Deri's Blogs

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Deri’s blogs and video posts include emerging information, tools, tips, and strategies for living a positive, mentally-healthy life – at work and beyond!

We Called It a ‘Walkie Talkie’—We Didn’t Know It Was Also a ‘Brain Gain’

My friends, Audrey and Jacqueline, and I started walking over the last few years – especially during the long winter, in-between our southern get-aways. We knew we loved our “Walkie Talkie’s”; the exercise, connection, and camaraderie were always invigorating.  What we did not realize is the real brain-boosting power of combining walking and talking; improving…

Positive Psychology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I recently returned from The First World Congress on Positive Psychology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.??In keeping with the P theme -?one word encapsulates my experience there: Powerful!? What follows is a summary of a few of my key?take-aways from the Congress. Ed Diener spoke on ?New Findings on Happiness?: there is a difference between wanting and…

Leadership is about Asking, not Telling

A client emailed me last week.?? ?Deri, I can?t stop thinking about what you said in the workshop?about how leaders often talk too much, when they should just be quiet and listen instead.?? During the workshop ?Emotional Intelligence: The Leader?s Advantage? I shared with the group something that Marshall Goldsmith shared with a thousand or…

Abundance or Scarcity?

A colleague sent me an email the other day.? It was a ?thank you? note for my generosity.? This colleague had asked me to speak with one of her contacts who is planning to start a speaking, training and consulting business such as mine.? My colleague was impressed at how freely I shared my experience…

The Positive Psychology of ?Meaning?

I dragged my butt over to the school to set up for Staff Appreciation Week.? ?How come it?s always the same people who volunteer for these things?? I muttered to myself, a bit resentfully.? My children?s school has over 600 students, and yet it appears that it is the same small group of parents?volunteering for…

Happiness, Productivity and The Law of Attraction

I believe that most of us understand that, generally, happier employees are more productive; they achieve better results for themselves and for the organization.? There is a lot of research to support the importance of positive emotions at work.? Much of my work is with leaders in organizations, who certainly understand this connection; and who…

Mentoring Magic

I have delivered workshops and keynote presentations?on the?topic of Mentoring for the last 5 years.? My clients, like any organization today, are realizing that there are tremendous benefits to be derived from having a formalized Mentoring program in place.? Some of the benefits are: addressing gaps in knowledge management/corporate memory, as older workers plan to…

Smile; and the World Smiles WITH You!

I have always been fascinated at this time of year.? People are generally pretty happy as the holiday season approaches; although we are busy, we tent to more often smile at each other and wish each other a ?Merry? this or a ?Happy? that.? Have you noticed that when someone smiles at you, the urge…

How Positive Psychology can Work at Work

Check out Martin Seligman talking about Positive Psychology on Ted.com.? I had the privilege to see Dr. Seligman speak at an Appreciative Inquiry conference last year and I was impressed with his ability to simplify what could otherwise be a complicated subject.? I believe we have enormous opportunities to integrate the results of his research…

Presume Innocence

Presume innocence.? What a nice mantra for life (if not for all, at least for?many parts of life).? This has come up a number of times in my seminars and keynotes of late.? The idea is that when we decide to ?presume innocence? on the part of?others, we are often more flexible, resilient, and effective…

What Clients Say...

“Deri, you are the best! Not a dull moment and the time went too fast!”
Linda Borbridge, Manager, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
“I’m often asked to recommend a professional speaker who will captivate and motivate, and without hesitation Deri Latimer comes to mind. Deri has a reputation for a no-nonsense, energetic, synergistic approach. Her cutting-edge sessions are the perfect combination of science and inspiration and will have you moving into a new groove.”
Dr. Lewena Bayer, CEO, Civility Experts Inc.
“Deri is the personification of quality, style, and enthusiasm in her message. She delivered a message with our group that heightened their awareness and ability to share success. My hope is that you too will seek her out as a keynote, connector, and catalyst for change.”
Joseph Bork, Program Director, St. Mary’s University
“I am usually the type to sit in the crowd, quietly take it all in, and take notes, notes that end up in a binder, often never to be seen once I return to work. Deri was engaging, fun and as real as they get. I was so moved by her session that I shocked myself by approaching her after the session to chat. During the session I didn’t need to take notes because her concepts hit home and stuck with me. I have already taken her advice and acted on her tips and tools to be more positive. Her positivity is contagious and her message is one that everyone should take time to listen to.”
Amy Normal, VP, Corporate Services, Said Business School, University of Oxford
“I had the privilege of hearing Deri keynote at our conference. She captivates, motivates, and positively engages an audience with her unique combination of wisdom about neuroscience and positive behaviors that can be life changing when put into action. I would recommend her without any reservation for those seeking a speaker who can move an audience – from associates on a manufacturing floor to members of an executive leadership team – into action. Her takeaways are designed for positive impact. Prepare to laugh, to be curious, to be hungry for more time to listen to Deri.”
Vickie Maris, Host, Agile Digital Business
“Deri, your seminar truly resonated with our team. You took the time to learn about our roles, our challenges and opportunities and created an inspiring and motivating seminar just for us and made an impact with every person there. Having your book to use as a tool in our day-to-day has also been very valuable and has enhanced the results we got out of the time with you. We all hope that we will see you again at the next conference!”
Chantelle Arsenault, GBA, Great West Life Assurance Company of Canada
“It was an absolute pleasure to have Deri speak at our AGM. Deri brought an amazing level of passion and energy as she engaged our members with her talk on growth mindset. If you are looking for a speaker to connect with your audience, I would highly recommend that you reach out to Deri. Thank you, Deri – we were lucky to have you!”
Rob Chester, Director Information Security, Wawanesa Insurance
“A wonderfully authentic speaker with an infectious positive energy, Deri takes the crowd back to the roots of inspiration by sparking something within the humanity of the people in the room. Her fantastic sense of humor and knowledgeable way of integrating experiential learning opportunities into an inspirational message makes her a speaker not to miss!”
Ashley Collette, Social Work Officer, Canadian Armed Forces
“I forgot to take notes because I was taking it all in and feeling change take hold…”
Derek Rumboldt-Delouche, Director, Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada
“That was fantastic! That was the most energized I have ever felt leaving a conference!!”
Barb Spurway, Principal Consultant, Protegra
“I cannot exaggerate how positively our Forum delegates reacted to your presentation. You set the perfect tone for the entire conference and left a lasting impression on our delegates and CPA staff alike.”
Sarah Marshall, President, Canadian Physiotherapy Association
“You changed people.”
Michelle Kletke, Human Resources Manager, TNG, Jim Pattison Group