Speaking

Close-up of a microphone on a stand in front of an audience at a conference or event, with a blurred background of people and a large presentation screen.

My signature keynote, “It Could Always Be Worse” Is Not a Plan, draws from my Modern Love essay in the New York Times. It tells the story of loving my husband through major depressive disorder, psychiatric hospitalization, and electroconvulsive therapy. It’s really about what happens when a life built on over-functioning and hyper-competence stops working the way it used to.

I’ve learned just about everything the hard way, and I’ve been rescued over and over again by stories: on the page, on the stage, and on the screen. I believe deeply in the ability of stories to help us survive what would otherwise be unbearable. That’s why I speak.

Keynotes & Talks

The Long Way Around

On curiosity, creativity, and the no-plan, nonlinear career

I started in theater. I ended up in advertising. None of it was planned. And all of it makes sense in retrospect, which is the only way life does make sense.

This talk is for creatives, strategists, and anyone navigating a career that doesn't follow the prescribed path. It's about protecting your weirdness, rejecting snobbery, refusing to let failure destroy you, and why curiosity is a more reliable compass than any five-year plan.

A good fit for: creative industry conferences, leadership summits, university and college audiences, career development programs.

“It Could Always Be Worse” Is Not a Plan

On mental illness, caregiving, and getting married to depression

When my husband was hospitalized for severe depression and treated with electroconvulsive therapy, everyone praised me for my calm, my devotion, my ability to keep functioning. In truth, I was just the less depressed person in the marriage and I'm very good at paperwork.

What nobody tells you about caregiving is that competence can be its own kind of hiding. My life didn't actually get better until I stopped being able to hold it together.

Unflinching. Funnier than you'd expect.

A good fit for: mental health awareness events, healthcare conferences, caregiver support organizations, workplace mental health programming.

Book Me To Speak At Your Next Event

Appearances

The Fully Managed Podcast

I talked about my path from theater to creative leadership and what it actually takes to make great creative work.

New York Festivals

My team at McKinney Health was given completely fake health terms and asked to define them.

Title slide for a presentation titled 'Health Terms Twisted,' with NYU Health logo and subtitle about defining health terms invented by ChatGPT.

The New York Times

In this episode of the Modern Love podcast, Anna Martin and I talk about what it’s like to love someone through the worst of it, and what I learned about my own needs after years of ignoring them.

Published on The New York Times and Apple Podcasts.

Schedule A Discovery Call

Kudos & Accolades

  • "Stef is magnetic, a natural leader, a visionary creative, an enthralling storyteller, and the person you want in the room with you when the work feels impossible. With Stef by your side, you know you'll be able to crack the problem together."

    ~ Janeen Ritson

  • "Her wit, wisdom, acumen, and compassion make any creative endeavor better for her presence. She commands a room, weaves an amazing story, builds a strong relationship with her clients, and fearlessly champions truly good creative ideas."

    ~ Heather Linnell

  • “From her impeccable work ethic to her wicked sense of humor, Stefanie has a lot to offer. She is a decisive leader, a fair judge of work and character, and a skilled magician to the clients. Stefanie is also a lovely human being who understands, listens, and knows how to make everything better, smoother, and kinder for her team.”

    ~ Yana Hunt

  • "Stef doesn't need much to make something beautiful—she listens with a honed ear and picks up on the subtlest prompts to make work that's sharp and smart."

    ~ Sarah Dick

  • "It's rare to find someone as motivated, thoughtful, and kind."

    ~ Ben Waldman

  • “Stefanie is the kind of leader I aspire to be: collaborative, yet powerful. Loyal, yet flexible. Empathetic, yet direct. A keen love of craft, with incredible insight and intuition. She has the uncanny ability to find the most salient kernel of truth in an idea to make it great and also give her team the room to play. She creates a safe space for everyone who is lucky enough to work with her and can navigate the trickiest situations with grace and humor.”

    ~ Erica Boynton

Have questions? Answers below.

  • I'm building my speaking portfolio selectively. In the meantime, you can hear me on the Modern Love Podcast, the Fully Managed Podcast and see me in action at New York Festivals.

    Contact me directly to talk about your event and audience — I'm happy to jump on a call.

  • Yes, within reason. The core narrative of each talk is fixed because it's built from real experience. But the framing, examples, and emphasis can be shaped to fit your audience.

  • Limited and by inquiry. Reach out early.