HIGH-ENERGY, IMMERSIVE
KEYNOTE EXPERIENCE
Shawna shows small businesses exactly how to stop competing like a big brand — and start winning like a small one. Her keynotes are funny, fast, and packed with stuff your audience will actually use on Monday morning.
→ WATCH SHAWNA'S REELShawna doesn’t just study buyers, she was one. For over 15 years, she sat on the decision-making side of the table, reviewing thousands of pitches and deciding who earned the business. That’s why she’s known as THE BUYER INSIDER™.
“AS A SPEAKER SHE IS DYNAMIC, CAPTURING, AND RELATABLE. SHE INSPIRES ATTENDEES AND LEAVES THE AUDIENCE WITH IDEAS THAT MAKE ONE TAKE ACTION.”
MCKENZIE KAUFELD COUNTS, CMP
Senior Marketing & Event Manager
Based on Shawna’s New Book
UNLEASH YOUR SECRET SMALL
BUSINESS SUPERPOWERS!
How Any Size Business Can Start Winning More Today
The way people buy, trust, and engage has changed faster in the past five years than in the last fifty. Yet most big brands didn’t get the memo — they’re still blasting polished messages through megaphones while consumers tune out. Meanwhile, small and scrappy organizations are getting more attention and winning loyalty by doing something revolutionary:
BEING HUMAN and UNAPOLOGETICALLY REAL
In this insight-packed keynote, Shawna unpacks the rise of the underdog in a trust-crisis era. She’ll reveal why today’s consumer is more skeptical, more distracted, and more craving of authenticity than ever before — and why that gives smaller organizations an unprecedented edge.
- Strategies to stand out in a marketplace overloaded with noise
- Tools to build trust with customers who’ve “seen it all”
- Ways to become unforgettable without being obnoxious
- Customer Brandships™ Framework intro
- Small business and entrepreneur conferences
- Association events and cooperative networks
- Marketing, sales, and customer experience tracks
- Audiences who are stretched thin, burned out, or stuck
WHY TODAY’S CUSTOMERS
DON’T TRUST YOUR MARKETING
And What to Do Instead
Reaching customers today isn’t just harder — it’s fundamentally different. Traditional outreach like features and benefits gets ignored. Word-of-mouth isn’t enough to sustain growth. And most marketing sounds so similar that companies blur together into one forgettable option.
That’s the problem. Not the size of your budget or marketing team. Trust — and the lack of it. Today’s buyers aren’t looking for more messages. They’re looking for something real. Something that proves who you are, what you stand for, and why they should believe you.
This session shows you how to do exactly that. You’ll learn how to replace outdated, repetitive marketing with a new approach that uses a mix of stories, insights, and human moments to break through the noise and connect with people in a way they actually notice and remember. Instead of spreading your marketing thin trying to be everywhere, you’ll discover how to refocus those resources to become more relatable, more trustworthy, and more distinct.
You’ll no longer be lumped in with companies shouting “pick us,” but recognized as the option that simply feels right.
Because when people trust you, remember you, and see themselves in your stories… they don’t need to be convinced. They choose you.
- A clear framework to replace repetitive, forgettable marketing with a Marketing Mosaic that actually gets noticed
- Practical ways to build trust quickly using authentic stories, human moments, and real-world proof
- A strategy to stand out in a crowded market so you’re remembered, liked, and chosen — not compared
- Sales and marketing teams who feel like they’re shouting into the void
- Small business owners ready to ditch the old playbook
- Industry associations and trade groups serving business owners
- Conferences with tracks on marketing, customer acquisition, or business growth
THE SIMPLE A.I. TOOL THAT WILL
CHANGE HOW YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS
(and Possibly Your Life)
You’re expected to have answers on pricing, marketing, hiring, and growth — while juggling everything else that comes with running the business. And most of the time, you’re doing it with limited perspective and even less time to think it through. That’s the real problem. Not a lack of effort or ambition.
The best leaders don’t rely on instinct alone — they rely on smart, diverse perspectives that challenge their thinking and sharpen their decisions. But building that kind of brain trust in real life can be expensive, time-consuming, and rarely available when you actually need it.
This session shows you a different approach. You’ll learn how to build your own A.I.-powered Board of Directors — a group of the world’s smartest experts across any discipline you choose. Virtual advisors you can call on anytime to pressure-test ideas, spot blind spots, and make smarter decisions faster.
Want creative direction from Michelangelo? Done. Marketing insight from Seth Godin? Easy. Straightforward business strategy from Warren Buffett? You’ve got it.
Simple to create, surprisingly fun to use, and available 24/7/365. (Side effects may include better ideas, faster decisions, and market domination.)
- The exact framework for their own A.I. Board of Directors — tailored to their specific needs, goals, and interests
- Step-by-step direction to set up their Board quickly and easily
- Practical ways to use their Board for marketing, hiring, and day-to-day leadership decisions
- Small business owners curious about A.I. but overwhelmed by where to start
- Entrepreneurs who make decisions alone and want a smarter sounding board
- Conferences with A.I., technology, or business operations tracks
- Any audience ready to work smarter without a massive learning curve
SMALL
[smawl] / smôl ▪ noun
A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE disguised as a company size, capable of out-humaning competitors with ten times the budget.
Based on Shawna’s New Book
YOU CAN’T SOLVE MODERN PROBLEMS
WITH A BORING LECTURE.
This is where the lecture ends and the transformation begins.
THE BUYER HAS CHANGED.
HAS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY?
“Today’s customers don’t want to be sold to. They want to be understood.”
We are living in a trust-starved, noise-saturated world. Consumers have developed a finely tuned filter for overproduced hype and canned pitches. Being the loudest no longer wins. Being the most human does.
Modern buyers are exhausted. They’re navigating economic fear, digital overwhelm, and decision fatigue. Price and convenience aren’t enough anymore. In today’s reality, polished slogans fall flat, transactional tactics are resented, and generic messaging blends into what Shawna calls the “Blandscape.”
The businesses that break through are the ones who shift from hype to humanity. From one big pitch to a mosaic of authentic stories. From feature-selling to trust-building. From scripts to real conversations.
The only keynote experience delivered from the
CUSTOMER’S POINT OF VIEW.
Shawna has rethought the boring lecture format. Her sessions follow a proprietary, immersive format designed to deeply engage audiences, drawing on decades of speaking experience and deep knowledge of adult learning theory to deliver maximum ROI.
THESE BRANDS
TRUST SHAWNA
TO HELP THEM COMPETE BETTER
What Clients & Audiences ARE SAYING
Real words from leaders who witnessed Shawna's spark on stage
"Shawna got us standing and facilitated deep conversation amongst a crusty-eyed hungover group of natural product retailers!"
Independent Natural Foods Retailers Association
"I got my degree in Marketing but have been struggling to switch our message from old school 'salesy' marketing to professionally personalize our marketing. Thank you!"
NAPA NOW Independent Auto Repair Shop
"Absolutely amazing. She is very personable and great to listen to. Very interactive."
Tahiti Convention & Visitors Bureau
"This session made me think outside the box more and realize that all the stuff we've been doing really isn't much different than any other company out there. We learned how to step it up to make ourselves stand out!"
South Dakota Telecom Association
"I was inspired and can't wait to get back to work. My mind is swirling with ideas. I am confident I will implement many."
National Communications and Technology Cooperative Attendee
"I've booked some of the greatest speakers in the world, and SHAWNA IS ONE OF THE BEST, SHE IS SO, SO AMAZING!"
Northern VA Association of Realtors (NVAR)
"Shawna has the ability to hook you, engage you, and call you to action. You leave not just inspired, but empowered."
Int'l Food Distributors Association
"Having Shawna as our closing keynote was phenomenal! She takes a really unique approach and makes sure people are actually taking home what they learned and implement it."
Transportation Marketing & Sales Assoc.
"We had an amazing keynote with Shawna! She's a very creative person and it was really something different from a typical conference speaker."
Minor Hotels Europe/Asia Conference
“We talked about your small business marketing session until midnight! It gave us so many ideas!”
— FLORIAN GRÜNWALD
let's do this!
Bring The Buyer Insider™ Experience to Your Audience
3 simple steps to deliver a transformational experience your attendees will talk about for years.
START
Share your event vision, audience challenges, and desired outcomes. Shawna will explore how her immersive format can best serve your goals and align with your theme.
SHAPE
Collaborate on session focus, audience engagement strategy, and key takeaways to ensure the experience drives real impact — not just applause.
SPARK
Shawna delivers a high-energy, participatory keynote designed to challenge thinking, activate leadership, and create lasting momentum beyond the event.