Speaking

Especially in the face of AI disruption, don't underestimate hard-won stories and lessons from a friendly human who's been where your people are, and where we're all heading.

Since leaving corporate in 2022, I've been living what many employees are bracing for, and come to love it. I'm a former tech manager + financial coach turned humorist + author very interested in living fully and creating lives we like.

I've navigated scrappy income, business building/pivots, nontraditional benefits, and the very real question of "how long can I make this last?" I've also written two books* for knowledge workers about personal autonomy, money, and building a meaningful life independent of a particular job.

Very relevant to my speaking engagements are the stories and lessons I've gathered from a lifetime of noticing the small, often funny stuff.

Readers find me "relatable" and say nice things: "Nobody observes the world quite like you do. Your ‘Sad Choices Building’ story is classic, clever and totally hilarious. Thanks for always sharing your lens with us. Honestly, the world is just a bit brighter and funnier because you’re in it pointing these things out."

*Dear Fellow Dreamer released January 2026. Dear Fellow Spender published 2023.

Professional Emily with a fancy-schmancy tech manager job and a burgeoning financial coaching business on the side.

Exploring Emily in Greece, four months out of corporate. Feeling wetter and more alive than I'd felt in years. Becoming a writer.

What a talk with me feels like:
It's like having a best friend in the room who doesn't take herself too seriously but who does take the privilege of living very seriously. There are no suits or corporate jargon involved, just real, substantial, and sometimes funny talk from a non-boring author.

That I like talking with people and hearing their stories shines through. Talks are inspirational without me pretending to be anything more than I am—a regular woman willing to take risks to make the most of my one life, writing about the big and small stuff to encourage others to do the same.

Sample talk titles:

  • "Disruption might be the best thing that ever happened to you"

  • "Growth > comfort = alive"

  • "Lessons from improv-ing life outside corporate safety"

  • "Becoming your own HR department in the face of AI disruption"

I also offer virtual book clubs to interested orgs/groups.

Interested? Fill out the form and I'll be in touch ASAP.

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