815-392-3274 | [email protected]
My Speaking Philosophy and What It Means For You
I believe the most powerful presentations don't simply deliver information, but they create transformation.
A great keynote should do more than inspire people in the moment. It should challenge perspectives, spark meaningful conversations, and equip audiences with practical tools they can apply immediately.
Every audience member arrives with unique experiences, responsibilities, and challenges. My responsibility is to meet them where they are, create an environment of trust and connection, and deliver content that is both relevant and actionable.
I believe leadership begins from within. When people strengthen their confidence, emotional intelligence, communication, and resilience, they become more effective leaders, stronger collaborators, and more impactful contributors in every area of their lives.
My goal is for every attendee to leave seeing new possibilities for themselves and feeling empowered to take meaningful action.
My Signature Presentations
Clean Up in Aisle 7: How Effective Leaders Prevent Workplace Drama, Navigate Conflict, and Get Work Done
In today's workplace, technical skills alone are no longer enough. The most successful professionals are those who take ownership of their mindset, communication, decisions, and daily actions. Self-leadership is the foundation of accountability, resilience, collaboration, and personal effectiveness, and it directly impacts both individual performance and organizational success.
In this engaging, practical keynote, Connie Jo Holmes introduces a fresh perspective on self-leadership that empowers professionals to move beyond simply doing their jobs to intentionally leading themselves every day.
Through relatable stories, interactive learning, and actionable strategies, participants will discover how taking greater ownership of their choices leads to increased productivity, stronger workplace relationships, greater job satisfaction, and a more positive organizational culture, which is ideal for both the employer and the employee.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Boost collaboration, reduce conflict, and strengthen leadership by teaching your team how to understand, manage, and communicate emotions effectively.
2. Increase personal productivity by focusing on what they can influence and control.
3. Strengthen communication through greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
4. Develop a productive mindset that replaces blame, excuses, and reactivity with intentional action.
5. Build resilience and adaptability during times of change and uncertainty.
6. Improve collaboration by taking ownership of relationships and team dynamics.
Leadership at Any Level: How Self-Leadership Shapes Your Impact, Relationships, and Results
Strong leaders aren't defined by their title. They are defined by their ability to inspire trust, communicate with clarity, navigate change, and bring out the best in others. I challenge the traditional idea that leadership belongs only to those with “manager” in their job title and shows how every employee has the ability to influence culture, strengthen relationships, solve problems, and contribute to organizational success.
Through powerful stories, practical strategies, and actionable tools, attendees will discover how to strengthen their leadership presence, communicate more effectively, build trust, and create a culture where people feel valued, motivated, and empowered to perform at their best.Self-leadership is the ability to take ownership of your mindset, emotions, choices, communication, and actions, regardless of your role or title.
Many people talk about leadership, and I can, too. However, my specialty is self-leadership because with this skill you take ownership of your choices, actions, and impact. When a person does this in their career, it drives influence, impact, and results. In personal lives, it teaches a person how to stop reacting to life and begin owning their life.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Define self-leadership and recognize how their mindset, choices, emotions, and behaviors directly influence their performance, relationships, and results regardless of their role or title.
2. Identify the internal patterns that get in their way and apply practical strategies to shift their thinking, manage their reactions, and respond more intentionally under pressure.
3. Use personal ownership and emotional intelligence to communicate more effectively, navigate challenging situations, and positively influence the people and environment around them.
4. Apply simple self-leadership strategies immediately to increase confidence, accountability, productivity, and effectiveness at work and in everyday life.
The EQ Advantage: Emotionally Smart Workplaces
The ability to lead, collaborate, and communicate effectively has never been more important in today’s learning and professional environments. While technical knowledge and subject matter expertise are essential, research consistently shows that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a defining factor in leadership effectiveness, collaboration, and long-term success. From research and real-life examples, it will indicate why a high EQ complements performance, influence, and team success more than IQ alone, especially during complex, time and detail-sensitive projects.
Designed specifically for professionals, you will have strategies and tools to enhance collaboration, navigate challenging conversations, and lead with greater clarity and understanding within projects, teams, and departments. This presentation explores emotional intelligence as a practical, experiential leadership skill that directly impacts how individuals learn, work together, and navigate complex environments.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Define emotional intelligence (EQ) and explain its impact on leadership effectiveness, team performance, and project success.
2. Recognize self-awareness and self-regulation techniques to better lead under pressure to increase connection, support accountability, improve decision-making, and ensure project completion and excellence.
3. Apply strategies and techniques for recognizing others' emotions to maintain effective communication, efficient collaboration, along with trust and team building within in-person, virtual, and hybrid project teams.
4. Implement emotionally intelligent communication practices to reduce conflict, enhance clarity, and improve stakeholder engagement across all phases of the project lifecycle.
The Art of Masterful Communication
You learn how to talk, but did anyone teach you how to communicate? At the core of any great relationship is communication. At the core of any troubled relationship is communication.
In a busy world, the ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, and influence is an impactful leadership advantage. During this presentation, participants will learn emotional intelligence and leadership strategies to make their message memorable, understood, and actionable. These strategies dive into the unspoken language of influence, including body language, presence, and building rapport, as well as how to properly set the stage for any type of communication for clarity and understanding.
This topic was most recently delivered at a non-profit summit where attendees learned the art of masterful communication for impact, influence, and funding. They learned the art of storytelling for effect, the necessity for building rapport, and how to "listen with your eyes" to get real-time feedback of the communication to make any necessary adjustments.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Deliver messages with confidence and emotional intelligence by aligning tone, body language, the ability to read the room and utilize that awareness for deeper engagement.
2. Interpret and respond to nonverbal cues to ensure messages are being received as intended and adjust in real time for clarity, understanding, and impact.
3. Build and maintain authentic rapport to strengthen relationships, increase trust, and enhance effective communication with all constituents.
4. Communicate with congruency so that their message, delivery, and intention are fully aligned to create credibility and impact for the desired result.
5. Increase clarity and reduce miscommunication by using focused communication techniques that drive better conversations and results.
Other Professional Stage Services
When your life's motto is the quote from Frank Scully, "Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?" you say yes to emcee roles, auctioneer opportunities for non-profit fundraisers, and even stand-up comedy shows.
I bring a blend of nearly 30 years of corporate leadership experience, a deep understanding of human behavior, a natural connection with people, and just the right amount of humor and personality. Whether delivering a keynote, guiding an event from the stage, or inspiring generosity at a fundraiser, I know how to read a room, connect with an audience, and make the experience count.
Have a unique need? Reach out!
TESTIMONIALS
What others are saying
"Natural ease on stage"
"Connie emceed the Best of Janesville awards event and did a fantastic job. She kept the energy up throughout the evening, moved smoothly between segments, and made sure the pacing stayed on track even with a full awards program. She has a natural ease on stage that made the whole event feel polished and professional. Highly recommend her for emcee work."
- Rebecca A
"Words were impactful"
"Connie did a great job providing a keynote address and learning opportunity for our region's funded partner kick off meeting. Her words were impactful and the message was exactly what we hoped for - appreciation for the past year's work and accomplishments and inspirational and motivational for the year ahead. Highly recommend!"
- Leslie E
"Natural ability to connect"
"She brought incredible energy and heart to our Gold Outing Fundraiser auction. Her warmth, quick wit, and engaging presence kept the crowd entertained and inspired, which directly contributed to the success for our event. Connie has a natural ability to connect with people and make them feel seen and supported, and she does it all with genuine care and compassion."
- Michelle A
How I Support You
My Responsibility as Your Keynote Speaker
As a speaker, I have a responsibility to:
Understand the unique needs and goals of every audience
Deliver practical insights beyond motivation
Create an engaging and inclusive experience where people feel seen, heard, and valued
Respect my audience's time by providing content that is relevant, actionable, and evidence-informed
Inspire confidence while encouraging personal accountability and growth
Leave audiences with tools they can implement immediately to create lasting change
I believe true impact happens when inspiration is paired with action
That's why every keynote I deliver is designed to help audiences not only think differently but lead differently.
Why Choose Me For Your Event
A seasoned professtional who makes planning easy for you
Engaging, interactive delivery that keeps audiences hooked
A balance of inspiration and practical tools they can use immediately
Content customized to your goals and audience needs.
A professionally trained speaker AND someone who trains others to be speakers
Zero-stress experience with a simple, cleanly packaged options designed to fit your audience, timeframe, and budget
Customizable topics since every keynote is tailored to your goals and audience needs
High energy, high impact delivered with the appropriate amount of humor, inspiration, and practical takeaways
Proven results with audiences feeling engaged, inspired, and informed, and ready to take action.
