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Whatever’s going on in your team or in your company…
- You’re tired of team-building events, but your team needs a shot of inspiration and fresh thinking.
- You’re baffled on how to tackle tough conversations — underperforming team members, returning to the office in the fall, and sharing opinions and ideas with your team.
- You’re reading about “empathy at work” on LinkedIn and in leadership articles but you’re worried about how unproductive it’ll be when everyone’s a walking emotional mess.
Are you wondering where to start when it comes to Leading with Empathy?
You’ve come to the right place.
Below are a few of the topics I talk to leaders, teams and organizations about.
Hi, I’m Erin Thorp.
I’m an Author, Speaker, and Coach for leaders who struggle with conflict, communication, and performance during high-stress times. I support them in navigating difficult conversations, building powerful teams, and communicating with empathy so that they can lead confidently.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Calgary, am an Associate Certified Coach through Integral Coaching Canada and have over 20 years of experience leading construction projects and teams.
In 2017, I authored Inside Out Empathy, and began speaking and coaching about using the superpower of empathy to build effective teams. I share my own stories of leadership and what I learned along the way. It's the book I wish I had when I was just starting out.
I’m committed to discovering your leader within and supporting you to lead with impact — from the inside out.
Some potential topics we can cover:
Inside Out Empathy
Building Better Teams in a Hybrid Workplace
Burnout-Proof Your Life
Creating Authentic Success in the Great Resignation Age
Burnout-Proof Your Life
Speaking about empathy at these forward-thinking companies …












Inside Out Empathy
Keynote | 45 minute Lunch & Learn | 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop | Team Training
We see empathy on the list of almost every workplace’s values, yet it’s the competitive edge most executives ignore. While many leaders are trying to fix, blame or minimize, the ones embracing empathy as their superpower are enjoying stronger connections with their colleagues — emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally.
This session is great for those recently promoted to a leadership position or who have been in the seat for many years. Get the tools you need to start doing empathy right away.
What to expect:
- Discover what empathy is and is not
- Learn the top 5 empathy skills for success
- What to do when empathy goes sideways
- An empathy toolkit for immediate implementation
*This session is based on Erin’s book by the same name, Inside Out Empathy, which debuted as an Amazon #1 best seller in 2017.
Building Better Teams in a Hybrid Workplace
Keynote | 45 minute Lunch & Learn
For the first time, many industries are making the hybrid workplace work. If your teams experience challenges while working remotely, on a job site, or in the office, a hybrid situation will only turn up the volume on those issues.
Whether your team is face-to-face or in a Zoom room, empathy is the secret weapon that will bridge the gap between workforce experience and cultures. Your teams can deliver results and build meaningful relationships.
Build your better team and learn:
- What an inclusive and diverse group really looks like
- The role empathic leadership plays in building trust and increasing inclusion
- Doable ways to start practicing empathic leadership today
Tackling Tough Conversations with Confidence
Keynote | 45 minute Lunch & Learn | 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop | Team Training
Conversations about missed deadlines, quality of work, misunderstandings, expectations, and feedback can feel awkward and uncomfortable. Worse, many leaders avoid them altogether, leaving much unsaid, doing more harm than good, and costing companies millions in lost production, turnover, and disengagement.
Are you a leader who uses email or text instead of phone or face-to-face communication for tough conversations? You know, the ones where there might be conflict or tough news to deliver — and you’re finding it’s not effective? Messages are misinterpreted, blown out of proportion, feelings get hurt, and relationships are damaged.
Step out from behind the screen and learn:
- How to not only get through but feel confident in every challenging conversation
- The top 3 secrets to preparing for any difficult situation
- The art and science of giving and receiving meaningful feedback
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Creating Authentic Success in the Great Resignation Age
Keynote | 45 minute Lunch & Learn | 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop | Team Training
It’s not that your people dislike working — it’s that they want meaningful work and growth. Your people have ambition for more than just a paycheck.
Authentic success is totally possible when we know ourselves well enough to be brave and show up as our real selves instead of adjusting to fit in. As leaders, it’s important to create an inclusive environment where people feel seen and accepted.
Create a workplace with meaning and discover:
- How to listen to your inner knowing
- What that discomfort in the pit of your stomach might be trying to tell you
- Why success looks different to everyon
Burnout-Proof Your Life
Keynote | 45 minute Lunch & Learn | 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop | Team Training
The hybrid workplace has its benefits. On the flip side, one of the biggest downsides is working all the time. It’s hard to disconnect from work when the lines of family and work are blurry.
Success and ambition are fantastic fuel sources for getting ahead — but at what cost? Busyness is often celebrated, and the price we pay is burnout. Today it’s entirely within our control to make meaningful contributions without forfeiting our health, our family, or our hobbies. Let Erin show you how!
Learn how to be a high performer while:
- Getting ahead of burnout and stopping it before it starts
- Recognizing the early warning signs of burnout
- Setting and enforcing boundaries for individual success
Interested and have some questions?
There are currently five generations in our workforce from various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds working together towards common goals. To build high-performance teams, ones that leverage diversity and foster a sense of belonging, we need to embrace our least-talked-about superpower — empathy.
As an engineer turned speaker, Erin gets it. She brings jam-packed sessions with actionable strategies, hilarious stories, and relatable anecdotes to come back to long after the discussion ends.
The topics above are starting points, and every talk is fully customizable for your audience.
Book a call using the link below and let’s talk!
Everyday Empathy
5 Practices to Build Empathy Skills
You’ve heard a lot about empathy in leadership. The only problem is that you’re not sure where to start or what empathy in leadership even looks like.
Understanding empathy and implementing empathy are two entirely different things.
And contrary to most beliefs, empathy IS NOT an innate trait that you’re either born with or not. Nope. Kick that belief to the curb. Empathy is a skill that you can learn, develop and strengthen. Think of empathy like a muscle, similar to our biceps, we all have them — some are just stronger than others.