Keynote Topics
Embracing Change
When I was young my father told me that change was the key to life. I wouldn't realize what he meant for several decades. Being diagnosed with cancer provoked me to examine my life, and I realized that I did not want to waste any of the time that I had been given. Although the decision was excruciating and scary, I left my corporate career, made changes to my relationships, sold or gave away nearly everything that I owned, and climbed Mt. Everest. Taking this leap of faith taught me many, many things about myself and others. Most importantly I realized that we all have the ability to create the lives that we want for ourselves. It may be daunting, and we will stumble, but it will be ok.
Overcoming Adversity
A cancer diagnosis is always devastating and threatens to throw one's life offcourse. I was diagnosed with breast cancer six months before my first Himalayan climb, and finished treatment three weeks before beginning to climb Everest. This experience - of fighting cancer while continuing to climb - taught me the importance of staying positive, managing what I can control and breaking things down into manageable chunks in order to overcome daunting obstacles.
Resilience
Success in the mountains, as in life, requires the ability to nimbly adapt to challenges and unforeseen obstacles. This flexibility was key for me as an executive - leading teams in a fast-paced, dynamic environment - and while climbing big peaks like Everest and K2.
Building and Working as a Team
The concept of building a team of strong people who are fiercely dedicated to a goal was key for me as an executive, as a climber, and as a cancer survivor. In each situation, I learned the importance of choosing the right people, defining roles and goals, communicating and measuring performance.
Motivation
Motivation is difficult to marshal at 26,000 feet when the wind is screaming outside of your tent and everything inside is frozen. It is difficult to find when doctors look you in the eye and say the word cancer. But within each of us is the will to fight, the desire to take one more step in a positive direction. The key is to realize that we are all capable of so much more than we believe.
