KEYNOTES + WORKSHOPS
EDUCATION • HEALTHCARE • MENTAL HEALTH • FAMILY & WORKPLACE WELLNESS
They keep showing up.
But what is it costing them?
The teacher who gives everyone patience, then has none left at home.
The nurse who sits in the driveway too drained to walk inside.
The therapist who makes room for everyone's feelings but their own.
Keisha Gaddis is a keynote speaker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Educator, and Author of Done With Fine. She helps the people everyone depends on recognize the hidden cost of holding it all together, and practice better ways to respond at work, at home, and with the people who count on them.
We deserve better than fine.
MEDIA FEATURES & RECOGNITION
WHAT ORGANIZERS SAY
“These are skills that truly matter in our industry. The feedback from our team has been incredible.”
JENNIFER DAUDI, FOUNDER, INVIGORATE HOSPITALITY
HEAR IT FROM THE ROOM
Real stories. Real tools.
A room that leans in.
Watch Keisha in action, and hear directly from the people in the room.
They look fine. They say they're fine. But what if they're not?
They're showing up, meeting deadlines, caring for patients, teaching students, and keeping everything moving.
Behind the familiar "I'm fine," many are exhausted and stretched thin. Because they're still functioning, their needs go unnoticed.
Over time, strain can show up as irritability, withdrawal, missed work, or decisions to leave roles they once loved. These are risks, not certainties. But the cost of pretending everything is fine doesn't always stay personal.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION
When your people run on empty, everyone they serve feels it.
Burnout rarely announces itself. It hides behind the people who keep showing up, until it shows up in your culture, your retention, and the care your community receives.
01
Strained communication
Shorter fuses and less patience with colleagues, students, patients, and families.
02
Costly absences and turnover
Losing the people your organization depends on most, along with the experience and relationships they carry.
03
Scattered focus under pressure
A harder time staying present, clear, and steady when the stakes are highest.
04
Eroding trust and connection
Less capacity to care for each other, and for the people counting on your team.
Supporting the people behind the care is how you sustain the work itself.
They deserve better than fine.
So do the people counting on them.
When overload becomes normal, it doesn't stay personal.
It shows up in the short reply to a colleague. The missed moment with a child. The silence after a hard shift. In Done With Fine, Keisha names five patterns that keep capable people stuck.
Overfunctioning
Carrying more than one person reasonably can.
Autopiloting
Getting through the day without being present in it.
Minimizing
"It's not that bad," while your body and relationships say otherwise.
Overloading
Saying yes past the point of capacity.
Postponing
Putting off rest, support, and honest conversations until "things slow down."
A full calendar isn't proof of a full life.
WHY KEISHA
I've spent years hearing what children wish adults knew.
For more than 15 years, I've sat across from thousands of children and listened to what they wished the adults in their lives understood.
It taught me this: adults may believe they're containing their stress, but how we communicate, withdraw, react, and connect shapes the people around us.
This isn't about blaming tired parents, educators, or caregivers. Many are doing their best inside demanding systems. It's about noticing the patterns we've called normal, and seeing where a different response is possible.
When we change how we carry pressure, we change what others experience in our presence.
Sears
•
Mental Health America
•
Texas Counseling Association
•
Sacred Heart University
•
Boys and Girls Club of America
•
National Charity League
•
Sears • Mental Health America • Texas Counseling Association • Sacred Heart University • Boys and Girls Club of America • National Charity League •
Previously engaged by
WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE LEAVES WITH
More than a moving message.
Something they can use on Monday.
Clinical credibility, an educator's insight, stories that land, and practical tools from The DONE Method: Decide. Observe. Name. Exhale.
Not another generic reminder to practice self-care.
Language for the invisible load
Recognize chronic overload and the Fine Mode they fall into under pressure.
Awareness before the spillover
Notice when stress starts affecting communication and connection.
Practical responses
“Practice The DONE Method to pause, check in privately, and communicate capacity when needed.
One next step
Choose a change small enough to start and meaningful enough to matter.
SIGNATURE SPEAKING EXPERIENCES
The right conversation for the people you serve.
01
Done With Fine
The Hidden Cost of Holding It All Together
For women, working parents, and high-capacity professionals quietly running on empty. Through relatable stories and the DONE Method, audiences recognize their patterns and identify what needs to change.
Ideal for: Women's conferences, working-parent groups, community organizations, wellness events.
Audience takeaway: An honest understanding of their emotional load and a first step toward living differently.
02
The Climate Starts With Us
Helping the Helpers Who Shape Student Success
School climate is shaped by the adults who show up every day, and by the pressure they carry. Staff identify overload patterns, see how adult responses affect students, and practice tools for steadier communication, repair, and connection.
Ideal for: District Professional Development, in-service days, education service centers, school counselor conferences, administrator retreats.
Audience takeaway: Shared language and usable strategies for adult well-being and a more intentional school climate.
03
The People Behind the Care
The Hidden Weight of Helping, and What It Takes to Stay Well
For nurses, physicians, therapists, social workers, and care teams. An honest look at emotional labor, chronic overfunctioning, and the strain that follows helpers home, alongside the role organizations play in healthier conditions.
Ideal for: Hospitals, health systems, nursing associations, mental health conferences, caregiver organizations.
Audience takeaway: Practical ways to notice overload earlier and stay present in demanding roles.
FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS
Built for the rooms where care, pressure, and responsibility meet.
Formats: Keynotes, interactive workshops, professional development sessions, and book-centered experiences.
In person or virtual.
Education
Staff wellness, school climate, educator capacity, and relationships that support learning.
Family & nonprofit organizations
Caregiver well-being, parent-child connection, and the patterns adults model.
Healthcare & mental health
Emotional labor, staff well-being, and communication under pressure.
Employers & women's organizations
Practical mental well-being for teams and leaders, including working parents and caregivers.
These sessions support broader wellness, culture, and professional-learning goals. One session can't fix understaffing or guarantee retention, and we won't pretend it can.
A message that stays with people after the room clears.
Previously engaged by
Mental Health America · Texas Counseling Association · Girls Empowerment Network · Sacred Heart University · Invigorate Hospitality · Boys & Girls Club of America · National Charity League · Sears
Recognition
Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40
Recognized by Beyoncé's BeyGOOD Foundation
“Keisha shared powerful, practical tools for managing stress, protecting capacity, and communicating calmly in high-pressure moments. These are skills that truly matter in our industry. The feedback from our team has been incredible.”
JENNIFER DAUDI, FOUNDER, INVIGORATE HOSPITALITY
“I got emotional during the session and left realizing my kids deserve a more grounded version of me.”
LIVE ATTENDEE, WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SESSION
“Keisha brought the FIRE to our Women of Real Mastermind. So many nuggets, so much encouragement, and powerful mindset work.”
MAJSAN CHAMPAGNE, WOMEN OF REAL MASTERMIND
WHAT ORGANIZERS AND ATTENDEES SAY
Real Words. Real Impact.
“Keisha delivers original, thought-provoking content that stands out from anything we’ve heard before.”
JULIE TUISL, INVIGORATE HOSPITALITY
“I’ve been struggling with the transition between work and home, and Keisha gave me tools I can implement immediately.”
LIVE ATTENDEE, WORKSHOP
“Keisha has a calm, grounded presence that immediately builds trust.”
LIVE ATTENDEE, VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
Give the people who show up for everyone else a moment that changes how they show up for themselves.
Planning professional development, a healthcare conference, leadership event, or workplace wellness experience? Let's give your people a conversation they recognize and tools they can use the very next day.