Elevating women to advance, thrive, and lead with grounded confidence
Elevate is a two-day, in-person intensive program designed to directly address four of the most pressing and persistent challenges women face in the workplace today:
Confidence, Career Advancement, Communication, and Burnout & Balance
Elevate goes beyond the typical training program.
Participants will dive deep to rewrite the unspoken rules that hold women back, so they can drive results and show up with confidence, power, and presence.
They’ll walk away with practical tools to overcome doubt and imposter syndrome, increase their influence and executive presence, manage stress and energy, prioritize on the areas of greatest impact, and with a plan to take the next step in their career.
If you want to support women and increase business results, Elevate is your program.
Email Heather directly at heather@heatherwhelpley.com or click on the button below to discuss bringing Elevate to your organization!
“Heather recently led a training program for us. It was outstanding! What's more, participants reported greater confidence, speaking up more often, and even applying for promotions as a direct result of this program.”
Sarah Moran, former Learning & Development Manager at The Toro Company
Are women in your organization…
✔️ Holding back from promotions, stretch roles, or leadership opportunities?
✔️ Experiencing burnout, exhaustion, or disengagement?
✔️ Questioning their abilities or underestimating their readiness for advancement?
✔️ Struggling to influence, manage up, or build executive presence?
✔️ Saying “yes” to too much, reducing focus, productivity, and impact?
✔️ Missing opportunities to build networks and relationships that support retention?
Elevate tackles these challenges head-on by equipping women to build grounded confidence, advance their careers, strengthen communication, and improve balance.
The Results: Higher engagement, stronger retention, and greater impact on the business.
Organizations that invest in women’s leadership programs see a 2.5x return on their investment through improved performance and reduced turnover.
Bersin by Deloitte, 2021
Elevate Program Overview
Day One: Confidence
We begin Elevate by addressing one of the most significant barriers to women’s advancement: Confidence. Too often, talented women hold back because of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or the unspoken rules that undermine their voices. In this session, participants uncover and challenge those barriers while building practical strategies to strengthen confidence, quiet the inner critic, and step into opportunities with courage.
The result: Women who contribute more fully, take on stretch roles, and accelerate their career growth.
Day One: Career Advancement
Women often hesitate to pursue advancement until they feel 100% “ready,” which can slow their progression and limit organizational pipelines. This session helps participants clarify what they truly want in their careers, align those goals with both organizational needs and their personal lives, and build the networks and sponsors that are critical to advancement.
The result: Women who proactively drive their careers and strengthen the company’s leadership pipeline.
Day Two: Communication
Communication is a key differentiator for career growth and business impact, yet women often receive conflicting feedback that they are too direct, aggressive, or emotional - or that they need to be more confident, bold, and assertive - or both! In this session, participants will learn practical tools to master tough talks, increase executive presence, communicate with influence, and manage up effectively.
The result: Women who speak with clarity, build trust, and influence outcomes across teams and customers.
Day Two: Balance & Burnout
Burnout and overwork are major drivers of disengagement and turnover, especially among women balancing multiple demands. What’s more, Gallup recently reported that women are experiencing record levels of burnout - and that women who maintain a healthy balance are more likely to be engaged at work and less likely to be actively looking for a new job. This final part of Elevate goes beyond the typical self-care advice and gives participants practical, tangible strategies to manage energy, release stress, and focus on high-impact priorities.
The result: Women who sustain their energy, improve wellbeing, and remain engaged and committed to delivering results for the business.
What makes Elevate different?
High ROI
In surveys of nearly 1,800 people, 99% of participants have found Heather’s sessions valuable. Outcomes include higher confidence, applying for promotions and leadership roles, and increased idea sharing.
Customized
Heather conducts thorough industry research and interviews with both employees and leaders. She also meets with executives to share program results and insights. You can be assured this program will speak your language and meet your specific challenges and goals.
Practical
Elevate is designed for on the job application. Participants will walk away with tangible tools they can use immediately and as they advance in their career. Heather also meets with managers to discuss how they can support application after the training.
Interactive
No death by PowerPoint here! Heather’s trainings are high-energy and utilize group discussions, self-reflection, and activities to keep participants engaged and build stronger relationships among women at your organization.
Hi! I’m Heather
For over ten years I worked at Cargill and Ameriprise in HR, leadership development, and change management roles at corporate headquarters, production facilities, and offices in the U.S. and Australia. I managed development programs specifically for high-achieving women. After I started my business, I worked with women across a huge variety of roles and companies.
Everywhere I went, I saw the same story: Amazing women who questioned themselves. Who felt like they could never disappoint anyone. Who believed they had to make everything perfect and prove themselves again and again. Who worried about being too direct - while at the same time needing to be seen as confident. Who felt like they didn't know enough to share their great idea or go for the promotion, even though they were highly qualified.
It wasn't just them. I felt it myself too. And I wanted to do something about it.
I’m on a mission to equip women to live, work, and lead with grounded confidence and to break the unwritten rules that lead us AWAY from that confidence.
I do that through speaking at women’s conferences and events, executive coaching, and leadership development programs like Elevate. I’m also the author of two award-winning books, An Overachiever’s Guide to Breaking the Rules and Grounded Wildness: Break Free from Performing Your Life and Start Living It. A Minnesota native, I now live in Colorado and love hiking and exploring as much as possible. You can find the full story about my background on the About Page or LinkedIn.
Testimonials From Past Clients
“Participants called the session inspiring, encouraging, and engaging. She went beyond the typical motivational keynote and provided actionable takeaways to deal with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Everyone left feeling energized and confident!”
— Sheena Frech, VP of Education, Tennessee Bankers Association
“I can’t say enough great things about Heather’s presentation on Discover Your Authentic Voice. We received actionable tools to confidently take up the space we need to communicate with presence and power. We all left feeling empowered to speak up and take a seat at the table!”
— Will Kulesza, Sr. Supply Manager, Kellanova
“There were so many "a-ha" moments in Heather’s keynote on Discover Your Authentic Voice. I was flooded with positive feedback from employees after her session, with people saying that It really made difference and left the session feeling better prepared to contribute, connect and deliver for their team and themselves."
— Revthi Lakhole Singh, Motorola Solutions
“I share my voice with more confidence at work - and I get recognized for it. I've learned I can be authentic and powerful at the same time.”
— Coaching client Meghan Ryan, Chief Audit Officer, Ally Bank
“When I started working with Heather, I was overwhelmed. Through coaching, I learned to focus on where I can have the most impact. I now know I don't have to do it all -- and I don't have to be perfect while doing it. I've stopped second guessing myself so often. My life has changed since I started this journey.”
— Coaching client Michelle Maddix-Sorvero, Head of Innovation and Strategy for US Immunology, UCB Pharmaceuticals
“Heather's presentation for our Women's Business Resource Groups was insightful, inspiring, and captivating! I would love to bring her back for another event!”
— Kristine Holtzer, Field Engineer, Mortenson
“Heather's presentations on imposter syndrome for our Women's Leadership Forum were incredible! Feedback from the session has been fantastic, with participants calling the event thought-provoking, engaging, and inspiring. Word spread so quickly that people across the company immediately inquired about how they could share the session with their broader teams. It doesn't get much better than that!”
— Brittany Dvorak, Sr. Director of Talent & Development, Cargill
“I highly recommend Heather as a speaker for any organization looking to inspire their team to let go of perfectionism, find their authentic voice, and reach their full potential.”
— Emily Honerbrink, Women in STEM network chair, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
“It was incredible to see the vulnerability our employees shared BECAUSE of the brave and open space Heather immediately created with the group. In our post-event survey, 100% of employees said they plan to use the tools from the session in their ongoing development!”n
— Sarah Strehl, Chief Human Resources Office, ECMC Group
“Within three weeks after the event, two women in the group applied for senior roles and directly attributed the imposter syndrome session in their decision to apply.”
— Lisa Propati, VP and General Manager, Promach
“Heather’s coaching wasn’t just about tackling immediate challenges but also about fostering a mindset geared toward long-term impact. Her guidance has been instrumental in my journey as a changemaker, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking to transform their leadership and drive real, positive change.”
— Coaching client Carliss Miller, Corporate DEI Leader
“Working with Heather was the most valuable investment in my career and self-confidence I could have made. Working with Heather gave me the strength to reprioritize and establish healthy boundaries and has empowered me to relinquish the constant need for control and perfection”
— Coaching client Helen Farrelly, Sustainability Manager, Cargill
