Backstage Pass with GDA Speakers

Gail Davis is joined by seasoned event strategist Heather Davis who shares what makes an event a home run, factors that play into speaker selection, and the challenges she faces behind the scenes.

Show Notes

In this episode of Backstage Pass we’re joined by events strategist Heather Davis, Corporate Vice President with New York Life. She drives high-impact outcomes through oversight of three domains: marketing, meetings, and training and development. This conversation has Heather share what makes a speaking event successful, why some speakers are invited back, and the biggest hurdles she faces as an events strategist. She also spills about what a recent speaker did that surprised her—and what she expects to see in the event and speaking space next.

Key topics in this episode include:

•  The services Heather provides and the individuals who look for these services.
• The overall objective of the annual meeting that Heather coordinates.
• How having a small event team influences the planning process.
• Signs of a successful annual meeting (and why measuring it matters).
• How many contracts Heather has facilitated.
• What encourages Heather to book a speaker again (or never again).
• Why you should book speakers as far in advance as possible.
• Whether a speaker’s video is actually helpful in decision making or not.
• The biggest challenges Heather has in strategizing events.
• Why speaker customization is so important.
• How she approaches booking speakers and who she trusts with the heavy lifting.
• The type of speaker that Heather needs right now who are also hard to find.
• What a recent speaker did that surprised Heather.
• Heather’s predictions for future events and what’s already changing now.
• Recent speakers that stood out for Heather in a positive way.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about partnering with GDA Speakers on your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by Lisa Bodell who dissects the difference between productivity and simplicity, how workplace culture influences the complexity of our work, and using simplicity as an employee retention strategy.

Show Notes

Today our guest is the founder and CEO of FutureThink, Lisa Bodell.  Lisa is a futurist and a global leader on collaboration and innovation. She ranks in the top 50 speakers worldwide, and she is also a two-time best-selling author. She’s an expert in helping people discover how to eliminate complexity through the power of simplicity. In today’s conversation, she shares why emphasizing productivity doesn’t work, and why simplifying your work is the way to go.

Key topics in this episode include:

• Why so many people are at a breaking point right now.
• How being organized differs from being simplified.
• The benefits of simplifying your work and your life.
• A better way to say no (that actually feels good).
• The importance of leaning into saying “yes, if” statements.
• Why people want their time back and how being selfish with it helps.
• How your work culture influences the complexity of your work.
• What makes Lisa a more sought-after speaker and why.
• Why Lisa says simplicity is agnostic and who her main audience is.
• Why productivity isn’t the answer in the workplace (and what matters more).
• How Lisa applies the things she speaks about to her own life.
• How killing stupid ideas has made Lisa’s team even better.
• The secrets to making a speaking event a home run.
• What the best rooms are to find yourself in and what makes the best group.
• The surprising thing Lisa learned about herself as a speaker.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Lisa Bodell to your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by John Register who discusses transforming adversity into advantage, what holds people back from moving past difficult times, and how his message provides audiences a necessary perspective shift.

Show Notes

In this episode of Backstage Pass we’re joined by John Register. John is a Paralympic silver medalist, army combat veteran, TedX speaker, author, and CPAE. Recently, he was named among the top global leadership speakers. John opens up about his Paralympic career, what holds people back from moving past difficult times (and how he can help), and the experiences that helped make him the speaker he is today.

Key topics in this episode include:

• What getting the CPAE title meant to John and how he reached this milestone.
• How being diverted towards the Gulf War elevated his speaking ability.
• How he lost his leg and what it taught him about adversity.
• Why he was so surprised when he made the Paralympic swim team.
• The importance of having people in your life who won’t let you fail.
• How his Paralympic experience developed and expanded.
• The fear that holds people back from reaching their goals and how John can help.
• How his speaking gives him a unique perspective of leadership and the world.
• The calls John gets weekly and why he makes himself available to serve them.
• Why knowing what the Constitution is matters when protecting it.
• The unique aspect the US brings to athletic events, including the Paralympics.
• What John is focusing on right now in his career next.
• Why the way you show up with event planners and producers matters.
• The influence any interaction you have with someone, no matter how small, can have.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing John Register to your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by Peter Sheahan who shares the importance of taking ownership of change to accelerate transformation on teams.

Show Notes

Peter Sheahan is an entrepreneur, strategist, C-suite advisor, and in-demand speaker. After writing Generation Y, his first book, he quickly found himself in boardrooms speaking about understanding and connecting with the next generation. Since then, Peter has written several books and has headlined countless speaking events. During the episode, Peter shares the importance of owning change to accelerate transformation on teams.

Key topics in this episode include:

• Where Peter’s career started and the trajectory it took from there.
• Why Peter wanted to write about the value shifts of young people.
• How he ended up teaching about change and disruption globally.
• How he got the nickname “CEO whisperer,” and his method for pushing people.
• Peter’s process for preparing for a keynote speech and the interview he must have first.
• What it takes to be a great leader in today’s organizations.
• Why he decided to sell some of his businesses and what he’s focusing on instead.
• Peter’s ideal audience and who he loves speaking to the most.
• What happened when he crossed paths with Brené Brown and why he’s a big fan.
• How speakers set expectations for their events and why some seem high maintenance. 
• Why speakers are prone to depression (despite what it looks like on the outside).
• The advice Peter has for event planners when making speaker selections.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Peter Sheahan to your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by John Sanei who shares how to approach AI with optimism and how the combination of neuroscience, business strategy, and psychology impact our collective futures.

Show Notes

In this episode we visit with John Sanei who is an expert on human psychology, neuroscience, and business strategy. As a Certified Futures Strategist, he combines his expertise to understand how these aspects intermingle to impact our collective futures. John gives his insights on the future of AI (and why we should be optimistic), how to move towards your own authenticity, and advice for making large-scale events way more enjoyable.

Key topics in this episode include:

• How John and Gail first connected, and the nickname Gail received as a result.
• Why John says we’re all geniuses in our own ways (and what his genius is).
• How we can solve the very human problem of getting stuck.
• John’s strategy for crafting a great speech.
• John’s favorite pastime and how it helps him evolve as a speaker.
• The next phase of AI and the implications this has on the world around us.
• The false belief many humans have and how it holds us back from optimism. 
• How John’s international background has influenced his life and career.
• The customized presentation John is working on now and why it matters.
• Why John focuses on business strategy and human evolution.
• How understanding and anticipating the future is agnostic to industry.
• The business book that John is working on now.
• The recent speaking challenge John had to navigate and how he overcame it.
• John’s tips to make large-scale events more engaging and less boring for audiences.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing John Sanei to your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by Leslie Morgan Steiner who recounts her unexpected life experiences that led her to share her inspiring story - with a message that is equally applicable for both men and women.

Show Notes

Today our guest is New York Times bestselling author Leslie Morgan Steiner. Leslie is also a TED Talk veteran, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a thought leader on women's leadership who speaks about overcoming adversity, surviving violence against women, and much more. During the episode, she shares the life experiences that led to her sharing her story so candidly.

Key topics in this episode include:

• What Leslie writes and speaks about and why it’s important to everybody.
• How men with female team members can benefit from women-focused content.
• The unique way women approach their life and workplace.
• What led up to Leslie writing her book Crazy Love.
• How Leslie’s path in life has surprised her, and what her calling is now.
• The staggering amount of people who face abuse, plus the role that denial plays.
• The less typical places that violence against women education should be shared.
• Where Leslie’s story expands and other places she found her resilience.
• What Leslie’s other books are about and why their messages are important.
• What Leslie realized after writing The Naked Truth and what surprised her most.
• Why Leslie loves being a writer and speaker, and what she’s working on now.
• The best place to find new ideas and creative inspiration for writing and speaking.

If you or someone you know are a victim of domestic violence, please CALL or TEXT the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit www.thehotline.org

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Leslie Morgan Steiner to your next event!

Gail Davis is joined by Erica Dhawan who shares her wisdom on communication in today's digital culture - including using connectional intelligence and reading digital body language in our modern workplace.

Show Notes

In this episode we’re joined by Erica Dhawan. Erica is a leading authority in the world of teamwork, collaboration, and innovation, as well as a Wall Street Journal best-selling author. She has been ranked as one of the top female keynote speakers and has also been referred to as “the Oprah of management thinkers.” Erica shares her wisdom on communication in today’s digital culture -  including using connectional intelligence and reading digital body language in our modern workplace.

Key topics in this episode include:

• Why Erica emphasizes the importance of being a speaker.
• The field she thought she would go into and why she shifted into speaking instead.
• What speaking has brought to her life and why she feels drawn to it.
• Erica’s secret for keeping her content fresh and relevant.
• What connectional intelligence is and why it’s so important in today’s workplace.
• Why understanding digital body language is so relevant to teams today.
• The consequences of our “always on” culture and what we need to do about it.
• What you can do to make your team members feel truly valued.
• The unique struggles that women who are direct have in the workplace.
• Why communication style should vary internally versus externally.
• What senior team members need to remember about their junior team members.
• The key driver of trust in teams and how to avoid creating a toxic workplace.
• How creating norms can help you thrive despite the distance between team members.
• What Erica has been told is her greatest gift and how you can use it too.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Erica Dhawan to your next event!

Gail Davis and her guest Tim Sanders discuss how to use AI to reframe business challenges as prediction problems.

Show Notes

For our first episode we’re welcoming Tim Sanders, the Vice President of Customer Insights at Upwork and a New York Times best-selling author. Tim, recently appointed as an executive fellow at Harvard Business School's Digital Data Design Institute, shares his mission to bridge AI research and practical business applications. We explore the necessity of AI literacy for C-suite executives, strategies to mitigate AI risks, and key metrics for measuring AI success. Tim also discusses his personal approach to staying ahead in the AI field, including his custom GPT tool named TLDR, and the importance of reframing business challenges as prediction problems.

Key topics in this episode include:

• How AI can transform business leadership and why it's crucial for modern executives.
• Why AI literacy is becoming imperative for C-suite executives to stay competitive.
• What "return on AI" means and how to measure AI investments effectively - download McKinsey & Company chart.
• How to mitigate risks and identify hidden costs associated with AI implementation.
• What key metrics should be used to gauge the success of AI initiatives.
• How Tim stays ahead in the fast-paced world of AI through continuous learning.
• What resources Tim recommends, including books, podcasts, and academic studies.
• How Tim uses his custom GPT tool, TLDR, to digest and annotate information efficiently.
• Why connecting with the audience is vital for Tim before speaking engagements.
• How reframing business challenges as prediction problems makes AI more accessible.
• What insights Tim offers to make AI impactful and clear for business leaders.
• How AI application can be tailored to different business contexts and industries.
• How Tim customizes his talks based on the specific needs and challenges of each business.
• What practical AI strategies can drive significant business growth and efficiency.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Tim Sanders to your next event!

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Michelle Gielan, former national CBS News anchor turned positive psychology researcher and bestselling author, to explore how the way we communicate can influence happiness, resilience, and performance.

Michelle shares the science behind positive psychology and practical ways to put it into action at work and at home. She explains how shifting conversations from problems toward solutions, expressing support for others, and changing the way we respond to stress can help create more positive and productive environments.

Key topics include:

• How a positive, optimistic, and resilient mindset can improve performance
• Using the “power lead” to start conversations with something positive and meaningful
• Moving conversations from simply identifying problems to exploring solutions
• Why specific, authentic recognition can strengthen trust and workplace culture
• How expressing a positive mindset can help counter negativity within a team
• Changing your response to stress by staying cool under pressure and taking a small, meaningful “now step”

Michelle’s message is a reminder that positivity isn't about ignoring challenges or being happy all the time. It's about responding to challenges in a way that helps us feel more empowered, connected, and ready to take action.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Michelle Gielan to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Diana Kander, serial entrepreneur and innovation expert, to explore how curiosity can help organizations better understand their customers, challenge assumptions, and create a stronger culture of innovation.

Diana explains why experience and success can sometimes make businesses overly confident in what they think customers want. She shares how asking better questions, listening with genuine curiosity, and running small experiments can uncover opportunities that assumptions alone often miss.

Key topics include:

• Why curiosity is the foundation for innovation
• Identifying points of tension between your business and your customers
• Asking questions that uncover what customers actually value instead of guessing what they want
• Using small experiments to test assumptions before investing significant time or money
• Empowering employees to continually question how their work could be improved
• Fighting confirmation bias by actively looking for evidence that challenges what you believe

Diana’s message is a reminder that innovation doesn't always start with a big idea. It starts with staying curious, questioning what you think you know, listening closely to your customers, and continually looking for ways to improve.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Diana Kander to your next event.