Erika Shepard is a board-certified Holistic Family Nurse Practitioner based in Colorado who is passionate about elevating the mental and physical well-being of the people she serves. Erika has the unique perspective and wisdom of having a career working with people at their most vulnerable to be able to discern what brings us as human beings to our best, and what brings us to our worst.
During her 15+ years of serving in the medical field, Erika has helped thousands of people over the years come to a place of potential and vitality that they did not know possible… herself included.
Erika grew up in small-town Ohio with a normal middle class family. However, she dealt with sickness often growing up, including an undiagnosable autoimmune disease that doctors and providers could only treat the symptoms of. As Erika entered adulthood, she decided she wanted to help others with their health and well-being.
Erika began her career as a nurse working in psychiatric wards where people were often experiencing rock bottom. She also spent several years as a RN working in neuro/trauma ICU where people were on ventilators and in comas fighting for their lives. Working for years in these highly intense and stressful environments where people were at their most vulnerable showed Erika the power of the human spirit, and what is actually required to be our best (and surprise, it may not be what we thought).
As Erika learned throughout her career and education, she started implementing a mind, body, and spirit approach to her own life. Through addressing root-cause disruption to all of these pillars, Erika has now been autoimmune disease free for over 10 years. She now helps her patients everyday heal the root of their health issues as deeply as possible.
Erika is now bringing this expertise and wisdom into audiences and organizations that are looking to go from surviving to thriving.
Erika is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of both Arizona State and Georgetown University, and in addition to being a medical provider she is an international speaker who has spoken on stages like TEDx. She bridges the science of her medical training with the heart of her professional and personal experiences to help elevate people into their highest potential.
Talks/Workshops
- The Power of Connection
Modern culture has emphasized performance and achievement as the primary pathways to human potential. While advances in technology, medicine, and science have driven unprecedented productivity, rates of anxiety, depression, burnout, chronic disease, and loneliness continue to rise. From a medical perspective, this reveals a critical gap: human connection.
In The Power of Connection, Erika Shepard explores connection as a biologically essential driver of health and performance. Drawing on neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and behavioral medicine, she explains how the quality of our relationships—both with others and with ourselves—directly influences nervous system regulation, stress physiology, immune function, and emotional well-being.
This talk reframes connection as an evidence-based determinant of resilience, cognitive performance, and long-term health. Through a blend of scientific education, clinical insight, personal narrative, and interactive exercises, attendees gain practical tools to strengthen connection, enhance well-being, and perform at a high level without sacrificing mental and emotional health.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the science behind connection and its effect on health.
- Discover how effectively connecting boosts collaboration, creativity, retention.
- Learn practical strategies to deepen trust & empathy in teams and communities.
- Walk away with practical mind body tools to reduce stress for yourself and others
- The Burnout Rx: The Science and Solution to Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, Spirit, and Work
In this dynamic keynote, burnout is reframed not as a personal failing but as a systemic issue with real, measurable impacts on performance, health, and workplace culture. The Burnout Rx delivers a research-backed, whole-person approach to recovery—integrating neuroscience, modern medicine, and practical wellness strategies.
Participants will explore how stress manifests across the mind, body, and spirit—and how to restore each. The talk offers tangible tools for reclaiming focus, rebuilding energy, and redefining success in a way that sustains, rather than drains. Lead with both strength and humanity.
Key Takeaways
- Understand the science behind burnout and its early warning signs
- Learn evidence-based strategies to recover and prevent burnout
- Reconnect with purpose and meaning in work
- Gain tools to create healthier personal and organizational habits
- Leave with a personalized framework for resilience and renewal
- Command with Care: How Improving the Mental Well-Being of Our Leaders is the Ultimate Strategy for Growth
Redefine what it means to lead in today’s high-pressure world. Instead of equating leadership with burnout and emotional suppression, it introduces a new model: one that fuses clarity of command with the courage to care—especially for oneself.
By prioritizing the mental health of leaders, organizations unlock better decision-making, stronger cultures, and more sustainable growth. Drawing from real-world examples and research, the talk offers practical insights on building resilience, reducing stigma, and embedding mental well-being into leadership practices. This keynote challenges assumptions, inspires change, and equips attendees to lead with both strength and humanity.
Key Takeaways
- Recognize mental health as a strategic leadership asset
- Learn actionable ways to support and develop mentally fit leaders
- Shift from a culture of silent burnout to one of open support
- Understand how leadership well-being drives retention, innovation, trust
