Sarah Wells

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• The Pursuit of Excellence: How to Cultivate Unstoppable Excellence in Yourself and Your Organization

  Excellence isn’t reserved for a privileged few — it’s a mindset that anyone can adopt, no matter who you are, or where you begin.

  In this transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells will reveal how we can all cultivate excellence in ourselves and in organizations. She will share the core principles that drive excellence: the power of belief in yourself, the courage to do things differently, and the resilience to rise from setbacks. By going all in on your unique strengths and experiences, you can unlock success in ways only you can achieve.

  Through compelling stories and real-life examples, Wells will help audiences understand that excellence isn’t about perfection, it’s about breaking free from limiting beliefs and constantly striving to outperform who you were yesterday.

  With more than a decade of competition at the highest level, along with a master’s degree in leadership and innovation from the Smith School of Business, Wells delivers powerful, research-backed insights that unlock the mindset and practical tools to cultivate excellence in everything you do.

  Discover how to make excellence your daily standard and watch it transform not just your work but every facet of your life.

  Key takeaways include:

  • An understanding that hard work won’t always lead to success, but being resilient will always lead to another opportunity for success.
  • Recognition that success or failure is not permanent, but instead a pathway.
  • A revelation that your highest level of success is not your new baseline.
  • An understanding on how to cultivate an excellence mindset that sets us up to reach new heights, think innovatively, and remove the barriers of our own limiting beliefs.

• Overcoming Hurdles: Embracing Change and Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

  Change is constant and how we respond to it defines the trajectory of our success.

  In this inspiring and transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells invites you to reframe the way you think about obstacles and setbacks. Drawing from her journey as an elite athlete, Wells will share the essential mindset shifts that empower individuals and organizations to not just face adversity but to use it as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

  Wells knows firsthand that success is not about avoiding hurdles but mastering the art of overcoming them. With her three powerful strategies, you’ll learn how to embrace life’s detours and turn them into stepping stones toward a reality greater than you ever imagined.

  Through her engaging stories of resilience, grit, and excellence, Wells will reveal how cultivating a mindset of adaptability and excellence helps you thrive in uncertain times.

  This keynote offers more than just inspiration — it provides actionable tools and strategies that your audience can apply immediately. Wells will show how excellence, resilience, and a willingness to face challenges head-on can transform obstacles into opportunities. Attendees will leave with renewed confidence, armed with the skills to embrace change with grace and turn setbacks into successes.

  Key takeaways include:

  • Unexpected changes can lead to even better outcomes, if you’re willing to embrace new opportunities.
  • Lean into your strengths during change as they provide the best path for leading others through uncertainty.
  • Believe in yourself even with plans change, because your adaptability will keep you moving forward.
  • Your past experiences and skills are powerful tools that help you thrive in the face of change.
  • Your unwavering commitment and energy inspired others to stay focused, even in uncertain times.

• The 16 Stride Factor: Supercharge Your Organization with Innovative Thinking

  In today’s fast-paced world, true success doesn’t come from following the same path as everyone else — it comes from embracing what makes you unique and daring to think differently.

  In “The 16 Stride Factor,” Olympian Sarah Wells shares the game-changing strategy that helped her defy the odds in athletics. She’ll show how individuals and organizations alike can apply this approach to supercharge their own goals and unlock new levels of success.

  While most 400m hurdlers at the Olympics take 15 strides between hurdles, Wells broke the mold by crafting a strategy that played to her strengths — taking 16 strides instead. This unconventional approach, tailored to her unique abilities, was key to her Olympic success.

  In this dynamic presentation, Wells will challenge you to embrace unconventional approaches, leverage your team’s distinctive abilities, and cultivate a culture that celebrates experimentation and exploration without fear of failure or a need for guaranteed outcomes.

  Get ready to break away from tradition, harness your organization’s unique strengths and discover how to achieve success in a way that only you can.

  Key takeaways include:

  • How conformity crushes creativity: When we embrace unconventional thinking and break away from traditional approaches, we open up new paths to success that others may overlook.
  • How to lead with authenticity: We inspire our teams most powerfully when we lead in a way that’s true to our unique strengths, rather than trying to mimic how others inspire.
  • How to inspire boldness through action: By taking risks and not being afraid to try, we encourage those around us to step outside their comfort zones and make bold moves too.
  • Failure fuels growth: Whether or not our experiments go to plan, each effort provides valuable lessons that drive future innovation and evolution.