Donna Marie Hayes is an NYC-based keynote speaker, ICF-certified empowerment coach, professional actor, and award-winning author who empowers audiences to break free from limiting beliefs and harness resilience.
As a professional keynote speaker, she empowers audiences to shift their perspectives on challenges, seeing them as stepping stones toward life-changing transformations rather than mere roadblocks.
Her journey from a poor Jamaican immigrant to a Wall Street executive deeply resonates with those who hear her story. It inspires them to reassess their own goals and aspirations, leaving them eager to pursue dreams they once thought unattainable.
Having encountered numerous setbacks, including religious-based isolation, domestic abuse, abandonment, and even a romance scam, each hurdle further strengthened her resolve. Her memoir, *These Broken Roads*, chronicles her journey as a testament to the strength of the human spirit; it won the prestigious 2023 New York City Big Book Award in the non-fiction category.
As a keynote speaker, ICF-coach and professional actor, she uses performance-style storytelling to create immersive experiences for her audiences. With over three decades in Executive Human Resources, she has delivered numerous internal speeches. Her external engagements include appearances on the Tamron Hall Show, ABC’s AM Northwest at KATU TV, and the podcast Benita and the Berracas, hosted by Emmy Award-winning producer Benita Alexander.
Her most popular talk, *The Gift of the Setback*, can be customized to align with the objectives of any event.
What sets her apart is her essence as a performer. She artfully blends storytelling and artistry to engage the audience.
As one attendee said, “From the moment Donna stepped on stage, the energy in the room shifted… you could feel something powerful was about to unfold.”
Let’s elevate the energy and inspire change at your next event!
Talks/Workshops
- The Gift Of The Setback
Keynote speaker, professional actor, and ICF-Certified empowerment Coach Donna Marie Hayes, ACC uses immersive storytelling to motivate audiences to embrace empowerment, silence self-doubt, and redefine success on their own terms. Her signature keynote, The Gift of the Setback: How Setbacks Can Become the Unlikely Hero of Your Comeback Story, is customized for audiences seeking inspiration and practical tools to overcome adversity.
Drawing from her compelling personal journey—from humble beginnings as a Jamaican immigrant to executive leadership on Wall Street and subsequent success on stage and as a coach—Donna inspires individuals to reframe setbacks as steppingstones toward transformative comebacks.
As a keynote speaker and professional actor, she uses dynamic, performance-style storytelling to create immersive experiences for my audiences.
In this deeply personal keynote, Donna takes the audience through the defining moments of her life using immersive storytelling. She offers an evocative exploration of adversity and grit to illustrate the transformative power of repurposing setbacks as steppingstones to epic comebacks. Additionally, she offers audiences more than “sit and listen” lessons by providing actionable takeaways that are both captivating and transformative.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn to recognize which beliefs are truly yours versus those you inherited.
- Unlock your limitless potential and silence self-doubt.
- Understand why fear is a choice.
- Learn the importance of interconnectedness and the ripple effect our words and actions can create.
- View setbacks as your slingshot mode: no tension. no propulsion.
