Experience
You have meaningful practical, professional, leadership or business experience behind what you share. Where relevant, we generally look for at least five years of experience in your field.
Speak at SustainHer
Your experience could help another woman move forward.
The decisions you have made, the things you have learned and the experience you have built may be exactly what another woman needs to hear.
SustainHer invites experienced business owners, leaders, professionals and subject-matter experts to join us for thoughtful, practical conversations with women in business across the Adelaide Hills and Barossa.
You bring the experience. We help shape the conversation so the women in the room can use it.
Apply to Speak at SustainHer
Most SustainHer Connect guest speaker appearances are voluntary contributions to our community. You can read more about what to expect below.
Could you be a SustainHer speaker?
You may have something valuable to bring to the room if you have:
- built, grown or transformed a business;
- led people or organisations through change;
- developed deep expertise in an area relevant to women in business;
- navigated a significant challenge, decision or season of growth;
- learned lessons through experience that could help someone else make a better decision.
We are interested in people who know their subject and are willing to share what they have learned generously.
Professional speaking experience is not required.
What speaking at SustainHer looks like
SustainHer Connect is built around conversation rather than formal presentations.
Most guest sessions are facilitated by SustainHer founder Odette de Beer in an interview-style format, followed by questions and conversation with the women in the room.
Before the event, we will work with you to identify the parts of your experience that will be most useful to the audience and shape the conversation around them.
There is usually no formal keynote or slide deck to prepare.
You will know the direction of the conversation before the event so you can arrive prepared and focus on sharing what you know.
What the women in the room are looking for
Women come to SustainHer because they want conversations that help them think, decide and act.
They include business owners, founders, professionals and women leading teams, organisations and growing businesses.
They value:
- honest experience;
- practical insight;
- thoughtful conversation;
- ideas they can apply to their own circumstances;
- generosity rather than self-promotion.
Your role is to help them see something more clearly because you were willing to share what experience has taught you.
What you gain from the experience
Speaking at SustainHer gives you an opportunity to contribute your knowledge in a room designed for meaningful conversation.
It can also give you the opportunity to:
- share your expertise with an engaged community of women in business;
- build genuine relationships within the Adelaide Hills and Barossa business communities;
- have a deeper conversation about your work and experience than many conventional speaking formats allow;
- contribute to another woman’s business, leadership or personal growth;
- become part of the wider SustainHer community and the conversations we are building together.
We care about creating an experience that is valuable for the women listening and worthwhile for the person giving their time to speak.
Who we are looking for
A strong SustainHer speaker usually brings four things into the room.
Substance
You can speak beyond the polished outcome and explore the decisions, challenges, mistakes, turning points and lessons that shaped what you know today.
Generosity
You are willing to share in a way that serves the people listening and gives them something useful to take away.
Alignment
You are comfortable contributing to a room where respect, personal responsibility, thoughtful conversation, confidentiality and an absence of judgement matter.
If that sounds like you, we would genuinely like to hear from you.
Apply to Speak at SustainHerHow it works
Apply
Tell us about your experience, expertise and the conversation you believe you could bring to SustainHer.
The application should take approximately 5–10 minutes.
Review
We consider your application alongside upcoming events, the needs of our community, previous topics and our speaker schedule.
An application expresses your interest and does not guarantee a speaking invitation.
Conversation
If we see a potential fit, Odette will contact you for an informal conversation.
We will explore your experience, the audience and where your story or expertise might fit within SustainHer.
Prepare
If we agree to proceed, we will shape the conversation with you before the event.
You will receive the event information and preparation guidance you need, and we will agree on the direction of the conversation.
Speak
Then you join us for a thoughtful conversation with women who are there because they genuinely want to learn, connect and grow.
Where you could speak
Adelaide Hills
Serving women from Mount Barker and communities throughout the Adelaide Hills.
Barossa
Serving women in business throughout the Barossa and surrounding areas.
We may also invite speakers to contribute to other SustainHer events, programs and conversations as suitable opportunities arise.
You can tell us which locations and opportunities interest you in your application.
A few things to know before you apply
Are SustainHer speaking opportunities paid?
Most SustainHer Connect guest speaker appearances are voluntary community contributions.
Where a different arrangement applies, this will be discussed with you before the engagement is confirmed.
Do I need to be a professional speaker?
No. We are looking for useful experience, subject-matter knowledge and people who communicate generously. The facilitated format means you do not need to arrive with a polished keynote.
Can I talk about my business?
Yes, where it is relevant to your experience and the conversation.
The focus of a SustainHer guest session is providing value to the women in the room rather than delivering a sales presentation.
Will the event be photographed or recorded?
SustainHer events may be photographed, filmed or recorded for marketing, promotional, digital content and archival purposes.
If you are invited to speak, the relevant media and event terms will be provided before your participation is confirmed.
Your experience may be useful to someone you have never met.
Perhaps you learned something through building a business.
Perhaps your industry has given you a perspective most people never see.
Perhaps there was a decision, mistake, breakthrough or season that permanently changed the way you work or lead.
If sharing what you have learned could help another woman think more clearly, make a better decision or take her next step, tell us about it.
We can shape the conversation together.
Apply to Speak
Tell us a little about yourself and what you could bring to the SustainHer community.
The application takes approximately 5–10 minutes.
Submitting an application does not create an agreement or guarantee a speaking opportunity. Information submitted will be used to assess potential speaking opportunities and communicate with you about your application.
