The Business of Meetings 233: Embracing Adventure: Humanity and Entrepreneurial Wisdom with Heather Hansen O'Neill
We are excited to welcome Heather Hansen O'Neill as our guest for today. She is an internationally recognized speaker and behavior expert who has delivered two TEDx talks and authored three books.
Heather thrives on adventure. She joins us today to discuss life and adventures, her program, The Element of Adventure, and dive into what it means to have vision, focus, and discipline.
If you enjoy nature, helping others, seeking adventure, and are looking to transform your approach to business, you will love this engaging conversation with Heather Hansen O'Neill. Stay tuned for more!
Early Life and Discipline
Heather’s professional journey began long before she started her business over 25 years ago. She became a professional dancer at the age of 13. She had to juggle her education and passion for dance while also working to help her parents pay for her dance classes. The rigorous lifestyle instilled resilience in her, along with a work ethic that later translated into business success, as it taught her invaluable lessons about discipline, perseverance, and pushing beyond her comfort zone.
The Impact of Dance on Business
Heather credits much of her business acumen to her background in dance. It required discipline for her to excel as a dancer. She had to endure long hours of practice, handle rejection, and maintain focus, contributing to her success in sales and entrepreneurship. Even after a career-ending injury, she continued to find ways to incorporate her passion for dance into her life, which she believes makes her do a lot better at everything else she does.
Transition to Business and Speaking
Her transition from dance to business came through sales, a field she entered while putting herself through college. After a client encouraged her to do it, Heather combined her sales experience and love for helping others to start a business. She initially focused on sales and customer service training, later expanding her career into coaching and becoming a keynote speaker. Her journey into speaking was gradual, driven by her desire to connect with and inspire audiences.
Embracing Vulnerability in Speaking
One of the most valuable lessons Heather learned as a speaker was the importance of vulnerability. Her performance background initially made her strive for perfection in her presentations, which created a barrier between her and her audience. Over time, she realized that being open about her mistakes and failures allowed her to connect more deeply with others, making her a more effective speaker.
The Adventure Mindset
Heather believes in embracing her adventure mindset, which challenges beliefs, assumptions, and judgments, to help individuals and teams unlock their full potential. She is an adventure junkie, so she incorporates her love for pushing boundaries into her speaking engagements. She uses her experiences of jumping out of airplanes, flying on a trapeze, and swimming with sharks to teach others about expanding their comfort zones.
Humanity and Leadership
Heather emphasizes the importance of caring for humanity in leadership. She believes that in the modern world, where isolation and polarization are prevalent, leaders have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact by genuinely caring for their people and communities. Her framework, which draws from the elements of nature, helps leaders assess and optimize their teams, ultimately driving both personal and organizational growth.
Tips for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs, Heather stresses the importance of staying connected to the passion that drove them to start their businesses. She encourages them to focus on transforming their businesses while transforming how they do business by embracing innovation, seeking diverse perspectives, and always keeping humanity at the core of their actions.
BIO:
Heather Hansen O’Neill is an international keynote speaker, behavioral expert, 3x author, and adventure junkie. She is also a 2x TEDx speaker, host of the popular podcast From Fear to Fire, and creator of L-FOCUS (Leadership For Our Children’s Ultimate Success). Heather’s signature model, The Elements of Adventure, is the powerful framework she utilizes to empower leaders, ignite results, and change the world…one adventure at a time.
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