KEYNOTEs
Done
Differently
Inspiring compassion, igniting change.
Keynote Experiences THAT MOVE
Forget mundane, one-dimensional presentations. Joel Pilgrim’s keynotes bring the great outdoors to the stage through immersive, multi-sensory experiences that blend storytelling, visuals, soundscapes, and interactivity—ensuring insights are felt, not just heard.
Drawing on powerful metaphors from his living experience, Joel inspires audiences to discover leadership, resilience, and wellbeing in ways that are both visceral and unforgettable.
With a proven track record pioneering health innovation, Joel doesn’t just talk about change—he guides individuals and organisations through it. His no-nonsense approach blends refreshing vulnerability with practical strategies to embrace mental fitness as a strategic advantage.
Whether you’re looking to redefine leadership, foster a culture of wellbeing, or challenge the status quo, Joel’s transformative keynotes energise, engage, and empower teams at every level.
The Compassionate Leadership Revolution
‘The POWER OF HUMAN CONNECTION IN DRIVING SUCCESS’
What you’ll walk away with:
- Rethink what true leadership looks like and break free from outdated assumptions.
- Master the art of compassionate, high-performing leadership that fuels team success.
- Discover how authenticity and openness empower leaders to build trust and inspire teams.
- Real, tangible tools to elevate your leadership and foster team wellbeing.
Why Joel can speak to this
Having worked with leaders across the globe, Joel has witnessed firsthand how compassion and intentional vulnerability define successful leadership. As CEO of Waves of Wellness Foundation for nine years, he empowered leaders at all levels to rethink how they care for themselves and their teams. His message is clear: prioritising employee wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic advantage that drives both people and performance.
Reimagining Workplace Mental Health
‘Building resilient contemporary leaders ‘
What you’ll walk away with:
- The importance of mental fitness for leaders and teams.
- Ability to empower your team to prioritise mental health and drive positive change.
- The role of environment in dictating workplace psychosocial risk factors essential to a thriving workforce.
- Compelling stories and evidence-based strategies.
- Understand the early warning signs.
- Developing mental health literacy skills.
Why Joel can speak to this
Joel has spent the last 15 years working as a therapist and in executive leadership roles within mental health organisations. He has supported thousands of people struggling with mental ill-health and created innovative, life saving programs proven to save lives. Joel’s professional and personal experience positions him perfectly to provide tangible skills and takeaways for people at all levels of business to build resilience and cope with the unexpected.
The ChangE-READY LEADER
‘Mastering Adaptability TO LEAD in an Evolving World ‘
What you’ll walk away with:
- Real-world experiences resilience and recovery.
- Practical tools to strengthen mental toughness, reduce stress, and stay grounded in uncertainty.
- A leadership mindset that embraces change and inspires action.
- A new framework for navigating change.
- The science of resilience and how to train for adaptability.
- Techniques to manage fear and uncertainty, turning setbacks into opportunities for innovation.
- A renewed sense of confidence and control to ride the highs and lows of change with agility and strength.
Why Joel can speak to this
Joel’s journey as a surfer and an Occupational Therapist who pushed the boundaries and challenged the status quo to help thousands of people is a testament to his expertise on the subject of change. Joel speaks authentically about his own mental health journey and shares some hard lessons, as he takes his audience through the highs and lows of his life to date. He shares how these experiences fuelled his passion to create waves of change in the mental health space around the world. Joel leans into this topic with ease as he details his fight for change in an industry that needed major disruption.
Leading for innovation: Why History CAN hold us back
‘A Founder’s Journey into the unknoWN ‘
True innovation doesn’t come from following the well-worn path—it comes from embracing the unknown, challenging convention, and daring to think differently. In this keynote, Joel Pilgrim shares his journey as a founder, navigating uncertainty, breaking new ground, and pushing past traditional limitations to create something truly impactful.
What you’ll walk away with:
- How creativity and disruptive thinking can combat struggle.
- How to get comfortable with discomfort, reframe fear as fuel, and embrace uncertainty with confidence.
- How to recognise, challenge, and move beyond imposter syndrome.
- Strategic thinking for navigating the unknown.
- Unlocking innovation for creative problem-solving, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Why Joel can speak to this
Seeing a need for change, Joel made the bold decision to walk away from the safety and security of a government job, reinventing how we provide mental health support to those in need. From his startup journey founding Waves of Wellness Foundation to $20K Uber trips (a story you have to hear to believe!) Joel speaks to the importance of listening to your gut, breaking the mould, and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable to create real change. This session is designed to help leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers rethink how they approach challenges, tap into creativity, and unlock bold new ideas.