion.
keynoteWHEN SHAME
IS THE CEO
The hidden ways shame and imposter syndrome are running your business—and how to take the mic back.
You’ve done the work. You’ve built the business, the brand, the mission-driven model. But if you’re still leading from guilt, fear, or hyper-awareness of what everyone else might think—you’re not actually in charge.
In this keynote, I expose the quiet, overlooked ways shame drives decision-making in leadership, entrepreneurship, and organizational culture. From over-apologizing to hiding in plain sight, from burnout disguised as loyalty to inclusive work built on fear—this talk offers a truth-telling, bullshit-cutting lens on what’s really behind your “stuck.”
This isn’t about perfection, optics, or posturing. It’s about leading from your power—not your punishment.
IDEAL FOR
Leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives (especially women, LGBTQIA+, and neurodivergent folks)
Teams and organizations navigating visibility, growth, or change
Group practice owners and mission-driven business founders
Anyone sick of performing leadership while secretly questioning their worth
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Recognize the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways shame takes over your leadership voice.
Learn how to disrupt imposter syndrome and shame-fueled decisions before they shape your strategy.
Understand how high-functioning, guilt-driven leadership shows up in your systems, boundaries, and communication.
Walk away with a powerful reframe: your story doesn’t disqualify you—it positions you to lead differently.
60-90 minute keynote (can be expanded for audience)
LENGTH & FORMAT
Available in-person or virtually
Can be paired with an interactive breakout session, workshop, or Q&A
keynoteYOU’RE NOT TOO MUCH—
YOU’RE JUST IN
THE WRONG ROOM
How to reclaim your intensity, vision, and voice in spaces that ask you to shrink.
If you’ve ever been told to tone it down, soften your edges, or be more “professional”…
If you’ve ever been praised for your leadership in public and punished for it behind closed doors…
If you’ve ever walked into a room and instantly made yourself smaller just to keep the peace and remain palatable…
This talk is for you.
This isn’t just a keynote. It’s an exhale. A wake-up call. A reclamation.
I deliver a powerful, unapologetic message to the leaders who have been navigating spaces never built for their full intensity. I name what so many of us have internalized: that shrinking is survival. That being palatable is how you stay safe. That “too much” is a warning sign instead of a leadership trait.
It’s time to burn that all down.
This talk invites you to show up bigger, speak louder, and lead from your full fire—even if (especially if) you’ve been taught that your power makes people uncomfortable.
Because the truth is: you were never too much. The world, and our own stories, have just taught us to stay small.
Organizations committed to maintaining status quo power structures
Teams who just want a leadership pep talk with no edge
NOT IDEAL FOR
Anyone who uses “feedback” to disguise discomfort with strong voices
IDEAL FOR
Queer leaders, women founders and leaders, neurodivergent visionaries, and anyone who’s ever felt “other” in leadership spaces
High-functioning survivors of shame-based success
Teams, retreats, and audiences craving truth over polish, and fire over fluff
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Deep clarity on how they’ve internalized the need to shrink—and how to break that pattern
Tools to reclaim their “too muchness” as leadership fuel, not liability
A gut-check on where they’ve been tolerating invisibility in exchange for perceived safety
Permission to take up space, stop translating their brilliance, and lead like they f*cking belong there
LENGTH & FORMAT OPTIONS
60-90 minute keynote (can be expanded for audience)
Optional small-group intensive: Too Much On Purpose
Can be paired with an interactive breakout session, workshop, or Q&A
Available in-person or virtually
keynoteTHE INCLUSIVE
PRACTICE PLAYBOOK:
WHY YOUR BUSINESS CAN’T
AFFORD TO STAY NEUTRAL
A bold, actionable workshop for business owners and private practice owners who are ready to move beyond performative inclusion.
A lot of business owners believe that staying neutral is the safest option. But in reality?
Neutrality is a liability.
Staff, clients, and community partners from marginalized communities can feel when your inclusion efforts are surface-level.
And in a world where trust, safety, and belonging matter more than ever, that performative energy isn’t just deeply disappointing—it’s damaging.
In this high-energy, judgment-free session, I dismantle the myth that neutrality protects your brand. I walk attendees through real-world examples of how microaggressions and small, everyday moments chip away at safety, and what it actually takes to lead an inclusive business.
You’ll leave this session with clarity, confidence, and a step-by-step roadmap for making your practice more affirming, equitable, and real—without centering fear, guilt, or optics.
IDEAL FOR
Solo and group private practice owners
Business owners—in all industries—who want to do better, but are afraid of ‘doing it wrong’
Therapists, coaches, and wellness entrepreneurs
Executives, leaders, and HR professionals
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Why “neutrality” is actually exclusion in disguise—and how it hurts business growth, employee retention, referrals, and reputation
A shame-free breakdown of how to lead inclusively, even if—and especially if—you’re still learning
How microaggressions show up in work and clinical settings (with real-world examples)
Concrete strategies to build equity into your systems, not just your values statement
LENGTH & FORMAT OPTIONS
60-90 minute keynote (can be expanded for audience)
Also available: Half-day or full-day workshop-style training
Available in-person or virtually
Optional: Custom Q&A, interactive breakout sessions, or DEI audit pairing
DISCOVERY CALL