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Debra Searle MVO, MBE

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Professional adventurer, author, TV presenter, and keynote speaker sharing her own interesting story

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5 out of 5 stars

"I have been told by numerous colleagues that Debra was the best keynote speaker they have EVER seen. She was mesmerizing, inspirational and had the audience on their feet. I would definitely recommend Debra for any event."

Hayley Winterbottom - Auto Trader See all references
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About Debra

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Keynote speaker Debra Searle is a professional adventurer and a prolific British female keynote speaker on themes, such as how to stay motivated, being flexible to change, and overcoming challenges. Using her own experiences she illustrates what we are all capable of.

Debra first hit the headlines when she set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband. Unfortunately, he had to be rescued so Debra, a novice rower, continued alone without a support boat and rowed 3000 miles from Tenerife to Barbados. It should have taken them six weeks, but Debra ended up spending 3 ½ months at sea alone, encountering waves, sharks, and force 8 squalls in her 23-foot plywood boat. Since returning from this adventure, Debra has undertaken solo & team expeditions across the globe. She has also represented Great Britain at the European and World Championship level in Dragon Boat Racing winning bronze, silver, and gold medals.

Yet Debra is more than your usual sports speaker. Debra has founded 5 companies including MIX Diversity Developers, a D& I consultancy and training company. She has presented 40 programs for the BBC and had 3 books published, most recently The Choose Your Attitude Journal. Her spirit of adventure gained her an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen and she was delighted to be appointed a Trustee of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, spending a decade working alongside His Royal Highness Prince Philip and His Royal Highness Prince Edward. Debra has been appointed a Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) for her services to the Royal Family.

In 2020 Debra was ranked in the Top 30 Motivational Speakers in the world, alongside the likes of Jack Canfield, Simon Sinek, and Tony Robbins and the World’s #1 Female Motivational Speaker outside the US. The movie of Debra’s solo Atlantic row is currently in development in Hollywood.

See keynotes with Debra Searle MVO, MBE
Keynote by speaker Debra Searle

Choose Your Attitude: It’s not magic, it’s mindset

Research shows that 75% of a top performer’s success can be attributed to positive attitude traits, with only 25% of their success attributed to skillset. Debra helps people tap into that 75% by sharing her amazing personal story of rowing the Atlantic solo after her husband was rescued from their small boat.

Audience takeaways:

  • In her keynote, Debra shares the attitude-enhancing tools she relied on during those 111 days alone at sea.
  • More than just an inspiring storyteller, Debra leaves her audiences with practical and actionable golden nuggets for work and life success, and ideas around how to stay connected with your team.
  • Her ‘Choose Your Attitude Toolkit’ helps leaders and individuals to support themselves, rather than sabotaging themselves mentally when the pressure is on, so they can show up well for their colleagues and clients.
Keynote by speaker Debra Searle

Mental Resilience & Wellbeing

There aren’t many people in the world who have spent more than 100 days totally alone, and there are probably even fewer who could say that they thrived during those 100 days. Debra Searle MBE spent 3.5 months unexpectedly rowing the Atlantic solo after her husband and rowing partner developed a crippling phobia of the open ocean and had to be rescued from their tiny plywood boat.

Audience takeaways:

  • In these unprecedented times of unexpected change, self-isolation, and working remotely from your team, Debra will present the mindset and wellbeing strategies she has adapted from her time at sea and that she has successfully brought into her business life while working from home.
  • This session is about hearing an inspirational story of resilience and the practical ways to stay positive and productive during times of adversity when there is no obvious end to the journey of insight.
Keynote by speaker Debra Searle

Choose To Challenge

Debra took on her first board position at 27 years old, working with members of the British Royal Family. As the youngest and the only woman on the Board, it challenged her confidence and courage to speak up and be heard. But Debra is no stranger to challenging herself!

Debra has founded five businesses, one of which is a Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy and has completed expeditions all around the world, including rowing solo across the Atlantic.

Audience takeaway:

  • In this inspiring talk for women and male allies, Debra uses storytelling to demonstrate how to choose to challenge yourself, how to challenge unconscious bias and how to challenge imposter syndrome to push yourself outside your comfort zone to make major step changes in your career and confidence.
Debra Searle - video

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Virtual keynote by speaker Debra Searle

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See keynotes with Debra Searle MVO, MBE

References

I have been told by numerous colleagues that Debra was the best keynote speaker they have EVER seen. She was mesmerizing, inspirational and had the audience on their feet. I would definitely recommend Debra for any event.

Hayley Winterbottom

Auto Trader

Debra was so great and I love her enthusiasm. She's an amazing virtual speaker - her camera framing and way of articulating and using her non-verbal were some of the best I have seen.”

Microsoft, April 2020

“You did an amazing job!!! Thank you for the effort to tailor your story to fit with our team.”

Google
Non-binding request for Debra Searle MVO, MBE

Send a simple request. You’ll get a quick reply with fees and availability

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Debra Searle MVO, MBE
Debra Searle MVO, MBE

5 out of 5 stars

"I have been told by numerous colleagues that Debra was the best keynote speaker they have EVER seen. She was mesmerizing, inspirational and had the audience on their feet. I would definitely recommend Debra for any event."

Hayley Winterbottom - Auto Trader See all references

Keynote topics with Debra Searle MVO, MBE