Keynote Speaking
We are tested at the threshold.
Most organizations fail at the threshold in one of two ways: they freeze in the old way, or they dissolve before the new one takes shape. People do too.
Inquire About BookingWhether it's an organization moving through cultural change or a person moving through a life transition, the hardest part is never the start or the finish. It's the space in between, where the old way no longer applies and the new one hasn't yet taken hold. Drawing on her doctoral research and 25 years of leading change from the inside, Dr. Nicole Yeldell Butts speaks to corporate and women's audiences about exactly this moment, giving them language for a place they've been but couldn't previously name, and a way to move through it.
Where Nicole Has Spoken
- SHRM Annual Conference & Expo
- American Council on Education (ACE) Women's Conference
- International CHRIE
- The Claremont Colleges
- California State University
- The Ebell of Los Angeles
Two Tracks. One Idea.
Culture & Change Leadership
For corporations, conferences, and professional associations navigating cultural or strategic change. How systems and the people leading them move through change without stalling or fracturing.
View Keynotes →Women, Identity & Transformation
For women's conferences, associations, and corporate women's events. How a woman moves through an identity threshold (job, relationship, self) without losing herself in the uncertainty.
View Keynotes →What Makes Nicole's Keynotes Different
Nicole doesn't arrive with generic inspiration. She arrives with SHIFT, a framework built from research on how organizations and people actually move through change. And she delivers it with a presence audiences trust within minutes. The result is a room willing to tell the truth about what's ending, and ready to move toward what's next.
What Event Organizers Say
"Nicole rocked the house at our conference! ... I so appreciate her ability to get important and difficult conversations going and how she focused the group on the real issues at hand. Nicole did her homework in advance and really connected with the audience."
"Nicole has the unique ability to move people forward, including people who may not want to be moved forward, without them realizing they are being moved. That is a rare gift!"
Audiences Walk Away With
- A shared language for the threshold that teams and individuals keep using long after the event.
- A way to recognize whether they're freezing or dissolving, and what to do instead.
- The SHIFT framework, a practical way to move through change with intention.
- Permission to tell the truth about what's ending, which is where real change begins.
Keynote Formats
Opening, closing, and featured keynotes. Executive and leadership retreats. Keynote paired with a fireside conversation, audience Q&A, or book signing.
Looking for a host or moderator? Explore Hosting & Moderating →
Who Books Nicole
Corporate and leadership conferences, professional associations, executive and board retreats, women's leadership conferences and corporate women's events, and universities and leadership programs.
What Booking Includes
A planning conversation to understand your audience and the threshold they're facing, and a keynote tailored to your event's theme and goals. Fees available upon inquiry.
