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"Transatlantic rower Debra Veal (now Searle) is the kind of girl who can make grown men cry. Our first encounter is at the Yorkshire Business Conference Centre in Harrogate where she is addressing 1400 blunt Northern entrepreneurs. By any measure they are hard nuts. They remain unmoved by BBC reporter John Simpson's harrowing account of the Afghan war. Rogue Trader Nick Leeson's battle against cancer, and even former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev's story of how he brought Glasnost to a world in fear of nuclear annihilation, also leaves them cold. But by the time 27 year old Debra has finished telling them about her 3000 mile voyage from Tenerife in the Canary Islands to Barbados, there is not a dry eye in the house."

by Gaynor Pengelly, Mail on Sunday

HOSTING (MC) and facilitating

CONFERENCE/KEYNOTE speeches

AFTER-DINNER speeches

Debra is a lively and proficient conference host/facilitator. A recent engagement involved hosting a three day conference in Prague for BT Global Services, including leading panel discussions, interviewing key directors and linking presentations.

Not just a woman with an interesting story, Debra Searle walks the talk in the business world having started her first company aged 24 and her second aged 27. She is a managing director, the only female and youngest Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, is a published author and has a successful TV presenting career with the BBC.

Debra's overwhelming positivity and 'go for it' attitude are contagious, while her modesty is endearing. Often very emotive, she shares her highs and lows, personal battles and victories, to help illustrate in a very human way what we are all capable of. She is not a motivational speaker reliant on buzz words, hype and jargon. Every speech is written to help enforce the conference themes and will provide real world ideas and tools to help your people:

Debra is a ‘refreshing change’ to the usually after dinner speakers on the circuit. She is young, attractive, articulate, funny and unassuming. She is a fantastic story teller, sharing amusing tales and anecdotes of the 3 ½ months she spent at sea alone in her small rowing boat, “sleeping in a coffin”. Able to handle the rowdiest of crowds, she is a consummate professional.

Debra Searle is honest, open, warm, funny and friendly. She has a mental strength and determination that inspires and motivates all who meet her. When Debra's rowing partner left her alone at sea the sceptics gave her two days tops.

Some would say the odds were stacked skyscraper high against Debra rowing the Atlantic solo. Yet she dared to believe and 111 days later she rowed into Port St Charles, Barbados, to a rapturous welcome from friends, family, supporters and the world's media.

OVERVIEW of speeches

TESTIMONIAL

"We provided feedback forms to all participants and asked for a rating between 1 (poor) and 5 (excellent). We received 170 completed forms and Debra scored a '5' from every single respondent. This is unheard of! The comments were all super, for example - ' Best speaker I've heard at an IBM event - outstanding!'

Deborah Evans, Client Director, IBM UK Ltd.

IBM have re-booked Debra a further 8 times to date.

Debra powerfully illustrates with slides and stunning video footage and leaves her audience in no doubt of their own ability to achieve the extraordinary both individually and collectively. She sets herself apart from other speakers by her level of commitment to each project. Taking the time to ensure she fully understands the conference themes and gathering company and industry specific information allows her to tailor her presentation to your exact requirements. This same level of commitment is carried through to the event where she makes every effort to speak with delegates on a one-to-one basis.

TESTIMONIAL

“Very many thanks for your fantastic after dinner speech. Aside from the laughter, for the majority of the time that you were speaking you could have heard a pin drop! To get insurance brokers and insurer company salesman to keep quiet is no mean feat! The feedback I got on the evening was extremely positive and many felt that the move away from our traditional type of male speakers was a vast improvement.” Insurance Institute of Reading

BT TESTIMONIAL

“I was impressed both by the way you facilitated the conference throughout the three days and also in the way you shared your own experiences towards developing the right attitude and taking action. Your rapport with the audience and other guest speakers was also very special. Your input was absolutely instrumental in the successful outcome of this conference. "
Danny Garvey, VP Marketing BT Global Services
Debra's post-event average score from delegates: 4.6 out of 5

TALKS & speeches

TESTIMONIAL

“I have never heard a better speech, anywhere, in any context. It was such a thrill to have you, and you simply ‘nailed it’ in terms of what I wanted for the closing, in delivery and content. People are still talking about it.”

Alan Farnsworth, President, Bausch & Lomb EMEA

For an information sheet on the key messages and strategies Debra is able to speak on and to receive a DVD show reel please email hayley@debrasearle.com.

For an information sheet on the key messages and strategies Debra is able to speak on and to receive a DVD show reel please call Hayley Barnard on 07765 881420 or email hayley@debrasearle.com.

• Choose the right attitude, however impossible the end goal may seem

• How to successfully step outside your comfort zone and thrive

• Mind tricks for success

• How to find the positives when everything is changing

• Making the goals achievable

• Use 'personal brand values’ as a framework for the way you choose to work

• Not to waste energy on the things you can’t change but to focus on that which you can

• Improve team-working through the use of 'free words'

• Cope with the pressure of leadership

• Staying motivated and determined, even when the journey only seems to be getting harder

• Where to put your energies when you are under resourced