Henna Pryor

AI isn’t replacing your soft skills – it’s revealing how badly we need them.

In a workplace racing toward automation, many worry AI will strip our interactions of humanity, flattening communication into transactional exchanges. But here's the surprising flip: AI, when used intentionally, can become an unexpected ally in strengthening relationships. 

In this energizing keynote, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor reveals how AI acts like a “prescription lens” that sharpens empathy, clarity, and emotional presence at work. Instead of letting automation dilute human connection, Henna shows leaders and teams how to wield AI as a tool to design connection - not just hope for it. Audiences will discover how to role-play tough conversations, catch blind spots in tone, personalize outreach at scale, and, most importantly, stay deliberately, courageously human in a high-tech world. 

After this keynote, you’ll be able to:

Use AI to prepare for high-stakes conversations with greater empathy and clarity

Spot and correct tone misfires before they derail trust

Personalize your communication at scale without losing authenticity

Strengthen your “human edge” to stand out in an AI-driven workplace

Because in today’s workplace, the edge won’t go to the ones who automate the fastest - it’ll go to the ones who stay deeply human and use AI to prove it.
 

AI can't make you persuasive – but it can make you unstoppable.

We’re living in an age of AI-generated noise: more emails, more pitches, more content... but we've known for years that more noise doesn’t equal more influence. Can we actually use technology to help? 

In this provocative keynote, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor shows why real influence still comes down to trust, relevance, and emotional connection – and how AI (when used wisely) can amplify all three. Audiences will learn to harness AI as their ultimate persuasion partner: a backstage coach that sharpens messaging, flags emotional cues, role-plays pushback, and tailors outreach without losing our uniquely human edge. 

With her trademark blend of humor, sharp insight, and actionable tools, Henna empowers professionals with the cutting-edge techniques to rise above the noise, earn trust, spark buy-in, and influence even when they’re not in the room. 

After this keynote, you’ll be able to:

Use AI to sharpen and tailor your messaging for maximum impact

Identify and address emotional cues and hidden objections

Prepare for resistance and pushback with confidence

Balance authenticity with technology to build trust and spark buy-in

Because in a world where anyone can automate a message, the real power lies with those who can make it matter.
 

Advances in technology have made it easy to avoid real – and sometimes difficult – human interaction. While texting, online ordering, and “swiping right” is convenient, we’re losing the skills of relating to others, building trust and connection, and enduring the critical friction and messiness we get from being in proximity to each other. This new reality is weakening our social muscles and slowly destroying our ability to have the conversations needed to connect at the highest level, take smart risks, and navigate today’s increasingly complicated world of work.

Navigating uncertain times sounds obvious enough, but most of us have a hard time moving from wishful thinking to execution. Why? Because when we stumble through those moments, we feel awkward – and that awkwardness bumps up against our deep desire for others to approve of us and what we do. As it turns out, it’s what we improve in the face of these moments – often despite others’ judgment – that leads to the greatest growth.

Join world-renowned keynote speaker, Inc. Magazine columnist, and Workplace Performance Expert, Henna Pryor, to learn how embracing the Good Awkward is your secret weapon for skyrocketing teamwork, speaking up boldly and effectively, and strengthening your adversity muscle.

Good Awkward helps you unlock your highest level of power and influence to navigate the world around you. Audiences will leave feeling more confident, equipped to build stronger teams, and ready to lead to their highest potential, all wrapped in the laughter and relatability her audiences can’t get enough of.

After this keynote, you’ll be able to:

* Pinpoint the exact reason it’s been difficult to take risks and embrace change – and how to move past it
* Use deliberate discomfort and strategic microstressors to rebuild our social and risk-taking muscles
* Create a custom plan for collaborating, speaking up, sharing ideas, and being brave and change-ready whenever the chance arises

In the modern workplace, the psychology for creating new actions, influence, inspiration, and navigating through uncertainty has changed. We need to take a new approach to create new actions in our teammates and in ourselves, to persuade prospects, to have difficult conversations, and to maximize opportunities for partnership.

If you’ve ever found yourself facing resistance to your ideas – you’re not alone. Even when we have a great idea that will affect enormous change, we don’t always get the reaction – or action – we’re hoping for.

That’s because we spend the majority of our energy making our ideas and changes more compelling, more interesting, more attractive — pouring on the fuel — that we rarely discover the frictions that are working against us, and all humans have them.

In this interactive session, join 2x TEDx and Global Keynote Speaker, Author, and Workplace Performance Expert, Henna Pryor, to uncover and explore the 3 specific reasons why people resist change, and more importantly, concrete strategies to overcome them so we can move our ideas, initiatives, team members, prospects, and mission forward.

After this keynote, you’ll be able to:

* Shift away from problem-solving to a more valuable strategy
* Understand how being the “expert” is hurting your influence instead of helping
* Position your idea from several new angles that increase trust and get the green light you need for people to say yes