What if the version of you that works isn't the whole of you?

Lauren Polly is a speaker, speech-language pathologist, and multi-award-winning author exploring what happens when the version of ourselves that helps us belong and succeed becomes the only version we know how to live from—and how reconnecting with the fuller range of who we are transforms the way we lead, communicate, and live.

For more than two decades, Lauren has helped people find their voice professionally while learning to trust her own.

Award-winning author of The Other Side of Bipolar, healthcare leader, and speaker featured on national television, podcasts, and personal growth platforms.

Women’s Event Keynote Author Feature

Interview with PBS’s Jim Masters

KEYNOTE OVERVIEW

Beyond the Version That Works

Because the life you've built deserves the whole of you.

Most of us don't lose ourselves overnight.

We gradually become known for one version of who we are—the capable one, the dependable one, the leader, the caregiver, the expert.

These versions help us belong. They help us succeed. They become trusted parts of who we are.

But when they become the only version we know how to live from, even a successful life can begin to feel surprisingly small.

In this thought-provoking keynote, Lauren Polly explores how the strengths that once helped us thrive can quietly become the limits of our lives—and why the next stage of growth isn't becoming someone new, but reconnecting with more of who we've been all along.

Through stories, perspective shifts, and practical tools, audiences discover how greater self-trust leads to stronger leadership, deeper relationships, and a richer way of living.

This isn't about abandoning success.

It's about allowing the life you've built to be lived by more of you.

“The version of you that got you here deserves gratitude. It just doesn't have to carry your entire life.

Lauren Polly leading a workshop on creativity, communication, and authentic self-expression

What Audiences Experience

Lauren's talks blend emotionally resonant storytelling, communication expertise, perspective shifts, and practical reflection to create conversations that are both deeply human and immediately applicable.

Audiences often describe her speaking style as thoughtful, warm, insightful, and unexpectedly relatable—balancing emotional depth with humor, honesty, and practical takeaways.

Rather than offering quick fixes or surface-level inspiration, Lauren creates space for people to recognize themselves in the conversation, rethink the assumptions they've been living from, and leave with a renewed sense of possibility, connection, and self-trust.

Lauren Polly speaking at a corporate healthcare event on patient-caregiver communication and human connection

Audience Take Aways

Attendees will learn how to:

Recognize when strengths have quietly become limitations.
Expand beyond the version of themselves that works without abandoning everything they've built.
Build greater self-trust while strengthening communication and relationships.
Lead with greater authenticity, presence, and emotional flexibility.
Create a richer, more sustainable way of living and leading.

“The next stage of growth isn't becoming someone new. It's becoming more of yourself."

Featured Conversations

Lauren's keynote can be tailored to emphasize the themes most relevant to your audience or event.

Featured conversation topics include:

Beyond the Version That Works

How the strengths that help us belong and succeed can quietly become the limits of our lives.

The Version That Got You Here

Recognizing when old strategies no longer create the life you're looking for.

Communication Beyond Performance

Creating trust, connection, and influence without feeling like you have to perform.

Reclaiming Your Full Range

Moving beyond adaptation to reconnect with greater creativity, authenticity, and fulfillment.

Leadership That Feels Human

Helping leaders create cultures where performance and humanity strengthen one another instead of competing.

Client Reviews

“Lauren’s true gift lies in her ability to connect – whether that is one on one or in a group of 100+. I’ve sat in her presence in both circumstances and truly felt seen, heard, and inspired to take action on the tools she shares.”

~ LeAnn, HR Manager, Los Angeles

“I was impressed at Lauren’s vast knowledge base, real-life examples, and the simple tools she shared. I was particularly impressed that she invited group participation and fielded questions so that everyone got help on the issues that were directly impacting them. We all left with a lot of practical tips to help lead our team into healthier dynamics.”

~ Joe, Cardiac Manager, Los Angeles

“A note to express my appreciation and gratitude for what you brought to Transport Topanga Literary Festival. It’s amazing to me that a person can be a container for so much transformation and still hold a brilliant, genuine smile and bounce in their step. Your triumph over doctors and labeling and pain is truly inspiring and educational. I hope our paths cross again.”

~ Kim, Director of Topanga Literary Festival

Lauren Polly speaking to a yoga community about emotional resilience, self-awareness, and human connection

About Lauren Polly

Lauren Polly, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is a speaker, speech-language pathologist, healthcare leader, and multi-award-winning author of The Other Side of Bipolar.

For more than two decades, Lauren has helped people find their voice professionally while learning to trust her own.

Her work was shaped by a deeply personal search to understand identity, diagnosis, and belonging—a journey that became her award-winning book and sparked a question that continues to guide her work today:

What if the label was never the whole story?

Today, Lauren helps audiences rethink the relationship between success, identity, and fulfillment. Through emotionally resonant storytelling, perspective shifts, and practical tools, she invites people to reconnect with the fuller range of who they are—creating greater freedom, deeper relationships, and a richer way of leading and living.