ELISA HAYS

•••

empathy evangelist • motivational memoirist • disability diva • sassy seminarian

“I have known and booked Elisa as a speaker for a number of years and can state without equivocation that all of her presentations have resulted in standing ovations and rave reviews from attendees.” – Kelly Ross, President, Western Advocates

Sometimes life hits you like a truck.

Sometimes there’s an actual truck.

ARE YOU A LEADER?

Mermaid hair makes everything better. Take that pandemic!

Pretty white woman with teal-colored hair, a striped swearing, large black frame glasses.Sitting in an office chair

Hi, I’m Elisa Hays.

I had a 30-year career as an actor, director, dancer, choreographer, teacher, inventor, and CEO of an innovative entertainment company that has impacted the lives of millions . . .

. . . but I wasn’t sure I was a leader.

Are you?

On an icy road near Blackwell, Oklahoma, a truck collided with me and two of my employees…then I got my answer.

The BIG STORY.

In 2014 half my rear end was removed in an ICU while surgeons raced to save my life. I’m literally a half-assed amputee. Saving my life took more than 20 major surgeries, including a high-risk kidney transplant, at 7 hospitals in 4 states spanning the North American continent.

I was on a cross country business trip in the middle of an ice storm when the Ford F250 I was driving slid on the highway. Two young women staff members looked to me for leadership. After rapidly evacuating them first, an 18-wheeler truck going 65mph hit my body. I wasn’t in a vehicle when it hit me. The impact launched me 90 feet through the air and left me impaled, on a guardrail.

My 30-year career in the entertainment industry was over.

I discovered that leadership isn’t about what you do. Job titles don’t make leaders. Leadership is about who you are, in choices practiced daily, that show up when you confront adversity.

Today I teach 4 specific actions that, when taken consistently in all things big and small, will catapult you from surviving to service, and toughing it out to triumph.

I show how these 4 actions will enable you to leverage adversity and transform you from simply someone in a position of authority to a genuine leader who makes an Extraordinary IMPACT.

MEET ME & MY MESSAGE.

Past President, NSA Northwest

Certified ADA Coordinator

WHO I WORK WITH.

I speak for and work with organizations who want a devoted community of employees and patrons… even when life hits them like a truck.

Wide range of industries: healthcare, dental, nutrition, transportation, fairs and festivals, sports arenas, women’s groups, faith based organizations, meeting professionals, and others.

Customizable programs:
• IMPACT: A Crash Course In Extraordinary Leadership
• Radical Resilience: How to keep rolling when life knocks you down…again…and again
• Beyond the ADA: Create devoted fans by inviting, including, and impressing people of all abilities

Keynote Speeches & Breakout Sessions

Empathy & Communication Training

ADA & Inclusion Consulting

Executive Coaching

TESTIMONIALS.

“The best leadership framework I have seen!”

Alan PhillipsDirector Shasta District Fair

“Great presentation, laughed and cried.”

Sarah PenceSan Mateo County Event Center

“I feel a whole lot more grateful for what I have.”

Melissa DeMonacoDirector of Sales L.A. County Fairplex

“Elisa is a lively, humorous, real person. The ability to laugh at herself is her greatest strength. We all could learn to be more humble.”

Mark SadlerDirector of Marketing

IMPACT: A Crash Course in Leadership.

Almost all clients start with my Signature Keynote.
Customization, deeper dive breakouts and follow-up programs are all available.
Let’s talk, like regular humans, to craft the best solution for you.

“This was the most inspirational talk I have ever been to.”

Jonathan WilesPresident, Western Division

WHAT I LEARNED.

I left my home in Puyallup, Washington headed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. My company put on shows at state and county fairs around the country. Just as I crossed into Oklahoma, three vehicles collided with my truck. First an 18-wheeler, then a Toyota Sequoia SUV, and finally another 18-wheeler traveling 65 miles per hour hit my body as I attempted to run to safety.

Here’s what I learned.

Courage
In the moments before the impact, I got lesson number one in my crash course in leadership. I discovered what separates a genuine leader from someone in a position of authority. When faced with a choice, put others first…and, if necessary, be willing to take the hit.
Comedy
I had broken ribs, a collapsed lung, punctured diaphragm, lacerated kidneys, broken hand, broken leg, head trauma. My pelvis was folded in half, shattered, and the tailbone pulverized. Shortly after waking from a coma, I understood intuitively that to reassure those around me, nothing works better than laughter. To be the leader people can’t resist, you must be willing, under pressure, to get a laugh and inspire others to do the same.
Creativity
Solving almost any personal or business challenge requires creativity, and what fosters creativity, is a combination of pressure and curiosity. I have substantial experience with both. The simplest and surest way for leaders to invite more curiosity, collaboration and innovation is to ask What if . . . .
Compassion
Once I’m out of the hospital, in my nifty new wheelchair, I go to the closest coffee bar and order an iced grande latte with extra room in a venti cup, double cupped—so I can hold it between my knees in my wheelchair. The woman repeats the request to the barista who promptly puts the cup, full to the brim, on the high counter where I can’t reach it. I feel defeated and humiliated because I can’t even carry a cup of coffee. And then it comes to me. That barista believes her job is efficiency. It’s not. Her job, our job, is to make our customers feel great. Only when we focus on feelings can we create extraordinary experiences in our customers, clients and internal community.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

If you want to take part in a new kind of leadership, please invite me to your next event and allow me to share my story.

In a way, my keynote isn’t about me, but about how you can lead by leveraging any adversity with four powerful actions—put others first, get a laugh, ask what if, and focus on feelings. By using these simple actions you can transform your life, create star performers, and refashion your organization.

Put Others First

Get A Laugh

Ask What If

Focus On Feelings

LET’S CONNECT.

I would like to share my story with your community or organization. Through keynote speeches, trainings, and executive coaching I share my expertise in leadership, resilience, disability inclusion, and communication skills.

Want to know fees? Please call so I can ask a few questions, then give you a proposal. I have a solution to fit almost every budget. Traveling from Seattle, WA.

Schedule a phone call. It’s easy; choose a time convenient for you.

Meeting Planners: I like to make things easy. Click these links for downloadable materials.

Elisa Hays
ph: +1 971-251-0807
elisa@elisahays.com
www.ElisaHays.com

Send a note to me using the form below. It will come to me personally and I will respond personally.

“I am still receiving amazing feedback!”

Suzanne Hankinsmeeting planner

Want to know a little more?

I began speaking, training and business consulting in 1999 while building Let’s Pretend Entertainment, an Internationally touring entertainment company. Going way back, I put in ten years acting in stage and film productions.

In 2012 I invented a new system for hand washing based on principles of play and human psychology. As the founder of Hygienics Innovation, LLC I received patents-pending in the U.S. and Canada. My company built and sold large mobile attractions called Sudsy’s Barn™ that have received awards and wide acclaim as an innovative hygiene solution at events spanning North America.

“An important yet serious message conveyed in a fun and uplifting manner.”

Jo PhillipsManager, Sales

“I was an EMT for 10 years. People like you are why people like me donate our time.”

Larry SpencerEMT Technician