63: Speaking Success on Your Terms: The Journey to Corporate with Shasta Nelson

February 18, 2025

63: Speaking Success on Your Terms: The Journey to Corporate with Shasta Nelson

In this episode, Jacqueline Brooker sits down with Shasta Nelson, a thought leader on connection, three-time author, and sought-after keynote speaker, to unpack why friendships at work aren’t just a perk, they’re a necessity.

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In this episode, Jacqueline Brooker sits down with Shasta Nelson, a thought leader on connection, three-time author, and sought-after keynote speaker, to unpack why friendships at work aren’t just a perk, they’re a necessity.

Shasta is a keynote speaker, author, and leading expert on workplace connection. With three bestselling books and years of research on the power of friendship, she has helped organizations worldwide recognize that strong relationships aren’t just a perk, they’re a business advantage. Despite early skepticism about her topic, Shasta  has carved out a space for herself in the corporate world, making a compelling case for why connection matters at work.

Shasta shares how she turned this so-called “soft” topic into a business imperative that companies are finally paying attention to. From dismantling the stigma around workplace friendships to making the case for connection with cold, hard data, this conversation is a must-listen for speakers who want to get their message into corporate spaces, especially when the gatekeepers say it doesn’t belong.

One of the biggest mistakes emerging speakers make is undervaluing their expertise. Tune in to learn how to own your message, charge your worth, and get booked!

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Meet Shasta Nelson (00:01)
  • Why most of us still feel lonely even when we have friends (02:29)
  • Why friendship at work is a corporate advantage (05:49)
  • Shasta’s experience pitching an unconventional topic to corporate (10:27)
  • The mindset shift every speaker needs when their topic is unconventional (12:49)
  • How Shasta’s audiences typically react when she lands her message (17:19)
  • How messages may evolve but the mission stays the same (18:56)
  • The challenges of branding a message that doesn’t fit neatly into a box (24:00)
  • Industries embracing Shasta’s work (31:12)
  • How the right message at the right time can leave a lasting impact (34:01)
  • Thriving in multiple formats, not just the keynote stage (36:30)
  • Quick questions for Shasta (39:41)
  • Game-changing advice for emerging speakers (41:48)

QUOTES

“If you have a best friend at work you are seven times more likely to be engaged at work if you have a best friend.” – Shasta Nelson

“You change your language based upon the audience you’re speaking to, but it’s the same message.” – Shasta Nelson

“For emerging speakers, speakers who want to break through that next level, there is that pressure to conform to what the market is already comfortable with. And yet we know that those that break out, your work will get the traction that you want it to get if you actually do stick to it.” – Jacqueline Brooker

RESOURCES

The Business of Friendship by Shasta Nelson

Brené Brown

Gallup

Cigna

Starbucks

WHERE TO FIND SHASTA NELSON

If you are on a mission to amplify your message to make a more meaningful impact, and you’d love to join a vibrant community of people all harnessing the power of speaking, we’d love you to join us in our private Facebook group. Here you will gain access to exclusive live trainings, free resources and the opportunity to ask Jacqueline anything. It’s all designed to take the speaking game to the next level. We can’t wait to welcome you – Join here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/paidspeakerbreakthrough

WHERE TO FIND JACQUELINE BROOKER

To connect and learn more about creating a Speaker Driven Business connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn. You can also follow Jacqueline on Instagram or join the private Facebook group

Join the Speak More Collective.