Keynote Topics
Michelle works with clients to customise her approach, tailor her stories and direct her message to meet each individual brief.
With five keynote topics to suit your conference theme and unique needs, Michelle is able to kick off or close any conference with a high energy, entertaining keynote or she can facilitate a structured, tailored workshop for a small leadership group … and everything in between.


UNBREAKABLE: Beyond Resilience
In this heart-pounding keynote, Michelle rips open the cockpit door to reveal what true resilience looks like at 35,000 feet. Through raw stories of near-misses, severe turbulence, and split-second decisions that saved hundreds of lives, she demolishes everything you thought you knew about performing under pressure.
​
This isn't another feel-good talk about bouncing back.
This is about becoming unbreakable.
Michelle shares battle-tested strategies from the flight deck that transform how you handle chaos, crisis, and change. You'll learn how to build systems that don't just survive stress—they thrive on it.
​
Drawing from her experiences as a commercial airline captain, Michelle reveals how to maintain crystal-clear thinking when everything's on the line. She'll show you why traditional resilience isn't enough in today's high-stakes environment and how to develop the mindset that turns chaos into your competitive advantage.
Your team will discover:
-
The Anti-Fragile Advantage: Transform pressures and disruptions into fuel for growth.
-
Crisis-Proof Decision Making: Master techniques that work when Google isn't an option.
-
Strategic Recovery: Turn setbacks into launching pads for unprecedented success.
-
Sustainable High Performance: Navigate intense pressure without burning out.
-
Adaptive Leadership: Build teams that thrive in unpredictable environments.
​
Perfect for organisations navigating change, teams facing unprecedented challenges, or leaders seeking to build unstoppable momentum.
Warning: This keynote has been known to completely revolutionise how executives approach pressure, performance, and potential.
POINT OF NO RETURN: Leadership Under Ultimate Pressure
There's a moment in every flight where turning back isn't an option. Where every decision ripples through hundreds of lives. In this gut-punching keynote, Michelle strips away conventional leadership theory to reveal what works when you're hurtling through the atmosphere with lives in your hands.
​
Through raw stories of engine failures, medical emergencies, and those heart-stopping moments that never make the headlines, Michelle exposes the truth about leading when failure isn't an option. She'll show you why most leadership frameworks collapse under real pressure and deliver strategies that work when everything's on the line.
​
Drawing from thousands of hours commanding aircraft through the most demanding conditions imaginable, Michelle reveals:
-
How to make crystal-clear decisions with catastrophic consequences
-
Why trust isn't built over time—it's forged in seconds
-
The real reason most teams crack under pressure (and how to prevent it)
-
What happens when professional judgment collides with corporate protocol
-
How to maintain absolute authority while staying humble enough to listen
-
​
This isn't another theoretical leadership presentation.
Every insight comes from the flight deck, where Michelle has navigated situations that would make most executives sweat. Her strategies transform how leaders approach high-stakes decisions, team dynamics, and crisis management.
​
Ideal for senior executives, emerging leaders, and organisations navigating complex challenges. Previous audiences report completely revolutionising their leadership approach after experiencing Michelle's unfiltered insights from the edge of possibility.


Anti-Fragility
Thriving in Chaos
What if you could change your relationship with adversity and stress and see it as an opportunity to grow, and not just bounce but actually grow stronger.
​
​
"Anti-Fragility" is not just about surviving; it's about thriving in chaos.
Offering a bold approach to transforming volatility into a strategic advantage. Uncover the secrets of becoming more robust as you face more challenges, and learn how to adapt and grow in any situation.
Through engaging stories and proven strategies, this keynote equips you with the tools to build a resilient mindset and an antifragile organisation.
It's a must-attend for those looking to lead fearlessly in uncertain times.
​
Key Takeaways:
-
Embracing Volatility: Using unpredictable challenges as catalysts for growth.
-
Adaptability Skills: Enhancing flexibility to quickly pivot strategies in response to change.
-
Growth Mindset: Cultivating an environment where continuous learning is valued and failure is seen as a stepping stone.
-
Robust Systems: Building systems that not only withstand shocks but also become stronger as a result.
Perseverance > Tenacity > Resilience > Growth

Decision Making when your life depends on it
Critical Choices at the Edge
There are only a couple of reasons when pilots need to make split second decisions and then there are most times when there is time to take a breath and consider your options (preferred).
Regardless of whether you're at 40,000' or in the office, there are proven and effective processes used by pilots which directly transfer to all businesses, in how to make not only a decision, but the right decision.
Michelle shows the processes used, considering the human factors involved in making decisions, plus gives examples of how these can be implemented into any business.
Experience the intensity of making life-or-death decisions under pressure with "Decision Making When Your Life Depends on It". This gripping keynote takes you to the front lines of critical decision-making processes, where every choice can determine the outcome. Learn techniques to enhance your cognitive reflexes, manage stress in crisis situations, and make decisions that align with core organisational values.
This session is invaluable for professionals across all fields who want to sharpen their decision-making skills in high-pressure environments.
​
Key Takeaways:
-
Pressure Decision-Making: Techniques to enhance decision-making clarity under extreme stress.
-
Risk Assessment: Identifying and managing risks effectively.
-
Emotional Mastery: Controlling emotions to make unbiased decisions.
-
Ethical Considerations: Ensuring that decisions align with both personal and professional ethical standards.​


THINK DIFFERENT, WIN DIFFERENT
The Competitive Edge of Diverse Thinking
In the cockpit, standardised thinking can be fatal. Through riveting stories from the flight deck, Michelle reveals how diverse perspectives and unconventional thinking have saved hundreds of lives in the air.
Now, she's bringing these lessons to transform how your organisation approaches innovation and problem-solving.
This isn't another corporate lecture about diversity metrics. This is about unlocking the explosive potential that happens when different minds tackle tough challenges. Through gripping aviation case studies and real-world business examples, Michelle demonstrates how teams that think differently consistently outperform those trapped in groupthink.
Drawing from her experience commanding multicultural crews through high-stakes situations, Michelle shatters conventional wisdom about team performance. She reveals how diversity of thought becomes your greatest asset when crisis strikes, and why homogeneous thinking is the silent killer of innovation.
You'll discover:
-
Why the most dangerous phrase in aviation and business is "we've always done it this way"
-
How diverse perspectives create breakthrough solutions in life-or-death situations
-
The hidden cost of cognitive conformity in high-performance teams
-
Practical strategies for harnessing different thinking styles in your organisation
-
How to build teams that turn conflicting viewpoints into competitive advantages
​​
​Want another passive presentation about diversity statistics? Keep scrolling. Ready to discover how different thinking styles can revolutionise your organisation's performance?