Relentlessly Engaging ... Relentlessly Empowering ... Relentlessly Optimistic
Inspiring, Actionable, Transformative
Keynotes & Workshops
Your mindset shapes everything – from how you lead to how you navigate challenges. Whether you need a strategy-driven approach to resilience, a perspective shift that fuels empowerment, or stories that spark deep inspiration, Rya Hazelwood delivers keynotes that move audiences to think, feel and take action.
Explore Rya’s signature keynotes below to find the message that will resonate most with your audience.
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Relentless Optimism & Other Life Goals >>
Life Happens FOR You: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything >>
Relentless Optimism in Action: The Stories That Inspire Us to Rise>>
Signature Keynote:
Relentless Optimism & Other Life Goals
Have you ever felt stuck? Wondered if you were meant for more? Questioned whether things would ever change? The truth is, transformation doesn’t happen by chance – it happens by choice.
Rya Hazelwood – entrepreneur, corporate marketing executive, mother of boys, traveler, ex-wife of an alcoholic, emotional abuse survivor, author, speaker and relentless optimist – has worn many titles and weathered many storms. She knows what it takes to go from stuck to soaring.
On stage, Rya captivates audiences with humor and raw, heartfelt storytelling, inspiring them to stop waiting for change and start creating it. She challenges the seductive trap of magical thinking, reveals how to harness personal power in the face of adversity, and demonstrates why relentless optimism isn’t about ignoring reality ... it’s about rewriting it.
"Relentless optimism doesn’t mean denying challenges or seeing the world through rose-colored glasses," Rya explains. "It means choosing to move forward even when the road is steep. It’s about finding the smallest shifts in perspective that unlock the biggest changes in your life, both personally and professionally."
In this powerful keynote, you will explore:
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The seductive trap of magical thinking – and how to escape it
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Harnessing your own strength in the face of adversity
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How life happens for you, not to you
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Why relentless optimism can be your greatest advantage
Whether in business or life, your mindset shapes everything. These lessons will help you lead with resilience, influence with confidence, and cultivate more joy and momentum in your daily life. You’ll walk away feeling energized, empowered and ready to take action.
Life Happens FOR You: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
In today’s fast-paced world, resilience isn’t optional – it’s essential. Studies show that organizations with a resilient workforce experience higher productivity and lower turnover, proving that adaptability isn’t just beneficial, it’s a competitive advantage. Organizations that cultivate practical optimism, adaptability and a solutions-oriented mindset don’t just survive; they thrive.
But here’s the truth: Mindset isn’t magic – it’s strategy. It's not about just thinking positively and hoping for the best ... it's about implementing intentional shifts in perspective that drive real results.
Your team’s ability to reframe challenges, stay engaged and lead with practical optimism determines your organization’s long-term success. This keynote will both inspire and equip professionals and teams with actionable tools to turn setbacks into steppingstones and adversity into advantage.
What to Expect
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Engaging & Relatable Storytelling – Real-life experiences that connect on a human level
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Science-Backed Strategies – Research-driven insights for lasting change
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Tangible Takeaways – Actionable steps your team can implement immediately
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An Energy Shift – Practical optimism that fuels momentum and performance
Relentless Optimism in Action: The Stories That Inspire Us to Rise
Optimism isn’t just a mindset – it’s a force. It’s what keeps people moving forward when life throws the unimaginable at them. It’s what allows individuals to turn heartbreak into hope, tragedy into triumph and setbacks into setups for something greater.
This keynote isn’t just about theory; it’s about real people who embody relentless optimism in action:
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A mother who fights every day for her son with Down syndrome and autism, redefining what’s possible.
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A woman who, after being paralyzed in a car accident, refused to let it define her future.
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A college football team that overcame impossible odds to pull off an historic victory.
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A child who lost his father too soon, yet finds strength, love and resilience in the face of loss.
These are the stories of ordinary people who chose an extraordinary mindset: people who didn’t just survive adversity, but transformed it into fuel for something greater.
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What You'll Take Away
More than just inspiration, this keynote will challenge you to:
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See obstacles as opportunities – and find meaning in your most difficult moments
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Recognize your own resilience – and cultivate the inner strength to keep moving forward
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Lead with relentless optimism – not by ignoring reality, but by rewriting it
This isn’t just about success … it’s about how we rise. How we lead. How we show up in the face of adversity, not just for ourselves, but for those around us.
Because in the end, the greatest advantage isn’t just skill or strategy, it’s the ability to stand strong when the world shakes around you. And that? That changes everything.
So how will you rise?
I have known and worked with Rya for over 16 years and deeply value our professional relationship and more importantly, our friendship. Rya's determination and loyalty is second to none. She is passionate about her work, helps companies thrive and does it all from a place of service.
- Ashley Snyder
Principal at Cresa
In my line of work, I have the opportunity to work with many fabulous professionals. Without question though, Rya is in a class of her own. Besides being freakishly smart, Rya is kind, incredibly organized, thoughtful, supportive, responsive and everything that you could ever hope for ... To say that I loved my time working with her would be the understatement of the century. If you have the honor of working with Rya, you are in for a world-class experience.
- Shola Richards,
International Keynote and TEDx Speaker, Author of Civil Unity
Rya is one of those rare professionals who also naturally serves as an inspiring mentor. She exhibits strong interpersonal skills and a unique capacity for empathy. These qualities most notably translate into her ability to motivate a team to care about its project and be invested in the project’s success.
- Michelle Roy
Office Manager of Heritage Distribution Holdings