Kelly Walker - Speaker, Author, Musician
His books are wonderful, his concerts are uplifting, but Kelly Walker IS a speaker. He walks the talk and it shows in his presentations. Kelly is one of Canada’s experts on the questions of transition, change and burnout. He brings the most controlled audiences to their feet when he addresses crowds from 50 to 5,000. He is wise, current and fun. A man who began his speaking career as a preacher in the Dominican Order, he has continued to inspire, inform and confront audiences throughout North America by his fresh and authentic style of presentation. He will lead your audience from laughter to tears as he explores with them the human dimensions of transition and change. He is able to speak to the true issues that humans face since he has experienced them personally. As a former priest and therapist, he has guided thousands of people through their journeys.
Biography
Kelly is a bilingual author, therapist, storyteller, speaker and gifted musician. His audiences have claimed him as their passionate healer, a gentle giant and an insightful and wise teacher who is a lot of fun.
An international university education and more than twenty years a a Dominican Friar have shaped Kelly's life. Following his undergraduate years at the University of Western Ontario and l'Université de Montréal, Kelly continued with post graduate studies for ten years at the Faculté Dominicaine de théologie, Ottawa; the Aquinas Institute of Theology and the University of Dubuque, Dubuque Iowa; the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana; Convento San Marco, Florence, Italy; and with Ivan Illich in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
In 1981, Kelly left the Dominican Order and continued to share his gifts in new ways. Twelve years as a therapist coupled with his philosophical and theological background serve as a backdrop to his presentations, which are always rich and current. Due to that spirit, he is invited to speak and perform throughout North America to audiences as varied as police, funeral services, financial and government institutions, medical and legal teams, clergy and artistic communities.
Three books have flowed from his life experiences. In 1995, he wrote Loss of Soul: Burnout, a national best seller, now in its second edition. In 2000, it was followed by Dancing on the Ark: facing change in uncertain times (what every Noah ought to know). His latest work, Growing Somewhere: living life after mid-life, reaches out with hope to his contemporaries.
After leaving the Priory, Kelly toured extensively with the renowned Irish singer-harpist Mary O'Hara. As a solo performer he has played to packed houses. He is often seen on stage these days with Mark DuBois, tenor, Susan Cooper, mezzo soprano, Dini Petty, Billy Newton-Davis and Eric Nagler as they pull their hearts and talents together to create shows for all sorts of charities.
What people are saying...
"Your keynote address 'BREAKTHROUGH: A Prescription for Healthy Productivity' played a vital role in the success of the convention. Your message and musical accompaniment were very motivational and entertaining. As well, the audience participation was a nice treat and appreciated by everyone who had been sitting for a while through lunch. Great job!"
–Manitoba Motor Dealers Association Inc.
"Kelly is such a good speaker and has such a way with motivating a crowd. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed him. If the chance arises I would definitely have him back again. I would recommend Kelly in an instant."
–Vice-Chair and Coordinator, General Motors of Canada, Canadian Supervisor Council Conference
"One of the evaluators even congratulated us for 'having the courage to include Kelly Walker.' I didn’t think it needed much courage, just common sense."
–Chief Liason Officer, Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations
"...may I extend our most heartfelt appreciation for your delightful and motivating address at our Fall Seminar. The comments afterwards were uniformly positive. For judges to rise in a warm and spontaneous ovation at the end of a long day is unprecedented. Thank you so much."
–Superior Court Judges of Ontario
Programs
DANCING ON THE ARC: Facing change in uncertain times
Change is normal for our time. We must learn to dance with new ways of providing the best product possible in order to meet the needs of our clients. While some accept change with delight, others have to stretch beyond their imagination in order to be both productive and content. We need to find ways to survive and thrive in these times of radical pressure and change.
GIMME SHELTER: Where do I go in troubled waters?
Originally conceived and written for clergy suffering the stresses of continuous caring for their communities. Many people today find themselves caring for elderly parents and young children — often in the same home! Kelly walks us through the common pitfalls and traps, and then shows us what we can do to save ourselves. This lively presentation is applicable to everyone caught giving too much.
LEADERS LEADING LEADERS: More than just bosses
Although it is true that true leaders are born not made, they need to be trained for great leadership. Most leaders find that they are simply "thrown into the job". They need to be made aware of their gifts, convinced of their abilities and directed in the role of leadership in order to succeed.
Kelly Walker has always been a leader. As Prior of the Dominican Order, he assumed heavy responsibilities in his early '30s. As a therapist he developed great skills of listening. As a speaker, mentor, author and entertainer he has influenced people in their leadership roles for many years.
This presentation on the art and skill of leadership will help your employees embrace this important role with enthusiasm, care and joy.
BREAKTHROUGH: A prescription for healthy productivity and how to get the most out of life
We've all climbed mountains. We've all dealt with difficult situations and survived. We've all gone places we'd never dreamed we'd go. That's life. But when new challenges present themselves, we often forget that we've done terrific things already and freeze. We need to reclaim our strengths and soar to new heights that can bring us contentment and rewards and point us to a greater future.
WORK HARD AND LIKE IT: Attitude and latitude
Like anything else in life, work can lose its lustre. What began as an interesting and challenging opportunity can sometimes fade into boredom and drudgery. This keynote address explores the issues surrounding job, career and great work. We look at the gifts that you bring to the workplace but within the bigger context of your relationship to the world and the communities you find yourself in. We look at ways to improve, fortify and creatively explore your attitudes and aspirations in the ever-changing world that we are all living in. This session will give you practical ways to work better and prescriptions for liking what you do best.
BURNOUT: Understanding that there ARE limits (workshop)
No one has to burn out.
Some people work hard and get tired. They rest, recover and get at it again. Others never seem to be able to get out of "driven" mode. They become work. They find that they are boundary-less, unable to stop, and constantly overwhelmed. They become a health hazard to themselves and eventually become a hazard in the workplace. Bosses love them because they accept every request. However, rage builds up within them and they begin to explode in a variety of manners. They begin to lose themselves and retreat. In some cases, death awaits from systemic exhaustion or suicide.
FROM DOING TO BEING: A pre-retirement workshop
The very word retirement brings smiles to the faces of many. To others it generates fear, anger and insecurity. For many it means leaving work and beginning a period of leisure. For others it means leaving the one thing that gave them meaning. For many it is about a future filled with absence of identity, boredom and poverty. This workshop addresses these issues. Whether or not the retiree desires to leave work, there still ensues a period of grief, lack of definition and fear. New identities are difficult for us. We will identify the blockages to positive retirement. We will work on the dynamics that help provide a smooth flow into a new lifestyle — family relationships, work relationship, communications issues. We will also address issues about creating a stimulating future. And we will look at whole-health factors that will insure a longer and more vibrant life after retirement rather than fear and possible death.
