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This post is all about female motivational speakers.
Top Female Motivational Speakers
Here are the top 25 female motivational speakers, in no particular order.
1. Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins has a Ted Talk called “How to stop screwing yourself over” and that title sums up her personality quite nicely. She’s straightforward and passionate, but also very compassionate.
She cares about helping people, as evidenced by the books she has published in the last few years.
She wrote a book called “The 5 Second Rule” that was published in 2017, and this book is all about how you can stop negative self-talk, self-doubt, and struggle in general with a simple but science-backed 5 second countdown.
Mostly recently, she wrote a book called “The High 5 Habit” which is quite literally about high-fiving yourself. The idea is that we’d be much better off if we cheered for ourselves as much as we cheer for others.
Mel Robbins is seemingly down-to-earth, a family person, and well connected in the personal development space. She often posts motivational videos on her Instagram.
2. Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant is a motivational speaker who is dedicated to her audience’s personal and spiritual growth.
She had her own TV show called “Iyanla, Fix My Life” that ran from 2012 to 2021. In this show, Iyanla has deep conversations with her guests to, you guessed it, help fix their lives.
You can stream full episodes of her TV show now on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
She is also a relationship expert according to the Oprah Winfrey Network even though she has had three failed marriages. She opens up about this and candidly discusses why she won’t get married again in this interview.
Iyanla Vanzant helps people do things like heal ancestral patterns, cultivate abundance and wealth, navigate relationships, and much more.
She has various resources to help her audience members through these things and more on her website.
3. Marie Forleo
Marie Forleo is a motivational speaker that seems to run in the same group of people like Brendon Burchard, Lewis Howes, Mel Robbins, etc.
She has a TV show called MarieTV with over 50 million views, a podcast called The Marie Forleo Podcast with over 10 million downloads, and has been named by Oprah to be a “thought leader for the next generation.”
She’s written two books, with her most recent one, Everything Is Figureoutable, being the most successful. In this book, Marie teaches her readers that with a change of mindset and a little optimism, you can overcome addiction, grow your business, heal a relationship – anything.
Marie Forleo is a breath of fresh air, a positive force, and an inspiring leader making her the perfect speaker.
4. Lizzie Velasquez
Another top motivational speaker is Lizzie Velasquez. Lizzie Velasquez was once called the “ugliest woman in the world”, by internet trolls, of course.
She was born with a condition called Marfanoid-progeroid-lipodystrophy syndrome that makes it difficult for her to gain weight or put on body fat, among other things. She is also blind in one eye.
Now, Lizzie is an anti-bullying activist, social media personality, author, and motivational speaker. She has a Ted Talk called “How Do YOU Define Yourself?”.
This video clip is about 13 minutes long and amazing. She talks about how she overcame bullying and how, over time, she realized that her appearance and her syndrome didn’t have to define her.
5. Rachel Hollis
Rachel Hollis is a mom of four, entrepreneur, podcast host, best-selling author, and more.
Over the last almost-20 years, she has transformed her life from food blogger to business mogul, thanks to her best-selling book “Girl Wash Your Face”.
This book has sold almost 5 million copies, and propelled Rachel Hollis to success.
Over the last few years, her podcast has grown in popularity, and she has hosted various self-improvement conferences, mainly for women from all over the world.
Nowadays, she goes on smaller tours to reach different audiences, and continues to be a motivational force on her podcast.
6. Jamie Kern Lima
Jamie Kern Lima is a woman who has overcome rejection time and time again, and is one of the most inspirational female speakers.
She started her own makeup company, IT Cosmetics, with a mission to create makeup for women who looked like her.
Flash forward many years of hard work and failure later, and she sold her company to Maybelline for over 1 billion dollars… even after people told her her makeup line would never be a success because they couldn’t see people wanting to buy makeup from a woman who “looked like her”.
Nowadays, Jamie Kern Lima can be seen on various podcasts (like this one with Ed Mylett about self-worth that I loved!) and she has also recently written a book called “Worthy” on the same topic.
Jamie Kern Lima has a soft, inviting personality, but the undertone of her message seems to be: don’t give up on your dreams, no matter who tells you they’re impossible.
7. Oprah Winfrey
To add to our list of New York Times bestsellers, we have Oprah Winfrey, who is perhaps the most famous of the female motivational speakers on this list.
Oprah Winfrey overcame a ton of trauma to get where she is now: a highly connected and respected voice of reason for people everywhere.
She had her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that ran for 25 years, starting in 1986. On this show, Oprah Winfrey would share inspirational stories and have extraordinary conversations with everyday people.
Oprah is someone that everyone seems to love and appreciate for her wisdom and relatable sense of humor and candor.
8. Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is a speaker, but also an author and a podcaster.
I have listened to her be interviewed on various podcasts, and I love her wisdom and insight around the subject of happiness.
We all want to be happier, and that is the major thing that Gretchen Rubin has dedicated her life’s work to.
I read her book “The Happiness Project” and really loved it. It was all about learning more about yourself and who you are so that you can find intentional ways to make yourself happier.
Gretchen Rubin comes off as a very personable, kind person who is passionate about finding ways that we can all be happier people.
9. Codie Sanchez
Codie Sanchez is someone I discovered recently through the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett.
I was honestly blown away by this podcast episode (no wonder it was a “most shared” episode on Spotify – meaning other people thought it was really good, too!).
Codie Sanchez is a young entrepreneur who has made her wealth by buying and selling businesses, and she encourages other people to do the same.
You don’t really hear this message for wealth building too often. Usually, people tell you to start a business or negotiate your salary or job hop, but Codie Sanchez is very confident about her methodologies, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t on the Codie Sanchez bandwagon now.
Codie Sanchez is smart, fierce, and inspiring.
10. Robyn Benincasa
If you google “most popular motivational speakers”, Robin Benincasa pops up.
I watched Robin Benincasa’s keynote for Cisco, and was instantly drawn to her personality. She’s funny, smart, likeable, and has a way of keeping you hooked, even at the most boring corporate events.
It doesn’t surprise me that she is one of the best motivational speakers in the world. You’ll have instant respect for her speaking skills, but also her experience.
She is a veteran firefighter and a world champion adventure racer.
I hadn’t really heard of adventure racing before, but it’s a race in a wild environment against multiple teams that consists of climbing ropes, hiking, white water rafting, etc.
So, in her motivational speeches, she often refers to her experiences and how they’ve impacted her mindset when it comes to winning, and how her audience can take those same lessons and apply them to their own lives.
11. Suze Orman
Suze Orman is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and financial advisor. From 2002 to 2015, she had her own show called “The Suze Orman Show” on CNBC which helped her gain popularity in the financial space.
Over time, she has written many books and has started a podcast.
If you are looking for someone to come speak and motivate your audience when it comes to personal finance, Suze Orman has many years of experience to do so effectively.
12. Carla Harris
Another one of the top female keynote speakers is Carla Harris. I have seen Carla Harris speak a few times at my past jobs, and each time I was totally wrapped up in the experience.
Carla Harris is now a Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is also a singer and an author. When she speaks, she discusses her “Carla’s Pearls” which help people have “career success across all industries using the ‘hard earned and hard learned’ lessons that she acquired during her Wall Street Career.”
Carla is funny and relatable, and one of my favorite female motivational speakers. And it’s really nice to see someone who is so successful be so down to earth and inviting.
13. Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is another one of those motivational speakers who seems to run in the same circle as people like Jenna Kutcher, Brendon Burchard, and Lewis Howes.
She is a self-proclaimed online marketing expert with, seemingly, the revenue to back it up. Her website boasts an 8-figure business with tons of students and millions of podcast downloads.
I love one page on her website where she shows a timeline of her life, including all of the failures, ups, and downs that led her to the success that she has now.
Her latest book, “Two Weeks Notice”, is all about her story and the strategies she used to quit her corporate job and build her successful business.
14. Lisa Bilyeu
Lisa Bilyeu is one of the best speakers on this list. I’ve always found her content and her story super inspiring.
She and her husband founded, and later sold for $1 billion, Quest Nutrition, which is a brand that creates healthy protein bars.
At Quest Nutrition, Lisa “took on logistics – building the company’s fulfillment department from scratch and helping facilitate the company’s rise to #2 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies.”
Not only that, but Lisa Bilyeu seems to have mastered social media and YouTube, as her videos have been viewed over 100 million times.
15. Barbara Corcoran
You may know Barbara Corcoran from he tv show Shark Tank, but she is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, and would be a great speaker to have at your next event.
In a podcast with Steven Barlett, she describes how she began to build wealth through real estate, and how she was super clever in doing so. Essentially, she started out with a $1,000 loan and grew it into a $5 billion business.
For her keynotes and speaking engagements, she specializes in “building businesses, growing teams, and surviving tough times.”
16. Amy Purdy
As a teenager, Amy Purdy was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a vaccine-preventable, blood infection.
Because of this infection, she lost her spline, kidneys, hearing in her left ear, and the lower parts of both legs.
As an avid snowboarder, she was beside herself when she was finally wheeled out of the hospital, wondering what her life would look like moving forward.
She realized that she needed to let the “Old Amy” go, and embrace a new identity.
Her Ted Talk is incredibly moving and it really makes you realize just how important it is to not only be grateful for your blessings, but also to have perspective when things don’t go your way.
Amy Purdy has tremendous public speaking skills and she will definitely leave a lasting impact on your audience.
17. Ariana Huffington
Ariana Huffington is an author of 15 books, the founder of Thrive Global, and the co-founder of the Huffington Post, an American news website.
While Ariana Huffington is by all means successful, her website states that her “personal wake-up call came in the form of a broken cheekbone and a nasty gash over her eye — the result of a fall brought on by exhaustion and lack of sleep.”
So, she went on to write a book called “Thrive” that challenges the typical measures of success in today’s world, like money and power, and encourages readers to pay attention to the things that really matter, like our health and relationships, and how you can take those things to the next level.
18. Lauryn Bosstick
Lauryn Bosstick is a blogger, entrepreneur, podcast host, author, and more.
She and her husband, Michael Bosstick, have created a social empire that is incredibly successful, mostly thanks in part to Lauren’s blogging career and the success of their podcast, The Skinny Confidential.
Each week, Lauryn and Michael Bosstick interview super interesting, oftentimes well-known personalities to discuss health, wellness, entrepreneurship, and more.
It is one of my favorite podcasts! And here’s a list of great podcasts for 20-somethings if you could use some recs.
Lauryn Bosstick is funny, clever, curious, straight-forward, and really inspiring.
19. Brené Brown
Brene Brown is a shame researcher, self-proclaimed story teller, and author of many New York Times best sellers.
Her Netflix documentary on the subject of courage is super amazing if you haven’t watched it yet (put this on your list of to-dos if not!!).
The great thing about Brene Brown (who is also an author and podcast host, by the way) is that she takes pride in being her most authentic self.
In a world where it can be really hard to put yourself out there (especially if you are someone who is trying to build an online business) she is very inspiring.
If your audience could use some wisdom on the topics of shame, courage, vulnerability, or authenticity, Brene Brown is a great candidate.
20. Molly Bloom
Another one of the most motivational women speakers is Molly Bloom.
Have you ever seen the movie Molly’s Game that stars Jessica Chastain? If not, you are in for a treat.
Molly’s Game is about a young woman who starts an incredibly high-stakes poker ring that eventually has all sorts of the world’s richest players including business owners, professional athletes, Hollywood royalty, and more.
I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say that it is based on the true story of Molly Bloom.
If you want to see an example of one of her keynotes where she talks about her experience (I highly recommend this, by the way) then check out this keynote here.
21. Jade Simmons
Jade Simmons started out as a classic concert pianist. Over time, she realized she could impact people in a different way.
Now, her website claims that not only does she speak on stages but she uses her piano talents to provide an inimitable, immersive experience for her audience.
Jade specializes in topics ranging from leadership to embracing your unique qualities to the importance of having a growth mindset.
22. Barb Stegemann
Barb Stegemann might’ve lived in her garage, but she didn’t stop there. Over time, she built the “#1 top clean + planet positive perfume brand at Sephora” called The 7 Virtues. And that’s no easy feat!
Barb Stegemann is a passionate social entrepreneur. She wants to make other peoples lives on earth better, and she wants to rebuild places that have experienced loss and destruction.
In her speeches (and in her daily life) she applies the stoic wisdom of the philosophers. This wisdom is 2400 years old, but it is still incredibly valuable, and Barb Stegemann loves to share it with anyone that will listen.
She is also a staunch supporter of standing up for yourself and shutting down naysayers.
If you are looking for a speaker that will encourage your audience to think outside the box and do good, Barb Stegemann is a great candidate in your search for female motivational speakers.
23. Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton is a retired American gymnast. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
“Beginning her presentation with footage from her awe-inspiring performance at the Olympics, she shows audiences how they, too, can perform at peak levels to achieve the professional and personal success they desire.”
Additionally, she was the first woman to appear on the Wheaties box.
If you are looking for a ground-breaking speaker to inspire people (especially women!) to attempt the impossible, Mary Lou Retton is the right speaker for you.
24. Jess Ekstrom
Jess Ekstrom is a person I found on Instagram and was immediately drawn to.
She’s been business-minded since she was just a little kid, and eventually started her first official company, Headbands of Hope.
At Headbands of Hope, for every item sold, one is donated to a child with an illness.
Her second company, Mic Drop Workshop, teaches women how to become paid speakers. Why not hire someone who teaches others to be female motivational speakers!
Jess Ekstrom is inspiring, and she wants to make the world a better place. She has multiple keynotes that she gives, so you can choose which one will work best for your audience.
25. Molly Fletcher
Molly Fletcher is a former sports agent, and she’s often referred to as the “female Jerry Maguire”.
She is the author of several books about boosting your energy, finding your dream career, being the best, negotiation techniques, and more.
She even has a Ted Talk called “Secrets of a Champion Mindset” and an awesome podcast that features people like Matthew McConaughey, Priyanka Chopra, and author of “Grit”, Angela Duckworth.
There is no shortage of value that Molly Fletcher can bring to her audience.
Final Thoughts On Female Motivational Speakers
If you are looking for powerful women to speak at your virtual events, conferences, and more, look no further than this list.
Whether you need someone to inspire your business leaders, talk about gender equality and civil rights, discuss how to unlock new heights, pursue peak performance, or just someone who will make your audience laugh, you will find the perfect person on this list of famous female public speakers.
Which of these top keynote speakers are you most interested in? Tell me below in the comments section!
This post was all about the best female motivational speakers.
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