Conversations Worth Having

Healthcare communication is about more than sharing information. Drawing on my experience in rare disease, patient engagement, advocacy, and physician engagement, I explore how communication shapes experiences, influences decisions, and strengthens the connection between organizations and the people they serve.

Example Presentations

The Human Side of Healthcare Marketing: Why the strongest healthcare communication begins with listening to the people it's meant to serve.

Why Lived Experience Belongs in the Room: How patient, care partner, and clinician perspectives lead to better decisions, stronger communication, and more meaningful outcomes.

Creating Meaningful Advocacy: Moving beyond awareness campaigns to build lasting community engagement and authentic partnerships.

Building Communities That Last:  What it takes to create communities where people feel seen, supported, and connected.

Healthcare Communication Beyond the Campaign: Creating communication that supports people throughout their healthcare journey.

Creating Space for Stories That Matter: Helping organizations create opportunities for people to tell their own stories and measure their impact.

Audience Takeaways

• Practical ways to create communication that builds trust.

• A deeper understanding of how lived experience strengthens decision-making.

• Ideas for designing programs with people, not just for them.

Ideal Audiences

• Healthcare organizations and teams

• Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies 

• Healthcare charities 

• Professional and advocacy associations 

Leadership is communicated through everyday conversations, decisions, and the environments we create for others.

These sessions explore how communication shapes culture, influences trust, and creates workplaces where people feel heard, valued, and able to contribute their best work.

Example Presentations

Leading with Empathy: Why empathy is a leadership skill that strengthens relationships, communication, and better decision-making.

Communication as a Leadership Skill: How everyday conversations influence culture, engagement, and organizational success.

Curiosity as a Leadership Advantage: Exploring how asking better questions leads to stronger teams, better ideas, and more thoughtful leadership.

Building Community at Work: Creating workplace cultures where people feel connected, supported, and motivated to contribute.

Leading Through Change: Helping teams navigate uncertainty with transparency, communication, and trust.

Psychological Safety in Practice: Creating environments where people feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and challenging assumptions.

Audience Takeaways

• Practical tools for leading through communication.

• Strategies for building trust and psychological safety.

• Greater confidence navigating difficult conversations.

Ideal Audiences

• Executive and leadership teams 

• HR and People managers 

• Professional associations

• Mission-driven organizations

• Cross-functional leadership teams 

Communication isn't measured by what we say. It's measured by what people hear, remember, and act on. 

These sessions explore how empathy, audience insight, strategy, and storytelling come together to create communication that genuinely resonates.

Example Presentations

Communication That Resonates: Why meaningful communication begins with understanding people before trying to influence them.

Stories People See Themselves In: Creating stories that reflect real experiences and leave audiences feeling understood rather than targeted.

Beyond Awareness: Moving beyond visibility to create communication that inspires understanding, connection, and action.

Why Some Messages Stay With Us: Exploring the elements that make communication memorable long after the conversation ends.

Strategy That Starts With Listening: The strongest communication begins with curiosity, audience insight, and a willingness to challenge assumptions.

Audiences Takeaways

• A stronger understanding of audience-first communication.

• Practical storytelling frameworks.

• Ideas for creating communication people remember.

Ideal Audiences

• Marketing and communications teams 

• Agencies

• Brand leaders 

• Healthcare marketers

• Non-profit organizations 

• Founders and small business leaders

AI is changing how we work. It hasn't changed the importance of good judgment.

These sessions explore how organizations can embrace AI while protecting creativity, critical thinking, authenticity, and brand voice.

Example Presentations

Partnering with AI & Leading with Judgment: Using AI intentionally while strengthening the human judgment that technology can't replace.

Protecting Brand Voice: Maintaining authenticity and consistency as AI becomes part of everyday communication.

Using AI with Intention: Practical ways to integrate AI into your work without sacrificing quality, creativity, or strategic thinking.

Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: Why asking better questions matters more than ever in an AI-enabled workplace.

The Questions AI Can't Answer: Exploring where human experience, empathy, and judgment continue to shape our best decisions.

Audience Takeaways

• A practical framework for using AI responsibly.

• Greater confidence protecting brand voice.

• A clearer understanding of where human judgment matters most.

Ideal Audiences

• Marketing and communications professionals 

• Executive and leadership teams 

• Associations 

• Agencies 

• Organizations developing AI guidelines 

• Teams adopting AI into everyday workflows

Living with type 1 diabetes has shaped far more than my health. It has influenced how I think about identity, perfectionism, advocacy, relationships, stigma, and the invisible work of managing a chronic illness.

These sessions draw on more than 30 years of lived experience, current research, and the conversations I continue exploring through speaking, writing, and podcast appearances.

Example Presentations

The Pursuit of Perfect: Understanding why perfectionism is such a common response to living with type 1 diabetes and how self-compassion can lead to healthier, more sustainable outcomes.

The Invisible Performance of Being Fine: Exploring the emotional work of masking, over-performing, and managing a chronic illness that most people never see.

Breaking the Stigma: Changing the conversation around diabetes by addressing misconceptions, challenging assumptions, and reducing stigma.

The Cost of Staying Quiet: Examining how disclosure, advocacy, and communication influence our experiences in healthcare, at work, and in everyday life.

Living Beyond the Numbers: Looking beyond blood glucose readings to explore identity, burnout, resilience, and the emotional realities of life with type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes in the Workplace: Navigating disclosure, accommodations, professional identity, and workplace conversations with confidence.

Wearable Technology & Identity: Exploring how diabetes technology influences visibility, body image, confidence, and the way we see ourselves.

Relationships, Caregiving & Connection: Helping families, friends, partners, and care teams better understand the realities of living with type 1 diabetes.

Self-Advocacy in Healthcare: Building stronger relationships with healthcare teams by developing the confidence and skills to speak up for your needs.

Audience Takeaways

• A deeper understanding of the lived experience of type 1 diabetes.

• Greater awareness of stigma and invisible work.

• Practical insights for creating more supportive conversations.

Ideal Audiences

• Diabetes organizations 

• People living with T1D and their care partners

• Healthcare conferences 

• Advocacy groups 

• Healthcare professionals 

• Healthcare associations 

• Employers and workplace wellness teams 

• Universities and colleges

Community doesn't happen by accident. It grows through shared purpose, meaningful participation, and creating spaces where people feel they belong.

These sessions explore how belonging strengthens organizations, advocacy, and leadership, and why people contribute more when they're invited to help shape the conversation.

Example Presentations

Building Community in a Disconnected World: Exploring what it takes to create genuine connection and belonging when people are more digitally connected and often feel more isolated.

Community Doesn't Just Happen: Looking at the intention, consistency, and care required to build communities people want to return to and contribute to.

Advocacy Beyond Awareness: Moving beyond awareness campaigns to create meaningful participation, stronger relationships, and opportunities for people to shape the conversations that affect them.

Creating With Communities, Not Just for Them: How listening, shared ownership, and direct audience involvement lead to stronger programs, communication, and outcomes.

The Ripple Effect of Mentorship: Exploring how one introduction, conversation, or opportunity can shape a career, strengthen a network, and continue creating impact long afterward.

Belonging as a Strategic Priority: Why belonging influences engagement, retention, collaboration, and the way people experience an organization or community.

Making Space for Perspectives That Are Often Overlooked: Creating platforms for people whose experiences are missing from the room and bringing important conversations into the open.

Building Advocacy Programs That Last: What I learned from creating ambassador, peer mentor, and community programs designed to strengthen connection and sustain participation over time.

Audience Takeaways

• Practical ways to foster belonging.

• Ideas for building stronger advocacy programs.

• Strategies for creating communities that last.

Ideal Audiences

• Associations 

• Advocacy organizations 

• Non-profits 

• Healthcare organizations 

• Community leaders 

• Professional networks 

• Leadership teams 

• Volunteer organizations