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“Susan’s energy, content, and humor keep everyone laughing while they’re learning.”

Intelligently designed talks & workshops that create “aha” moments and bring innovation leaders together.

If you want your audience to listen, you have to make them feel like the HERO of the story.

And that’s what Susan does.

By sharing anecdotes, the latest neuroscience and riveting case studies that connect to your audiences’ deepest challenges and desires, she demonstrates the power of Innovation Storytelling™ to inspire, engage, and turn skeptics into true believers.

700 organizations and counting from all over the world, from promising startups to Fortune 100 companies, have hired Susan to speak at their companies and events. They describe her as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaker who ensures attendees walk away with the tools they need to secure the resources, runway, and recognition for their breakthrough ideas.

“Takeaways that were immediately actionable.”
“The highest rated speaker in our 6-year history.”
“One of the most entertaining & engaging speakers I have ever seen, by far.”

Speaking Topics & Workshops

Susan’s interactive talks, workshops, and presentations provide deep insights that inspire attendees to take immediate action for impactful change and growth.

Today, more than 700+ companies—from startups to Fortune 100s, from more than 40 countries around the world—have had the opportunity to learn from Susan and discover what it means to use storytelling to present innovative ideas and build support.

Susan is available for hire in-person or virtually as a:

  • Keynote speaker
  • Workshop / breakout leader
  • Event emcee
  • Panel member
  • Panel moderator or guest interviewer
  • Meeting facilitator
KEYNOTES

Discover how to overcome barriers to innovation, or resistance to change, by using the Innovation Storytelling method to create organizational alignment in this three-part innovation workshop series. Participants will learn how to tell better stories that engage and align key stakeholders, get audiences on board with their vision, and deliver maximum impact.

This program is perfect for innovation leaders who:

  • Are under pressure to create new market opportunities.
  • Need to communicate their breakthrough ideas in a way that is easily understood by the C-Suite, shareholders and stakeholders at home and around the world.
  • Need others to support and champion their work.

The audience will leave with:

  • A clear understanding of how to get other people on board with their breakthrough ideas.
  • A blueprint for creating stories that inspire any audience into action.
  • A process that empowers them to communicate with confidence.

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Provide your leaders with the specific tools they need to engage their teams with this talk.

Attendees will learn through Harvard Business Review research and real world case studies from Cisco, Patagonia and more how employees are embracing their own brand of authentic storytelling that becomes a recruiting magnet and an engagement tool.

Leaders will uncover the critical authentic storytelling techniques and tools necessary to inspire employees to become more involved and engaged at work and to spread the word about their amazing workplace.

This program is perfect for leaders who:

  • Need to get employees on board with change in order to meet business objectives.
  • Want to inspire those they lead to become more involved and engaged at work.
  • Need talent retention programs to inspire and grow recruitment activities.

The audience will leave with:

  • The critical storytelling techniques and tools necessary to motivate, engage, and inspire employees.
  • New strategies to use current internal comms and social platforms to bring teams together.
  • Confidence in retaining top talent by remaining true to their employer brand.

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Just having a great product or service is not enough to gain traction with key stakeholders. This talk, which can also be delivered as a workshop, will prepare innovation leaders to embark on a successful sales or marketing campaign by equipping them with a powerful message that reaches their targets where it matters most.

This program is perfect for innovation leaders who:

  • Have a new product or service and need to gain traction with key prospects and stakeholders.
  • Are tasked with creating a successful sales or marketing campaign for new innovative products or services.
  • Need a powerful message that creates buy-in and drives sales.

The audience will leave with:

  • The exact blueprint to successfully map purpose to product, so that people pay attention.
  • A deeper understanding of emotional essence and “WHY” behind a message that instantly connects with customers and the press.
  • The confidence to lead a successful campaign that resonates with the right target audience and inspires people into action.

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WORKSHOPS

Telling a great story begins with digging deep into our personal, professional, and emotional experiences to find stories from our lives that have meaning for the message we’re trying to convey. This workshop will show you how to find the right story, pair it with the theme you’re trying to convey, and how to take a personal experience to a professional setting that gets people aligned and engaged.

Once you have your story in mind, it’s time to learn how to build a story with a character that matters, a beginning, middle and end, and what it intends to teach or illuminate for the listener. You’ll complete this workshop with a story spine that you can build into a full story.

The final step is determining the format – email, meeting, 1:1, town hall or a written document and how you’ll share it with your audience for maximum impact. We’ll refine your story for the medium and hear you and your colleagues deliver them to each other.

Breaking into a new market requires three things: trust, credibility and connection. Whether venturing into a new geographical area, vertical, or demographic group, this workshop will teach innovation leaders a framework to help them stand out, connect with key stakeholders, and build credibility and trust.

This program is perfect for innovation leaders who:

  • Are venturing into a new geographical area, a new vertical, or a new demographic group.
  • Need to be able to stand out in order to gain the attention of customers, influencers, and the press.
  • Are starting from scratch and need to build traction in a new market.

The audience will leave with:

  • A breakthrough positioning technique to stand out in a new market.
  • A storytelling framework to help build trust, connection, and credibility.
  • A practical method to facilitate communications with key stakeholders.

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Whether you’re a product or division manager, entrepreneur or marketing pro, the right PR coverage can take your organization, innovation, or career to the next level. This fast-paced interactive workshop distills Susan’s 15 years of award-winning PR expertise into a 7-day PR plan that will ensure you know exactly what to say, to who, and when.

This program is perfect for innovation leaders who:

  • Want to cement the reputation of an innovation with PR that wins them credibility, trust, and sales.
  • Need a pitch that will help them successfully communicate their innovation and why it matters to reputable outlets and contacts.
  • Are seeking confidence when it comes to talking about their organization’s breakthrough ideas in a way that ensures others will listen.

The audience will leave with:

  • A deeper understanding of what story to tell in order to engage journalists.
  • A plan to build their media coverage and relationships with reporters.
  • A killer pitch that secures interviews, coverage, and leads.

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All of these topics are available as keynote presentations, half day and full day workshops.

Here's what our clients have to say:

roland-rott
"Susan Lindner was part of the faculty in our senior leadership development training, and held dedicated working sessions with my global team. In all of these settings, Susan inspired our leadership team with the power and purpose of storytelling. Working with an expert like Susan can unlock your story’s potential, and is well worth the time."
Roland Rott
CEO & President at Ultrasound, GE Healthcare
Fredrik_Josefsson
"SEB has brought Susan back for two years based on our clients’ requests for her workshops. Her energy, content, and humor keep everyone laughing while they’re learning. Best of all, they leave with clear messages and a story that others can start spreading for them."
Frederik Josefsson
Head of Entrepreneurs and High Growth at SEB
oliviamwong
"Susan has a charisma that lights up the room. She also has the networking power of about 5 people. The first words that come to mind are generous, kind, and connected. She's an enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaker. I loved her session on storytelling at the Innov8rs LA conference, and wish I could have invited more people to hear her perspective."
Olivia Wong
Senior Partner at Prototype Thinking Labs
Antonio-Raposo
"Susan Lindner is a valued partner to Innovation Norway. We turn to Susan to help our Norwegian startups with their sales messaging and PR strategies, and she never fails to deliver. Susan has the exceptional ability to help entrepreneurs refine their value proposition and succinctly articulate their strengths. I can't recommend her enough!"
Antonio Raposo
Sr. Advisor, US Market, at Innovation Norway
Susan Lindner

Hi, I’m Susan Lindner, the CEO & Founder of Innovation Storytellers™

When I was working as a Field Epidemiologist in Thailand in the 1990s, witnessing multiple people dying from AIDS every single day, I didn’t know how to communicate how deadly the disease could be to those most at-risk.

I urgently needed to tell a story that resonated deeply with those most affected.

After learning what was most important to them, I was able to share a narrative that helped them envision a better future for themselves.

Bridge an emotional connection to your audience

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