Colette Carlson

Human Behavior Expert, Motivational Speaker & Author

Colette Carlson is a human behavior expert and Hall of Fame keynote speaker who helps leaders and teams build trust, connection, and communication that drive real results. With a background in sales, psychology, and corporate training,Colette delivers highly engaging and humor-filled programs that empower audiences to lead authentically, foster collaboration, and create thriving workplace cultures. Her actionable insights and relatable approach make her a favorite among organizations looking to enhance relationships and performance

Colette Carlson Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type
$10,001 - $20,000
Languages Spoken
English
Travels From
California, USA

Colette Carlson Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type
$10,001 - $20,000
Languages Spoken
English
Travels From
California, USA

Why Colette Carlson?

Colette Carlson is the perfect keynote speaker for your organization if you want to learn about mindful communication. With a Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, 20 years of experience in the personal development industry, and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, Colette will teach your audience everything they need to know about forming and sustaining powerful connections. Her seminars are highly-engaging, personalized, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Keynote Speaker Topics

Communication Keynote Speakers
Corporate Culture Keynote Speakers
Emotional Intelligence Keynote Speakers
Leadership Keynote Speakers
Motivational Speakers
Professional Development Keynote Speakers
Resilience Keynote Speakers
Sales Keynote Speakers
Sales Kickoff Keynote Speakers
Teamwork Motivational Speakers
Women Leadership Keynote Speakers
Women Motivational Speakers
Work/Life Balance Keynote Speakers

Suggested Keynote Speaker Programs

Impactful leadership: Master Connection. Build Trust. Future-Proof Your Team

The future isn’t just digital—it’s deeply human. In an era defined by rapid change, advancing technology, and generational diversity, it’s not just what leaders know, but how they connect that creates impact. The Human Edge of Leadership equips leaders with ...

The Human Edge of Leadership equips leaders with the essential human-centric skills needed to foster trust, belonging, and performance in today’s complex workplace. From hybrid dynamics to high expectations, employees need leaders who communicate with clarity, compassion, and courage.

Rooted in neuroscience and real-world strategies, this research-based program helps leaders raise the quality of conversations to meet the moment—and lead with presence, purpose, and emotional intelligence.

Because people don’t just want to be managed. They want to be seen, supported, and inspired.

Key takeaways:

Emotional Agility: Elevate your emotional intelligence to better navigate change, reduce friction, and create a connected, resilient team culture.
Conversation that Moves People: Learn actionable, human-first techniques to spark meaningful dialogue, deepen trust, and drive accountability without micromanaging.
Psychological Safety as a Leadership Strategy: Create a safe space where people speak up, bring ideas forward, and feel valued for who they are—not just what they do.
Strength-Spotting & Storytelling: Become a Human Highlighter® who authentically acknowledges progress and potential to boost motivation and morale.
Cultivating a Culture of Growth: Lead in a way that grows people—not just performance—so individuals and teams thrive under your leadership.

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Sales success: Influence Faster. Connect Deeper. Win More

Sales success isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about opening relationships. In a world of inbox overload, AI-generated everything, and rising buyer skepticism, the differentiator is no longer just product knowledge or persistence. It’s your ability to connect...

Sales success isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about opening relationships.

In a world of inbox overload, AI-generated everything, and rising buyer skepticism, the differentiator is no longer just product knowledge or persistence. It’s your ability to connect human-to-human.

The Human Edge of Sales equips sales professionals with the mindset and skillset to lead richer conversations that break through noise, build trust faster, and deepen relationships that drive long-term loyalty.

Rooted in behavioral science and practical strategy, this uplifting and results-focused session challenges outdated sales habits and replaces them with emotionally intelligent, buyer-centric communication. Drive connection, loyalty, and results through meaningful, modern conversations.

Because in today’s trust-fragile environment, how you show up matters more than what you sell.

Key takeaways:

From Transaction to Transformation: Learn how to move beyond scripts and surface-level pitches to create meaningful, memorable customer connections.
Protect Your Priorities: Adopt a mindset that filters distractions and focuses time and activity on what moves sales forward.
Strategic Curiosity: Ask better, deeper questions that uncover real needs, shift buying hesitations, and reveal opportunities others miss.
Empathy in Action: Listen beyond the words. Strengthen emotional engagement by understanding what customers truly value.
Stories that Sell (and Stick): Harness the power of storytelling to illustrate impact, inspire action, and emotionally resonate with your audience.
Modern Trust-Building Techniques: Use verbal, visual, and digital cues—especially in virtual selling—to build credibility and reduce buyer resistance.

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Thriving teams: Connect Authentically. Collaborate Fearlessly. Achieve Collectively.

Teams don’t thrive by chance—they thrive by choice, awareness, and courageous communication. In a workplace shaped by disruption, hybrid dynamics, and relentless pressure to perform, the most impactful teams are grounded in trust, fueled by emotional intelligence, ...

Teams don’t thrive by chance—they thrive by choice, awareness, and courageous communication.

In a workplace shaped by disruption, hybrid dynamics, and relentless pressure to perform, the most impactful teams are grounded in trust, fueled by emotional intelligence, and united by a shared sense of purpose.

The Human Edge™ of Thriving Teams equips leaders and contributors with actionable tools to deepen connection, foster a climate of psychological safety, and embrace change with confidence and clarity. This dynamic, insight-rich session blends science-backed strategies with relatable storytelling to unlock what every high-performing team needs most: trust, truth, and tenacity.

Because success today isn’t just about what we do— it’s how we show up for each other while doing it.

Key takeaways:

Psychological Safety in Action: Foster an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and take risks—without fear of judgment or retaliation.
Emotional Intelligence that Elevates: Strengthen your self-awareness and empathy to build better relationships, defuse tension, and navigate change with composure.
Courageous Conversations: Replace silence or surface-level dialogue with meaningful conversations that move collaboration—and culture—forward.
Change Agility: Shift from resistance to resilience. Learn strategies that help your team adapt and thrive in the face of constant change and uncertainty.
Trust That Transforms: Build a culture where trust isn’t a buzzword—it’s a behavior. Learn everyday habits that reinforce accountability, connection, and confidence.
Aligned Accountability: Move from “me” to “we” thinking. Discover how to co-create shared goals, expectations, and feedback loops that drive collective achievement.

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Resilient performance: Train Your Brain. Fuel Your Focus. Stretch Your Edge.

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a warning light. In today’s boundary-blurred, always-on world, thriving at work requires more than just grit. It demands intention, emotional agility, and the ability to shift from reactive to resilient...

The Human Edge™ of Resilient Performance is a powerful and practical experience that helps individuals take back control of their time, energy, and mental clarity. Whether you’re navigating high-stakes deadlines, nonstop change, or the daily demands of hybrid life, this program provides the mindset reset and science-backed tools to stay focused, fueled, and forward-moving.

And unlike machines, humans aren’t designed to run 24/7. We require reflection, recalibration, and connection—this session shows you how to access all three.

Through relatable storytelling, brain science, and immediately usable techniques, participants will leave with a renewed sense of agency—and the strategies to lead themselves and others from burnout to breakthrough.

Because it’s not just about bouncing back—it’s about bouncing forward with purpose and power.

Key takeaways:

Focus on What You Can Control: Interrupt stress spirals by mastering mental filters that help you channel focus where it matters most.
Mindset Reset: Rewire your inner narrative and replace unhelpful patterns with empowering, science-backed reframes.
Energy Intelligence: Learn how to manage your energy—not just your time—by recognizing burnout cues and proactively restoring mental fuel.
Resilience Rituals: Build micro-habits that increase emotional endurance, improve clarity, and bring you back to center—even on tough days.
Support that Sticks: Create psychological safety for yourself and others by identifying what you need—and learning how to ask for it without guilt.
Stretch Your Edge: Adopt a growth mindset that helps you embrace discomfort, increase adaptability, and transform challenges into growth.

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EMPOWERED LEADERSHIP FOR WOMEN: Own Your Value. Cultivate Connections. Influence with Impact.

You don’t need to become someone else to lead—you just need to fully own who you already are. In a world still catching up to equity, women leaders often navigate a dual reality: extraordinary capability, ...

You don’t need to become someone else to lead—you just need to fully own who you already are.

In a world still catching up to equity, women leaders often navigate a dual reality: extraordinary capability, paired with invisible challenges. From outdated biases and double standards to balancing boldness with likability, the path to leadership can feel like walking a tightrope.

The Human Edge™ of Empowered Leadership for Women equips participants with the clarity, confidence, and communication skills to lead with presence, elevate their influence, and claim their seat at any table—without compromising authenticity.

This empowering, research-backed session is designed for women at all career stages and delivers actionable strategies for navigating the real dynamics of work and leadership. Through the lens of emotional intelligence, self-advocacy, and connection, participants will learn how to turn challenges into catalysts—and show up with unapologetic impact.

Because leadership isn’t just about rising—it’s about rising while lifting others.

Key takeaways:

Strategic Self-Worth: Silence the inner critic. Identify and own your value—then communicate it with clarity and conviction.
Purposeful Connection: Build relationships that open doors, offer support, and fuel your influence—without networking that feels transactional.
Commanding Communication: Speak up without shrinking back. Learn high-impact messaging techniques to be heard, respected, and remembered.
Mastering the Ask: Negotiate, advocate, and navigate critical conversations with confidence and composure.
Resilience on Repeat: Build the emotional endurance to move through challenges, navigate change, and bounce forward—not just back.
From Limits to Leverage: Identify unconscious scripts, redefine boundaries, and take bold steps toward growth—even when the path isn’t clearly paved.

Learn More

About Keynote Speaker Colette Carlson

Colette Carlson, a Human Behavior Expert and CPAE Hall of Fame keynote speaker, is known for helping leaders, teams, and organizations activate The Human Edge™—the critical strategies that strengthen trust, foster connection, and elevate performance in an increasingly automated, fast-paced world.

With her signature blend of humor, heart, and high-impact storytelling, Colette delivers deeply customized keynote experiences rooted in communication psychology, audience interviews, and current research. Her energetic, engaging, and interactive delivery style consistently earns top ratings and repeat invitations across industries.

Since founding her company, Speak Your Truth, Inc., Colette has delivered hundreds of keynote programs across five continents. Her content is shaped by decades of conversations—with executives, emerging leaders, sales professionals, and frontline teams—giving her a rare, real-world understanding of the human dynamics at play in today’s workplaces. Combined with her Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, this lived research enables Colette to provide both strategic insight and practical, actionable solutions.

Her trusted clientele includes industry giants like Microsoft, PepsiCo, FedEx, ExxonMobil, Procter & Gamble, Fidelity, Costco, and Domino’s.

Questions? Contact Us Any Time:

805.965.1400

info@bigspeak.com

Colette holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation—an earned honor held by fewer than 10% of professional speakers worldwide, recognizing a consistent track record of excellence and impact. She has also been inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, a recognition that honors professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of career excellence.

Attendees consistently leave Colette’s sessions energized and equipped with both the mindset and skillset to improve communication, deepen engagement, and lead with intention—key components of The Human Edge™ that drive both personal growth and organizational results.

Testimonials

“Colette’s infectious spirit, passion for her subject, and humorous delivery engaged the audience which is why we would highly recommend her as a speaker for your next event!”

Ginnie Roeglin

Senior Vice President, Costco Wholesale

“Colette is an amazing speaker! She did a keynote for 2300 franchise owners, general managers, and managers and a breakout session for 1500 general managers and managers. She did a great job researching our business and sharing stories and examples that the participants could relate to. The participants found her funny and insightful. The vast majority of the participants rated her as Excellent! She was also a delight to work with in planning the conference as well as on-site. I highly recommend Colette as a speaker!”

Lora Peterson

Director, Great Clips University

“Colette was a huge hit at our Leadership Series, and people are still talking about it! We were all so impressed by the way she researched and got to know us. As a result, she nailed it, gained immediate credibility and connected with everyone! Colette was knowledgeable, relatable and down to earth… what more could you ask for.”

Donna Sanders

People Development Mgr, Texas Roadhouse

“Colette’s enthusiasm, humor and very practical advice were a huge hit with our group of women General Counsel and senior level in-house counsel. Colette fully committed to our program – spending time with our attendees and other speakers to gain a deep understanding of our challenges and goals. She made sincere personal connections — as a result, her session fit perfectly within our program, and our attendees left energized and better prepared to address the obstacles that impede their success and the success of the organizations they serve.”

Chair, National Assn. of Women Lawyers 8th General Counsel Institute

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