Ep 01: The Expert Who Speaks — Jackie Handy’s Journey from Inclusion to Impact

Guest: Jackie Handy – Keynote speaker, facilitator, and expert in workforce culture and belonging.Topic: The unexpected ROI of speaking when you lead with authenticity and connection.Jackie Handy didn’t set out to become a professional speaker—but by owning her story and stepping onto small stages, she created ripples of real impact. In this episode, she shares how a five-minute talk evolved into a TEDx, a global audience, and a thriving business rooted in inclusion and belonging. If you’ve ever wondered whether your story is enough, this one will nudge you off the sidelines.LinksJackie's speaker reelJackie Handy on LinkedInjackiehandy.comTEDx The Exclusive Nature of InclusionMartin on Linkedin15 question self-assessmentTurning points:• 00:00 – Jackie shares how she transitioned from recruitment and L&D into the world of speaking.• 05:00 – Her TEDx talk gets promoted to TED.com—and how that changed the game.• 10:00 – Real-time proof of impact: audience emotion, standing ovations, and ripple effects that lasted years.• 15:00 – Learning from delivery mistakes: how rushing through a short talk made her sound angry (and what she did differently next time).• 20:00 – Why connection beats content every time, and how tailoring your message to the audience makes you memorable.• 25:00 – The golden rule: never rehearse on a paid stage. Jackie shares her story about vulnerability and relatability as tools for impact.• 29:00 – One tip to move forward today: own your message and shrink it down until it sticks.