Bernadette Smith
Want to Avoid Cringey Moments With Clients & Build Authentic Connections?
Travels from Chicago IL, USA
Audience Feedback
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Attendees Find Valuable
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Would See Again
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Talks Given
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Speaks on:
Belonging
Inclusive Leadership
Relationship Building
Unconscious Bias
Speaks to:
Associations & Membership Orgs
Corporate Teams & Enterprises
Formats:
Keynote
Audience members say
Generated by Talkadot based on 201 audience feedback
Key Audience Outcomes
Participants gained actionable strategies for immediate implementation to foster inclusion.
Attendees felt inspired and motivated to champion diversity and inclusion within their teams and organizations.
Listeners developed a deeper understanding of biases and learned practical methods to challenge them.
Individuals acquired tools to facilitate impactful conversations around inclusion and diversity, promoting psychological safety.
Generated by Talkadot based on 201 audience feedback
Bernadette's Bio
Want to avoid cringey client interactions & build real trust? Bernadette Smith will show you how, using her ARC Method® and bringing a whole lot of good vibes. Using her proprietary ARC Method® (Ask, Respect, Connect), Bernadette gives client-facing professionals a simple, actionable framework to engage with diverse clients with confidence, recover from missteps, and build real relationships across differences. Bernadette’s high-energy, practical, and engaging keynotes will leave your team feeling confident, prepared, and ready to connect authentically—no awkward moments, no second-guessing. Her influence as a champion for inclusion and belonging has been spotlighted by the New York Times, National Public Radio, CNN, and the Today Show, and she’s been named one of Chicago’s Notable LGBTQ Executives by Crain’s Chicago Business. Bernadette is also obsessed with pickleball and has paddle, will travel!
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What you will receive
A detailed quote with pricing, availability, add-ons, and travel info that's ready to share with your team.
Bernadette Offers the Following Talks
Voices Carry: The ARC of Inclusive Leadership
Give examples of how unchecked assumptions can hinder team development.
Develop ways to connect across differences using the ARC Method of communication
Learn how to recover from accidentally offending someone and how to speak up if you witness it.
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Come As You Are: Build Authentic Connection with Increasingly Diverse Clients
Uncover the impact of assumptions on sales performance and client relationships, and learn how to proactively mitigate its effects.
Master the ARC Method of communication to enhance sales effectiveness and build rapport with increasingly diverse clients, fostering trust through authentic engagement.
Equip yourself with strategies to swiftly recover from unintentional offenses in sales interactions, and empower yourself to advocate for inclusivity and respect in all client-facing situations.
Show more >
Frequently Asked Questions on Working With Bernadette
What should I know about working with you?
I'm easy to work with and bring great energy to our conversations! My team is responsive, organized, and flexible and we have great systems in place to make sure the planning is seamless.
What's included in your fee?
When you book me, you have me for the day! Want me to moderate a panel? Join an ERG for lunch? Sign books? I'm yours for the day. My fee also includes a planning meeting, all travel, 50 books, and a resource page attendees can access to enrich their learning.
Can you customize your presentation for our specific audience and event theme?
My core messages will always be the same, but I tailor my talk to the nuances of your industry, event theme, lingo, core values, or anything else that will help me better connect to the audience and send a signal that I'm paying attention to their unique concerns.
What kind of promotional support do you offer to help market the event?
I'd be delighted to record a short, high-energy video promoting your event. If it makes sense, I can share that on LinkedIn to my audience.
How do you engage audiences post-event?
I'm yours for the day and happy to join for a meal, reception, or anything else that makes sense for your audience.
Do you offer extras (book signings, meet-and-greets)?
You have me for the day, so I'm available for book signings, meet-and-greets, and other extras that make sense on the day of the event. Want me to be available the day before or after? Absolutely! We can work out those details. Want other extras like blog posts, podcast interviews, etc? Let's talk!
My organization has a limited budget. Do you have any flexibility in your pricing?
We offer a 10% nonprofit discount, off-season pricing, and a discount for my virtual keynotes, which are also incredibly impactful.
Will I receive post-event materials (slides, recordings, handouts)?
You will receive a QR code and URL to a hidden page on my website with additional resources, including takeaways from the session, data, and more. We don't include the graphic-heavy slides as they won't make sense out of context.
What is your policy on event recordings and media rights?
You can record the event for internal use only. Clips can be published online with appropriate credit. Contact us to discuss any licensing details.
What are your specific travel requirements?
In most cases, I charge a flat fee, inclusive of airfare and ground transportation, so you don't have to worry about receipts, reimbursements, or any of those annoying details.