Sarah Elkins is a professional storyteller, musician, and keynote speaker who inspires audiences to build meaningful connections through personal stories.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 347 223 5128
5.00 of 5
Top rated!Sarah Elkins is a professional musician, storyteller, and keynote speaker who inspires audiences to build meaningful connections through personal storytelling. Combining music, engaging experiences, and practical techniques, she demonstrates how sharing the right stories at the right time can strengthen relationships, build sustainable communities, and create greater satisfaction at work.
Her IDEAL storytelling framework, first introduced on a TEDx stage in Washington, DC, helps people communicate with authenticity and purpose. As a classically trained vocalist, author, and podcast host, Sarah delivers entertaining and interactive keynotes that encourage audiences to share their stories, inspire others, and connect on a deeper level.
Every person has stories worth sharing. The challenge is knowing which stories to tell, when to tell them, and how to make them meaningful to others. Sarah Elkins has dedicated her work to helping people recognize the value of their experiences and use storytelling to create stronger connections in their personal and professional lives.
As a professional storyteller, musician, and keynote speaker, Sarah Elkins brings a refreshing and highly engaging perspective to the stage. Her presentations combine entertainment, inspiration, and practical insights, demonstrating how sharing personal stories with intention can strengthen relationships, build sustainable communities, and help individuals become more effective advocates for their organizations.
Sarah believes that storytelling is a powerful way to understand ourselves and connect with the people around us. By learning to communicate experiences in ways that resonate with others, audiences can discover new opportunities for collaboration, understanding, and greater satisfaction in their work.
Her keynotes invite participants to reflect on their own experiences and consider how even everyday moments can become compelling stories that inspire meaningful conversations.
At the heart of Sarah Elkins' speaking engagements is her IDEAL storytelling framework, which she first introduced during a TEDx talk in Washington, DC.
The framework offers a practical approach to personal storytelling, helping individuals understand how thoughtfully chosen stories can encourage connection and open the door for others to share their experiences.
Sarah's keynotes inspired by her TEDx presentation have become particularly popular for their combination of entertainment, audience engagement, inspiration, and practical application. Rather than simply explaining why storytelling matters, she encourages audiences to experience its impact firsthand.
Through relatable examples and interactive moments, Sarah helps participants explore how to communicate with greater intention and recognize opportunities to connect through shared experiences.
Whether speaking to professionals, organizational teams, or communities, Sarah Elkins makes storytelling approachable and relevant to everyday interactions.
What makes Sarah Elkins particularly memorable as a keynote speaker is her ability to weave music naturally into her presentations.
A classically trained vocalist, Sarah took an unexpected musical turn at age 40 when she became the lead singer of a 1960s-style rock band. This experience reflects her willingness to embrace new opportunities and explore different ways of expressing herself.
Her musical journey has taken her to a variety of stages and settings. She has shared personal stories at the historic Wilma Theater in Missoula, Montana, performed with a jazz quartet in southern France, and entertained audiences at numerous venues in between.
These experiences have shaped her distinctive speaking style, where music and storytelling work together to create an atmosphere of openness, curiosity, and connection.
By incorporating music in creative ways, Sarah encourages audiences to share compelling personal stories with the intention of connecting with others and unlocking the stories of the people around them.
The result is an engaging keynote experience that invites audiences to participate, reflect, and leave with ideas they can put into practice.
Sarah Elkins' passion for storytelling extends well beyond the keynote stage.
She is the host of the podcast Your Stories Don't Define You – How You Tell Them Will, which has reached more than 450 episodes. Through the podcast, Sarah continues to explore the ways personal experiences shape our perspectives and how the stories we choose to share influence our relationships with others.
Her book of the same name has been described as "a masterclass in storytelling," reflecting her ability to make the art of sharing personal experiences both accessible and meaningful.
Across her writing, podcast conversations, and speaking engagements, Sarah returns to a central idea: the stories we tell about our experiences influence how we see ourselves and how others understand us.
Her work encourages people to become more intentional storytellers, recognize the value of their experiences, and use their voices to create genuine human connection.
Booking Sarah Elkins means inviting your audience into an experience that combines compelling storytelling, music, audience participation, and practical insights.
Her presentations are particularly relevant for organizations and communities looking to strengthen relationships, encourage meaningful communication, and help people feel more connected to their work and to one another.
Audiences can expect to explore how storytelling can help them:
Sarah's experience includes presenting her storytelling approach on the TEDx stage in Washington, DC, and appearing at the first DisruptHR event in Bozeman, Montana. Her speaker reel and heartfelt audience testimonials offer further insight into the energy and authenticity she brings to her engagements.
With her distinctive combination of musical talent, storytelling expertise, and genuine enthusiasm for human connection, Sarah Elkins creates an experience that audiences can carry into their daily lives.
Book Sarah Elkins for your next conference, corporate event, or organizational gathering and give your audience an inspiring opportunity to discover how the right story, shared at the right moment, can create lasting connections.
5 of 5
“Sarah delivered a memorable presentation at the Four Corners Professional Women’s Summit through her engaging storytelling and contagious energy. Her message challenged attendees to rethink how the stories we tell shape our perspective and impact. She was also one of the most organized and responsive speakers I’ve worked with when planning a professional event."
Georgette Allen Marketer & OwnerThe Allen Agency Co-Chair, Four Corners Professional Women’s Summit
5 of 5
“Sarah delivered the keynote at the Montana Watershed Symposium and exceeded our expectations. Our audience—comprised of scientists, conservation leaders, and agency professionals—quickly recognized the power of storytelling in their work. The feedback was immediate and overwhelmingly positive, and you could feel the ‘lightbulb moments’ happening throughout the room.”
Montana WatershedCoordination Council
5 of 5
“Sarah breathes new life into the art of storytelling from the stage. I recently attended her keynote presentation at the SGR Conference and was impressed by how she captured the audience’s attention from the first moment - and didn’t let go! You get the sense from watching her that she brings her whole self onto the stage with her and participants want to show up for her in turn. Her content is compelling, original and highly relevant to leaders looking to nurture organizational health through culture. I can’t wait to hear Sarah speak again!”
Wendy Ryan, CEO Kadabra
Keynote by Sarah Elkins:
We don’t blaze trails alone. We need our people — advocates, champions, and yes, even a few co-conspirators along the way. And the only way to inspire others to join you is to help them understand what matters to you — your values, your character, and your vision.
In this engaging keynote, your audience will experience storytelling as a powerful tool for developing and managing their personal brand, leading teams, and building advocacy skills for the work that inspires them.
Keynote by Sarah Elkins:
The stories we tell, especially the ones about our pivotal moments, shape how we see ourselves and how others experience us. And our most meaningful stories are likely the moments in between, the daily interactions that influence our lives and the lives of the people around us.
In this interactive keynote, Sarah shares her own stories as examples, and walks the audience through basic storytelling techniques using her signature IDEAL framework to help them see their own pivotal moments as opportunities to inspire others. Participants learn how to communicate those stories with greater intention, avoid common storytelling blunders, and uncover the stories they may be telling that could be holding them back from having more satisfying relationships.
Keynote by Sarah Elkins:
Storytelling is most powerful when it’s used to connect. While it can be a tool for persuasion, its real impact comes from creating connection, and connection is what makes a leader truly effective. People must know what matters to you before they’ll buy into your vision, and leaders need to know their primary leadership style before they can lead authentically.
In this experiential keynote, Sarah guides her audiences through identifying their primary leadership style based on Gallup’s CliftonStrengths domains, and then finding, collecting, and practicing sharing meaningful stories to demonstrate their natural talents. When a leader is clear about their vision, their priorities, and their natural leadership style, and then demonstrates these through compelling stories, they build powerful advocates and champions to achieve their vision.
Watch Sarah Elkins in action
