Career & Workplace Events
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We try to get speakers who can share either great research or insights into how we can improve our processes, but it's rare to get a speaker who can do both at once. [...] It's always a great sign when positive feedback [from staff] doesn't just come to me directly but
ripples in second- and third-hand throughout the week.
Senior leader, government agency
Keynote Talk. Science can transform the way you think about your career
The myth of the linear career plan
Most career advice starts with a plan. I had one too, a clear one. But reality had other ideas, and what actually got me from classroom teacher to museum educator to PhD researcher to keynote speaker wasn't the plan, it was staying curious, weighing the opportunities in front of me, and letting a goal, not a fixed path, guide the next move.
This is my most-booked keynote, and for good reason. In a world where "have a five-year plan" is standard career advice, and most people feel dread, panic, or overwhelm just thinking about their next move, I offer a different, more honest way in: treat your career the way a scientist treats the unknown. Navigate it with curiosity instead of fear, and let a goal guide your next move instead of a fixed plan.
Audiences leave with:
A practical reframe: career uncertainty isn't a failure to plan properly, it's the normal, navigable condition of any interesting career
A concrete way to replace rigid five-year plans with a goal-driven approach that flexes as circumstances change
Real tools for weighing opportunities and evidence when the "right" next step isn't obvious
A genuinely different keynote experience, personal, story-led, and grounded in real research, not another generic "follow your passion" talk
My most-booked keynote, trusted by Australian Government research agencies, universities and early to mid-career events.