Speaking

Support the women who hold your organization together.

Talks, workshops and programs for women’s networks, leadership programs and organizations, on workload and wellbeing, boundaries, and leading like a coach.

Delivered virtually or in person, and tailored to your audience.

Talks

Built from real coaching work

Push. Crash. Feel Guilty. Repeat.

My signature talk.

In every organization, there are women everyone relies on. They’re often your highest performers, and they’re holding everyone else’s work, feelings and plans, often at the expense of their own. In this talk, I share my own story and what I’ve learned coaching women through it: why the work can feel so heavy, even when they love it, what it costs them and your organization, and how to change the pattern without losing their ambition.

Attendees will:

  • Recognize their own push-crash-guilt cycle and what sets it off

  • Notice the invisible load they carry: other people’s stress, unspoken expectations and the feeling that it’s up to them to keep everyone okay

  • Leave with practical shifts they can make the very next day, including how to set boundaries and have honest conversations

Ideal for: women’s networks and employee groups, International Women’s Day, wellbeing weeks, women’s leadership programs and conferences

Lead Like a Coach

Many managers end up carrying their team’s work instead of growing their people. Drawing on my experience training and supervising coaches, this talk shows leaders how to use simple coaching skills to develop, empower and support their teams, so they can step back and their people can step up.

Attendees will:

  • Learn the core coaching skills of listening, asking powerful questions and holding back from fixing

  • Practise using them in real conversations with their teams

  • Understand how coaching builds confidence and ownership in the people they lead

Ideal for: managers, leadership development and mentorship programs, HR and L&D teams

Formats

Each talk comes in two formats

Talk (45–60 minutes)

An engaging, story-led session for any group size, with time for questions.

Interactive workshop (60–90 minutes)

The same topic with reflective exercises, breakout discussions and practical tools. Best for groups of around 10–65.

All sessions can be delivered virtually or in person, and tailored to your organization and audience.

About Ashley

A speaker who does the work, not just the talk

Ashley Marcinek is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who helps capable, high-achieving women build careers around their lives, not lives around their careers. With a background in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, six years in creative agencies in Canada and the UK, and three years helping grow and supervise a team of coaches at Bloom, she brings research-informed insight and real-world experience to every session.

She has worked with clients from DHL, Starbucks, dentsu, the Government of Canada and the WHO.

Event organizers are welcome to copy this bio.

What organizers and attendees say

In their words

“Ashley is so calm in her delivery and provides such helpful examples. I was getting messages during the session saying they regret not using Ashley as their executive coach.”

Session participant, City of Sugar Land

“Ashley’s corporate workshop was exactly what our team needed to gain a fresh perspective on the weeks and months ahead. With a group of about 65 of us, Ashley was able to keep everyone engaged… I can tell that Ashley puts a lot of work into preparing and personalizing her presentations and that attention to detail did not go unnoticed.”

Olivia McCormack, Vice President, Business Development, Tag Canada

“She created a supportive and relaxed environment for our clients where they felt they could share their story openly, take part in practical exercises and gain new skills as well as receive support and understanding from the rest of the group.”

Fabienne Jenny Jacquet, Step Up Programme Manager, Volunteer Centre Hackney

“Breakout rooms were great. Really thought provoking questions.”

Session participant, City of Sugar Land

Programs and group coaching

Want to go deeper than a single session?

A talk can open the conversation. A program is where real change happens. I design and deliver custom programs that take these topics further, combining workshops, group coaching and practical work between sessions.

Programs can include:

  • Group coaching for women: a series of sessions for small groups of 6–8 women working through workload, boundaries or stepping into leadership, together

  • Leadership programs: multi-session programs that build managers’ coaching skills, with practice and reflection between sessions

  • Workshop series: a run of interactive sessions for a women’s network, mentorship program or leadership cohort, built around your goals

  • 1:1 coaching for women leaders: six months of private coaching, funded through your leadership or professional development budget

Every program is designed around your people, your goals and your timeline. Group work is some of my favourite work: there’s something powerful about women realizing they’re not the only one carrying it all.

How booking works

Three simple steps

01 · Book a call

Tell me about your audience, your goals and your event date.

02 · We choose the fit

I’ll recommend the right talk and format, and tailor it to your organization.

03 · I deliver

An engaging session, with follow-up resources for attendees.

Planning a women’s network event, International Women’s Day or a leadership program?

Let’s find the right talk for your audience.

Fees are tailored to the format and size of your event.