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, breakouts, and training sessions are funny, fast, and packed with stuff your audience will actually use on Monday morning.
Shawna 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
- Keynote 45-90 mins
- Breakout 45-90 mins
- Half Day Workshop
- Full Day Workshop
- Virtual Session
- On-Site Training
THE STORYTELLING
MOSAIC™ STRATEGY
Why the Future of Marketing Is Many Tiny Stories — Not One Big Pitch
That era is gone. Today’s consumers are skeptical, distracted, and tired of being “sold.” They don’t want a loud pitch on repeat — they want many smaller truths.
In this keynote, Shawna flips the old model on its head and introduces The Storytelling Mosaic™ - a fresh approach to building trust and visibility through authentic micro-stories. Each story is a tile in your mosaic, revealing humanity, sparking connection, and shaping a brand that customers don’t just notice — they remember and trust.
- Why traditional marketing is costing you true connection throughout the customer journey.
- How to uncover and easily tell micro-stories that resonate and convert.
- Why emotional presence now beats polish and perfection.
- How to build a repeatable storytelling habit (Even if you hate being on video)
- Marketing and communications conferences.
- Associations whose members are struggling to stand out in crowded industries.
- Any size business seeking clarity, authenticity, and connection.
- Organizations ready to rethink outdated marketing models.
- Keynote 45-90 mins
- Breakout 45-90 mins
- Half Day Workshop
- Full Day Workshop
- Virtual Session
- On-Site Training
THE NEW BUYER: HOW GLOBAL
AND DOMESTIC SHIFTS ARE
CHANGING BUYING BEHAVIOR
Economics Keynote or Breakout
In this timely session, Shawna explores the forces influencing buyer behavior and what they mean for businesses competing for attention, trust, and loyalty.
Drawing on her deep expertise in consumer and B2B buyer behavior, her background in international economics, and her experience speaking around the world, Shawna connects what is happening globally with what is happening inside the minds of today’s customers - and what businesses need to do to stay relevant and competitive. (Note: Shawna can focus the session globally or domestically.)
- An understanding of the major forces influencing buying decisions
- Strategies to stay relevant and competitive as behavior continues to shift
- A timely, practical look at what today’s buyers want, what is changing, and what to expect in the short and long term.
- The knowledge leaders need to adapt operations, marketing, and customer experience before competitors do
- Business owners and leaders navigating economic uncertainty, AI, shifting customer expectations, and an increasingly skeptical marketplace.
- Audiences that want to anticipate what customers will expect next and adapt before those changes impact the business.
- Marketers who want to understand how changing buyer behavior influences the way they must communicate to build trust and stay relevant.
- Keynote 45-90 mins
- Breakout 45-90 mins
- Virtual Session
- On-Site Training
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.