Biography

Holly Hoffman was the last remaining member of the Espada Tribe and the last woman standing on Season 21 of Survivor Nicaragua on CBS. Through that experience, and others throughout her life, Holly was inspired to share her message of positivity, determination and confidence.

A professional speaker and the author of Your Winner Within and Write Yourself a Note, Holly acknowledges that life is made up of challenges, and we are often faced with situations that seem insurmountable. She inspires her audience to focus their thoughts, emotions, and energy towards success and shares the knowledge, tools, and discipline to achieve it.

A lifelong resident of America’s heartland, Holly graduated from her hometown high school in Eureka, South Dakota, and then attended Northern State University. Holly is the proud mother of three wonderful children and six grandchildren. 

In 2019, Holly earned the CSP® (Certified Speaking Professional™) designation from the National Speakers Association. She travels across the country speaking to a wide variety of corporations, associations, universities, schools and women’s organizations.

Holly’s message not only offers encouragement and optimism but a roadmap for self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Her methods are intuitive, honest, and adaptable to nearly any situation. Her audience is guaranteed to walk away inspired and motivated to succeed.

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The Survivor Way

As we survive life’s challenges, we come face-to-face with fear and uncertainty.
Challenges may allow us to step out of our comfort zone and push ourselves above and beyond our own selflimitations. It is how we choose to overcome challenges that make us who we are in life. It is our strength in times of difficulty that prove our character and self-worth.

As I share my experience of being on a reality show, I encourage you to think about how you decide to survive on a daily basis. Also, I will encourage you to think about six words to develop your survival skills. With my six simple words, you can take on any challenge with which you are faced.

Adversity is not so much contending with problems as it is learning more about who you really are and what is inside of you. Join me and explore your true survival skills.

Lead Simply

Model. Connect. Involve.

Leadership is not complex. Leadership at its core, is simple, but not always easy. A simple leadership framework consists of three words:
• model
• connect
• involve

True leadership is not just words, it’s action. We must model the behavior we want to see, connect with the people you lead, and involve them as much as possible.

During this presentation you will identify and discover what you want to see more and less of in your leadership skills to create that special team of people.
“Great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how it’s done.” — Unknown

Write Yourself a Note

Be confident. Be great. Be you.

At the end of the day, unless we make a conscious effort to bring ourselves back to center and refocus, we begin to lose ourselves. It’s never too late to find purpose.

This presentation offers encouragement, optimism, and a roadmap for self-discovery. You will be inspired to work towards a successful and fulfilling life for yourself.

Discover a simple tool to refocus and reprioritize you. As you “write yourself a note” you will begin to discover if you are where you want to be. You will encourage yourself to find purpose. No matter what stage of life you’re in, we all need purpose.

Testimonials

Holly Hoffman delivered a fantastic keynote address to the 150+ women in the audience. She included so many strong messages that resonated with everyone and provided an inspiring message to not let fear hold you back, to believe in yourself and go for it!
– Liz Wilson, CAE, Washington Bankers Association
Holly was a joy to work with and she truly listened to our needs. She received four standing ovations at our conference for women bankers and her message to new leaders was inspiring.
– Cris Goncalves, New Jersey Bankers Association
Holly has such an incredible warmth and authenticity about her that allows her to instantly make connections with all kinds of people. As she reveals her personal journey, both in writing and speaking, you can’t help but be drawn in. I wish everyone could hear her story!
– Lauren Balleweg, Omaha, Nebraska
Thank you Holly for reminding us that we can grow and learn throughout our lives and that it’s never too late to realize how strong and capable and resilient we have the potential to be!
– Linda Scott, Maine Credit Union League
I was so blessed to watch Holly’s virtual presentation and oh my goodness, it was SPECTACULAR! I already knew what a great presentation Holly gives, but to bring it virtually with such power, personableness, expressiveness and expert delivery without the dynamics of a live audience was absolutely masterful. I felt she was embracing each one of us with caring and authenticity. The background, lighting, sound and DELIVERY were perfect…Holly knocked it out of the park!
– Norm B., SpeakFluence
Holly nailed it! The audience rated her 4.84 out of 5. She was a delight to work with, incorporated our convention goals and personalized the presentation. She’s low-maintenance and a crowd-pleaser; an incredible value. Fully self-aware that someone who spent a month on a reality TV show doesn’t automatically have the expertise to serve as a life coach, Holly crafted an interesting and engaging story for fans and non-fans of Survivor, and connected her life lessons to our industry.
– Clint R. Armistead, Director of Training & Events, Heartland Credit Union Association

Booksby Holly Hoffman

Your Winner Within

Write Yourself a Note

Blog Posts

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How Great Mothers Raise Even Better Leaders

Celebrate Mother’s Day by exploring how maternal leadership lessons—in listening, resilience, clarity, purpose, and storytelling.

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A Complete Guide to Kill Complexity & Spark Innovation

What if innovation and breakthrough ideas came from working simpler ideas? Learn insights on simplify your workflow with keynote speaker Lisa Bodell.

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Why Creativity Is Your Organization’s Most Critical Skill

Keynote speaker Natalie Nixon explains why creativity is essential for innovation and growth, and how leaders can embed creative thinking into their businesses.

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Life Mission Statements and Mental Health with Johnny Crowder

Dive into real-life strategies for mental health, resilience, and culture change with keynote speaker Johnny Crowder.

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Next-Gen Event Trends That You Must Know

Stay ahead for your next event with trends like with personalization, well-being, diversity, immersive tech, and sustainability—plus pro tips & insider links.

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Blog Posts

 

Leading with Humanity in a Tech-Driven Future with Lisa O’Neill

🔮 How will the future unfold in the tech-driven world we live in? AI is...

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How Great Mothers Raise Even Better Leaders

This Sunday, on Mother’s Day, we honor the women whose love taught us courage, whose...

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A Complete Guide to Kill Complexity & Spark Innovation

What if innovation and breakthrough ideas don’t come from working harder but from working simpler?...

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Why Creativity Is Your Organization’s Most Critical Skill

Tired of thinking creativity is just a “nice to have”? Discover how building creative skills...

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Life Mission Statements and Mental Health with Johnny Crowder

🎙️ On this episode of The Keynote Curators Podcast, meet the rockstar-turned-mental health revolutionary who...

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Next-Gen Event Trends That You Must Know

The events industry isn’t just evolving—it’s accelerating. At The Keynote Curators, we’ve spent years curating...

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