Heather Mylan-Mains brings a rare combination to the stage - the analytical precision of a 20-year business analysis career and the deeply human insight of someone who has walked through grief, forgiveness, and transformation. Whether she is speaking to a room of business professionals or a faith community, her audiences leave with practical tools, renewed courage, and a fresh perspective on what's possible.
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A moment from her keynote, Emotional Intelligence in an AI World
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Lessons from a Life on Fire: Unwrapping Possibility
When a coworker told Heather Mylan-Mains at her late husband’s visitation he didn't understand how she came to work every day with a smile while dealing with a partner with mental illness and addiction, her answer became the foundation of this keynote: "We always have a choice. And I chose to be happy." Drawing on more than twenty years as a business analyst and the hardest season of her own life, Heather reframes forgiveness — often dismissed as a soft skill — as the most practical advantage a leader can build. Through vivid, real stories from the workplace and her own home, she shows audiences exactly what resentment is costing their teams, what forgiveness actually is (and isn't), and how leaders who practice it unlock faster-moving, more honest, more resilient teams.
Audiences leave with more than inspiration — they leave with something to do differently on Monday morning. This keynote is emotionally resonant without ever losing its edge of practicality, making it a fit for corporate leadership offsites, HR and organizational development conferences, and professional development events that want a speaker who can move a room and still deliver a concrete takeaway. Heather's message, delivered with warmth, humor, and hard-won honesty, leaves planners with a speaker their audience will still be talking about long after the closing session ends.
Emotional Intelligence in an AI World
People are a complex mix of experiences and emotions as well as logic and reason. Emotional intelligence (EI) was on Plato’s mind 2000 years ago when he wrote “All learning has an emotional base. Learning to understand our own and others emotions is vital as we leverage the capabilities of AI. Machines excel in data analysis and logical reasoning that will replace some human tasks; however, they will not replace understanding the complexity of human emotions. Developing skills in self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation and social skills is vital in the world of AI. We will explore how to leverage EI capabilities in the AI World through understanding the impact of AI on people. We are responsible for guiding organizations to use AI to benefit the business and the people impacted by changes due to AI.
Perfect for: corporate leadership and change-management events, HR and organizational development conferences, technology and innovation summits, business analysis, project management or product ownership gatherings, and any audience navigating how to lead people well through AI-driven change.
Mastering the Art of Feedback
There is a lot of talk about self-managed teams and high performing teams. One thing that is a must for teams and companies to achieve success is to master giving and receiving feedback. Some think feedback is given from manager to an employee behind closed doors. Some can’t stand feedback because it always makes him or her feel like he or she did something wrong. Heather is here to tell you that feedback is so much more. If feedback is given in the right way and received in the right way, you and your team can improve and accomplish anything. If you master giving feedback, you will be sought after and be viewed as a trusted partner with your business stakeholders and team. If you are open to receiving feedback the same results happen. This is helpful for anyone and critical for business analysts who rely on relationship building as a foundation to their work.
Perfect for: team leadership and management training, corporate communication workshops, self-managed and high-performing team retreats, HR and personal development events, and business analysis, project management, and product ownership conferences — and truly anyone who talks to people, since giving and receiving feedback well is a skill everyone can use.
Conquering Conversations
In a world with more ways to connect than ever — texting, video, social media, email — we've somehow forgotten how to have a simple conversation. In this engaging, story-driven talk, Heather Mylan-Mains shows audiences that conversation isn't a personality trait — it's a learnable skill anyone can master.
Drawing on her own journey from writing letters and answering corded phones to navigating today's hyper-connected world, Heather breaks conversation down into three simple, practical steps: crafting a memorable introduction, asking open-ended questions that invite connection, and mastering the "verbal volleyball" of genuine back-and-forth dialogue. Along the way, she shares two key cautions — don't interrupt, and don't hog the ball — that transform stilted small talk into real connection.
Audiences leave equipped with a prepared introduction, a set of go-to questions, and the confidence to put their phones down and give someone the gift of real conversation.
Perfect for: professional development events, women's conferences, corporate training, faith-based gatherings, and any audience ready to rediscover the art of genuine human connection.
Real Joy Waits on the Other Side
A Fireside on Forgiveness, Healing, and Grace
Heather shares her own deeply personal journey — a broken childhood, divorces, and the loss of her husband to suicide — to guide audiences through her FORGIVE framework: a path from carrying old wounds to finding real, lasting joy. Through vulnerable storytelling and gospel teaching, she walks through feeling the hurt honestly, understanding the healing power of the Atonement, learning what repentance truly means, seeing others (and ourselves) the way God does, and the often-overlooked step of forgiving ourselves.
This isn't a talk about pretending pain away — it's an invitation to release it. Heather's message is simple and hard-won: forgiveness doesn't mean reconciling or excusing what happened; it means setting yourself free from the weight of it. And that freedom is available to anyone willing to take the first small step.
Perfect for: firesides, singles conferences, faith-based retreats, and any gathering seeking a message of hope, healing, and grace grounded in gospel teaching.
Leading through Change
Change is constant in our lives. As project professionals, there is nothing that we are part of that isn’t a change. Some of us approach change with excitement and joy, others are fearful and angry when faced with change. We need to understand what change means to our stakeholders and how to lead them through the changes. There are steps that we can take to plan, prepare and manage changes. With the right approach and tools, we can enable our stakeholders to be champions for change. Business analysis is the people business, and people are key to our success. Join me to discuss a framework to manage change and lead people through it. This is a key skillset in our world of constant change!
Perfect for: business analysis, project management, and product ownership conferences, change management and organizational development events, and any team or leader navigating constant change and looking for practical tools to bring stakeholders along.