SPEAKING
Rachel M. Burr
Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Leadership Consultant | Author
For more than 25 years, Rachel Burr has helped leaders, professionals, and organizations navigate the reality of change. Her keynote presentations combine psychology, leadership expertise, personal storytelling, practical tools, and humor to create experiences that move audiences from insight to action.
FEATURED KEYNOTE
We Do Not Find Our Path. We Build It.
A participatory keynote on personal transformation, told brick by brick with humor, honesty, and insight
to reveal the down and dirty truth of change.
Here’s what most people believe about transformation: it happens overnight, other people have a special gift for it, and that someday
when they’re ready, when the time is right, when they finally find the courage, then they’ll find their path too.
All of that is wrong. And Rachel Burr will show you why.
This Keynote
Rachel Burr dismantles the myth that transformation is magical and replaces it with something more powerful: the truth. Transformation is built through small, intentional choices over time.
Drawing on psychology, leadership development, and her own decade-long detour through a PhD program that was never meant to be, Rachel guides audiences through three forces that shape every transformation journey:
- The myth that keeps us stuck
- The reality that sets us free
- The messy middle we all have to move through
This is not a motivational talk about someday. It’s a practical conversation about what happens next.
Participants identify one meaningful change they want to make, uncover the building blocks they already possess, and commit to a specific first step before they leave the room.
Audience Takeaways
- A new way of seeing transformation: not as a destination to find, but as something they’re already building, one choice at a time
- A clearer picture of their own building blocks: the strengths, skills, passions, and even the weaknesses that point them somewhere useful
- A name for what’s been holding them back: fear, imposter syndrome, “good enough” thinking. And tools to confront all of it
- One specific action they’re committed to taking immediately
- Permission to let the journey be messy, because it will be, and that’s completely normal
What to Expect
They Will
Laugh
Rachel’s humor is authentic, self-deprecating, and woven throughout the stories she shares. The laughter comes from recognizing ourselves in the journey.
They Will
REFLECT
This is a participatory keynote. Attendees engage with the material, identify a meaningful change, and capture insights they can immediately apply.
They Will
FEEL SEEN
Rachel openly addresses challenges many people rarely discuss, including imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and the discomfort of growth.
They Will
Take Action
Every audience member leaves with a practical commitment, a clear first step, and the confidence to begin moving forward immediately.
Ideal For
- Leadership Conferences
- Women’s Leadership Events
- HR & Talent Development Programs
- Association Conferences & Annual Meetings
- Corporate Retreats & Offsites
- Universities & Alumni Events
About Rachel
Rachel Burr is a keynote speaker, author, executive coach, and leadership consultant with more than 25 years of experience helping individuals and organizations navigate meaningful change.
She holds master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and Organizational Development and has spent her career helping leaders understand the connection between human behavior, leadership, and transformation.
Her work is grounded in a simple belief:
Transformation isn’t magic. It’s built one intentional choice at a time.
Credentials
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation
- Certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Co-Active Training Institute
- Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), Association for Talent Development
- M.A. Clinical Psychology
- M.S. Organizational Development
Featured Book
Butterfly Goo
The Down and Dirty Truth of Transformation
Part memoir, part guide, and part reality check, Butterfly Goo explores the messy, uncertain middle of change with humor, honesty, and practical exercises.
The book serves as a natural companion to Rachel’s keynote and reinforces the idea that feeling stuck isn’t evidence you’re failing. It’s often evidence that transformation is already underway.
Speaking Details
Location
Bay Area, California
Availability
Available nationwide and internationally
Formats
In-Person Keynotes
or
Virtual Keynotes
Session Length
45-60 Minute Keynote
Additional Offerings
Half-Day Interactive Workshop Available