Be Still My Beating Heart – Adrenaline in Auckland

As you read this, I’m jet-setting* to Auckland for the Professional Speakers Australia New Zealand Trailblazers Convention 2025, and I’m the opening keynote.

Opening keynote. To professional speakers. My people. The ones who know exactly when I’m using a callback, why I’ve planted a story, when I’m milking a pause for all it’s worth.

Speaking to your peers is the most incredible honour and, let’s be honest, the scariest audience on earth. I’m equal parts thrilled and vibrating with nerves. The stakes are delicious.

One tip for any high-stakes presentation: honour what your audience already knows, then promise one useful surprise. Try, ‘You already know X. In 15 minutes, I’ll show you a faster way and one mistake to avoid.’ It disarms ego, sets clear stakes, and keeps you laser focused.

Bonus delight. I’m also heading to Eden Park to watch the All Blacks take on the Wallabies. I’ve never seen the All Blacks live. The rivalry is raw, the stakes are high, and Eden Park is the stuff of legend. Be still my beating heart.

That big-match energy is exactly what I bottle for stages.

This is my goal with every client event. Not a talk to tick a box. Not the bragging rights or the standing ovation, though those are nice. It’s that moment when an entire room shifts.

Got a conference, offsite, or client day coming up? Tell me what you want your audience to think, feel, and do, and I’ll shape a keynote experience people can’t stop talking about.

The kind where months later, they still reference what happened in that room. If you want your next event to crackle, hit reply. My 2026 dates are now open.

Right now in Auckland, I’m ready to light the fuse as the opening keynote. Wish me luck.

PS: Jet-setting is just flying with lipstick and a playlist.