Inspirational Speaking

I regularly provide inspirational talks about my transgender journey and it’s something that I am very comfortable with and always happy to do. In fact, I would say that I am addicted to public speaking now!  I absolutely blooming LOVE IT!  I am happy to take questions from the audience too – no matter how personal!  I use plenty of humour in my presentations as I feel it is essential to entertain as well as to inform.  Presentations can be done either in person or virtually.

I am available for inspirational speaking slots, after dinner speaking engagements and educational talks for conferences, companies, associations, business groups, hospitals, councils, schools, colleges and universities (to both staff and students).  In fact, to anyone who wants to listen!  I am also happy to be a guest speaker for panel discussions as I feel that the more trans people who are prepared to stand up and be counted, the better. We shouldn’t hide ourselves away as we have nothing to be ashamed of. I am proud of everything I have achieved and the decisions I have made, so I’m not hiding anywhere!

While my story can be emotional in some parts, in the main, it is very positive, humorous and upbeat.  After all, I am so much happier now I can be the real me. I’m loving my new life!

I base my presentations on my own personal story, but I can tailor them to fit in with any particular theme or message you wish to convey.  Here are some presentations that I regularly deliver to any size of audience:

My Long Walk to Womanhood (approx 35-40 minutes)

This is the raw, emotional, educational and humorous story of my transgender transition, mixed with explanations of all things trans.  I give a full and frank account of my rollercoaster of a journey to be able to live my truth as the woman I have always been (but previously never allowed to show), after living for 48 years as a man.  I also speak about my background as a press photographer (photographing everything from wars to royalty), the difficult decisions surrounding my photography and video business which was named after my old (male) name and how I ended up being a global speaker, presenter and trainer and being given incredible opportunities such as modelling on the catwalk at London Fashion Week.  My cheeky sense of humour has become a hallmark of all my presentations as I feel it is essential to entertain as well as to inform.  My story is the most powerful section upon which all my other presentations are built and I regularly see audiences both laugh and cry while I tell it.  It was recently described as “a masterclass in storytelling” and “Inspirational storytelling at its best.”  It’s perfect as an inspirational talk for conferences and as an after-dinner speech as well as for diversity and inclusion events.

My Long walk to Womanhood + Q&A (approx 1 hour)

As above plus a Q&A session.  This is a safe space where I am happy to answer any questions from the audience too – no holds barred!  The Q&A section makes it adaptable for all sectors, as people in different professions tend to ask questions that are relevant to their particular role.  I am always happy to extend the Q&A session if there are a lot of questions (subject to fitting in with the client’s schedule of course) for no extra charge.     

What’s it like to be transgender?  And how can I support those who are? (approx. 1.5 hours)

This is my most popular presentation.  It gives the audience a very real appreciation for what life is like for trans people and practical tips for being an ally.  It can be performed to any size of audience, large or small.  However, the larger the audience, the less chance each person will have to ask a question.  The Q&A section makes it adaptable for all sectors, as people in different professions tend to ask questions that are relevant to their particular role.  It was recently described as “the most interesting webinar so far and definitely the funniest”.

The presentation consists of the following sections:

• My Long Walk to Womanhood (as above)
• Top tips for being a trans ally
• Q&A

Positively Managing Change: A Very Personal Journey (approx. 1.5 hours)

This presentation is themed around how I handled such a major change in my life and my business. This fits in very well with business conferences and groups as business owners regularly have to manage change, whether it is forced on them or something of their making.  It can be performed to any size of audience.  However, the larger the audience, the less chance each person will have to ask a question.   It consists of the following sections:

• My Long Walk to Womanhood (as above)
• The 13 emotional stages of change
• Q&A

Bespoke talks

I am always happy to discuss bespoke talks if any of my regular talks do not fit your requirements.

Event Hosting & Presenting

Specific workshops aimed at senior leaders, HR professionals and medical professionals, as well as longer, more comprehensive trans awareness training sessions are also available.

Here are a few testimonials I recently received:

While my presentations are usually a lot longer than this, here is a 5 minute presentation I did in 2019 for DisruptHR Cambridge called “Hiring trans People: what are you so afraid of?”  It was a tricky one to do as I had to present without notes or a screen in front of me and what I said had to fit the 20 slides which were programmed to rotate automatically every 15 seconds  as clickers were not allowed with their format.  Also, telling my story briefly in the 2.5 minutes allotted for that section was a real challenge as it usually takes me around 30 minutes to do it justice.  It was not for the faint-hearted!