Speaking Topics

Finding Greater Purpose After a Near Death Experience

At the age of 23 Vanessa was in a car wreck and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The doctors proclaimed that she had “died” and when she woke up, it defied all scientific reasoning. Here Vanessa speaks in detail about that experience, what helped her heal, and the revelations she had upon coming back. She discovered that she had a mission to help people connect with their purpose by co-creating with Earth and Spirit, and that miracles can become a way of life. 

This talk is perfect for: NDE groups, people who are interested in the phenomenon of NDE, inspiration for understanding and living your purpose.

Grow a More Engaging Curriculum with a School Garden

Teaching doesn’t have to be scripted; it can be exciting, live, vibrant, and energizing - not just for the students, but for the teachers as well. 

When you bring your curriculum to life with a school garden, you’ll find that:

• Students who don’t normally excel in the 4 walls of the classroom do excel outdoors, through experiential, hands-on learning.
• Physically and mentally involving students in their own learning leads to higher retention.
• Growing their own food encourages healthier eating habits, improving students’ abilities to learn.

Vanessa has set up hundreds of school gardens around the San Francisco Bay Area and the country, working with Alice Waters. Over the past 20 years, she has trained thousands of teachers, administrators and volunteers worldwide in building cross-curricular, hands-on lesson plans that connect to standards. This talk usually takes place in a garden setting where Vanessa models different lessons and their cross-curricular tie-ins, leading participants through exercises that remind them of what ignited their passion for teaching in the first place

This talk is perfect for: Administrators, teachers, parents, volunteers.

HOW TO NAVIGATE TRANSITIONS WITH RESILIENCE WITH CEREMONIES, CELEBRATIONS, AND INITIATIONS

Crossing thresholds in life is more difficult without the support of our community. We can get stuck in past versions of ourselves, unable to move forward, disconnected with the challenges of the present moment, locked into a mindset that’s not prepared to handle the demands of the next stage. Ceremonies, celebrations and initiations help the mind, body and spirit adjust to new circumstances and life stages, releasing the old and welcoming the new.

In this talk, Vanessa and Rhett talk about the practical and spiritual importance of communally marking transitions, and the power of being witnessed and held by community. Then they introduce ideas to make milestones, like birthdays, religious rites of passage, prom, graduations, weddings and funerals into more meaningful moments. Less about material goods, and more about spiritual passages.

These transitions help people understand who they are and their purpose within the context of their community.

This talk is perfect for: Parenting podcasts, Teen Centers, Community Centers, Retirement Communities, and anyone wanting to formally recognize a transition in their life or a loved one’s life. From toddlers to elders. 

HOLISTIC METHODS FOR REDUCING ADHD SYMPTOMS

There are dozens of factors that give rise to ADHD symptoms and, in most cases, pharmaceuticals don’t address the root causes that are creating the symptoms. By evaluating and determining which factors (physical, emotional, environmental) have the greatest influence on creating ADHD symptoms like the inability to focus, brain fog, restlessness, and anxiety, we can begin to address those root causes while accessing the individual’s gifts and potential. This can lead to lifelong, sustainable patterns of success and confidence in the future. 

In this talk, we offer 5 specific alternative practices you can implement immediately: Dietary changes, herbal remedies, mindfulness practices, mindset shifts, and nature connection practice.

This talk is perfect for: Parents of children with ADHD symptoms, people of all ages with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed), and highly sensitive people.

UNEARTHING THE SACRED MASCULINE

The West has a very narrow definition of what it means to be a man, and if you don’t fall inside those lines, you feel pressure to hide it. The problem is that narrow definition leaves so much of who we are and what we’re capable of behind; and those parts are not honored or valued. When this happens, we feel an emptiness, a lack of meaning and purpose in what we do and how we live.

In this talk, Rhett walks you through how to tap into those other parts of yourself that are inherently, powerfully connected with Nature and Spirit so you can show up as your whole self for your family, your career, and your community. 

This talk is perfect for: Male-identifying people who feel lost on their path, struggle to find meaning, or feel like they’ve been on autopilot, going through the motions in lives that don’t excite them. This is for you if you are looking to live a fuller expression of yourself and take your place in the context of the world. 

FINDING YOUR PURPOSE THROUGH PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE EARTH

What really matters? What are my priorities? Am I living in alignment with who I want to be, according to my own version of success? Am I who I am meant to be? These are the biggest questions we are here to answer, and we seek the answers everywhere — from coaches, therapists, spiritual leaders, personality tests and self-help books. Some will tell you the answers come from within, and that’s partially true. But it’s missing part of the equation - a big part. To find the answers to life’s biggest questions, we need to reestablish our role in the larger community of the Earth, and cultivate our innate ability to communicate, give, and receive with the natural and spiritual forces around us.

In this talk, you’ll learn how to reconnect with Nature, Spirit, and the pieces of yourself that are often drowned out with the noise of the world, so you can find clarity, connection, and the answers you’re looking for.

This talk is perfect for: All human-identifying people!

SELF-CARE FOR RECONNECTION

In a culture where busy is a badge of honor, where over-giving is glorified, and self-care is narrowly defined by the beauty industry, it’s entirely understandable that we are exhausted. Overwhelmed. Depleted. We need a deep nourishment that doesn’t come from a product, but from a practice that gets to the real root of the issue. 

In this talk you will learn a whole new take on self-care, with ancient and modern techniques to ground your energy and forge a deeper connection with yourself, so you can solve these struggles permanently, rather than numb or distract yourself for a moment.

This talk is perfect for: People who want to try a different solution to overwhelm, exhaustion, anxiety and burnout - a solution that has much longer-lasting effects, and far more nourishment, than most ‘self-care’ offers.

RADICALLY TRUSTION YOUR INTUITION FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND LEADERS 

As a business owner or leader, you’re breaking the mold, blazing your own trail, taking risks, and always looking for a better way. There are plenty of people willing to tell you how to do anything, their way — and it’s noisy out there. This talk teaches you how to listen to and trust your own intuition, so you have clarity that fuels momentum, attracts more success and ensures your work is true to you and your mission. 

This talk is perfect for: This talk is for business owners and leaders who want to confidently tell the difference between fear versus intuition, and tap into the greater knowing that can direct them to insights that only they can have.