Managing the emotional toll of a tough divorce with three young children, led today’s guest to turn to triathlons, to cope. 

Then a horrific bicycle accident changed everything. A traumatic head injury forced her to stop, slow down, and focus on one thing at a time.

Suddenly, every aspect of her life — raising her kids, managing her business, and simply moving through each day — became a challenge. She had to learn how to navigate the lasting effects of post-concussion symptoms while rediscovering her own limits.

Out of that struggle, a new mission emerged: launching groundbreaking research into the female brain and concussions, turning personal trauma into a journey that could help countless others.

This is a story about courage, perseverance, and the power of turning life’s hardest moments into purpose.

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Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

She built a jewelry brand from passion and purpose.

But the business began to stall. Then a cancer diagnosis, followed quickly by the arrival of a global pandemic. 

Everything changed.

What began as a moment of crisis became a powerful reset.

A chance to move closer to family, refocus on what truly mattered, and rebuild with intention.

While others closed their doors, she doubled down.

And in doing so, built more than a business. 

She has created a movement: a values-driven brand empowering women and leaving a legacy.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

You’re an entrepreneur dedicated to helping leaders on their professional journey. 

You join a coaching group to sharpen your skills.

At the same time, you are navigating the dating world, hoping to find a life partner.

Then, within months of each other, your personal and professional worlds come crashing down.

Betrayal of confidentiality. Emotional abuse. 

You have to relearn how to trust your instincts, how to spot the red flags you once ignored. 

And in that process, you uncover something deeper: the root cause of these struggles, reaching all the way back to childhood trauma.

This is a story of discovery, healing, and the courage to transform struggle into strength.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

He built his life around the game of hockey.

Living the life of a true bachelor. 

Then everything changed.
 Marriage. A family. A new set of responsibilities.

As a broadcaster, he traveled across North America chasing breaking stories, always ready to jump on a flight at a moment’s notice. A bag always packed at the front door.

Balancing life on the road with life at home, he discovered that true success isn’t just built on career milestones. It’s built on the support that keeps you grounded.

Today, he’s a renowned author, radio host, podcast host, but more than anything, a proud family man.

Proof that the story behind the storyteller is just as powerful as the ones he covers.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

Sometimes, you see the writing on the wall. 

The business is moving in the wrong direction. 

Life is too busy; you’re being pulled in too many directions at once.

For our guest today, the decision was clear – step away from their career to become a full-time caregiver for aging parents.

Along the way, learning how to navigate the complexities of our healthcare system, finding strategic allies, and managing the physical, mental, and emotional toll that caregiving brings.

This is a story about family, strength, sacrifice, and what it means to show up for the people who need you most.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

Walking away from corporate life is never easy. 

Our guest made that leap.

Choosing to start a business of their own. 

But the early days were anything but certain. 

Four months of questioning: Am I doing the right thing? 

A lack of confidence, and the constant search for direction.

What followed was a journey of finding a niche, being intentional with time, and choosing the right people to work with.

This is a story of self-discovery, of learning to trust the process, and of building an unwavering belief in yourself.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

What if your job required you to be outside every single day? 

And the more successful you were, the more sun exposure you got.

And then one day, it all comes crashing down with three dreaded words: ‘You have cancer.’

Not just anywhere—but on the one place that is your identity, your brand, on your face.

This is the story of our guest’s journey through 9 facial reconstructive surgeries to rid him of skin cancer. 

A story that goes beyond the physical scars and into the emotional toll—of having to show your face to the world, and fearing their reaction.

With a newfound respect for the power of the sun’s rays, he’s dedicated his life to raising awareness; to helping others learn from his scars. 

And that’s only part of his journey. Because he also carries a unique tattoo on his forearm, a reminder of another life-defining moment.

This is a story of resilience, vulnerability, and the marks—both seen and unseen—that shape who we are.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

Imagine this: You do everything right. 

You play by the rules. 

You travel across the continent, competing in every event, collecting the points you need. 

And then, when it should all pay off, your association makes a subjective decision, and you don’t make the team for a worldwide event being hosted in your home country.

What would you do? Walk away? Accept it?

Not this athlete. She took it to court and won and played in the event.

That moment didn’t just change one season; it launched a 30-year professional career.

This is a story about standing up for what’s right, about fighting for your place, and about becoming an advocate for others along the way. 

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

Imagine being adopted and deciding to search for your birth parents.

You order a DNA test kit from 23andMe. 

It sits on your desk for two months. 

Every day, you stare at the box and wonder: What will it mean if I send this in?

One afternoon, you finally do. And everything changes.

What felt like a long shot, suddenly turns into a reunion with your birth father, and an entire extended family you never knew. 

And if that’s not unbelievable enough, while meeting your father for the very first time, he helps you find your birth mother.

A lifetime of wondering who they were, answered in less than a week.

This is a story about courage, connection, and the ties that shape who we are.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca

From the earliest days, the dream was clear: to become a professional athlete. 

Every waking minute was spent honing the craft – practicing, competing, excelling.

But there was another side too. 

Writing for Sports Illustrated Kids at just eleven years old. 

Hosting Hockey Night in Canada alongside Christine Simpson at fourteen years old.

Interviewing idols like John Tavares and Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Then came the choice: 

Stay in Canada, where the sports media network was already opening doors

Or head to a U.S. university and chase the lifelong dream of going pro.

Two paths. One decision. And everything on the line.

This is the story of what happens when talent, opportunity, and ambition collide.

Send us Fan Mail

Lesley Hawkins is a keynote speaker, leadership developer, and storyteller who believes that our most defining moments are rarely the ones we plan for. 

 Drawing on years of experience leading, guiding, and mentoring teams, Lesley brings authenticity, curiosity, and genuine warmth to every conversation, creating space for guests to share the stories they don’t always get to tell. 

 One question. One turning point. One powerful story. 

 To learn more about Lesley visit www.lesleyhawkins.ca / www.marsley.ca