alison young "Blissful Hiker" Keynote Speaker from Minneapolis, MN

Through the perspective of a middle-aged cancer survivor and seasoned hiker with 12,000 miles trekked across six continents, Alison Young—known as the "Blissful Hiker"—reveals essential insights for building resilience and achieving success in life, work, and leadership. With a diverse background as a world-class musician, syndicated radio host, and seasoned backpacker who has hiked over 12,000 miles across six continents, she brings a unique perspective to her presentations. Alison draws on her extensive experiences to provide invaluable insights on overcoming obstacles with strength and determination with always a light touch that's fun and engaging, making her an ideal speaker for organizations looking to cultivate resilience. KEYNOTE: “Hike Your Own Hike: the fine art of reinvention” This 30-90 minute keynote is perfect for both general audiences and leaders looking to embrace challenges, become more resilient and reinvent themselves. The talk delves into viewing obstacles as hidden opportunities for growth, encouraging us to explore new paths on our life journey. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Transitions can be challenging. Failures, setbacks, and unexpected hardships can leave us feeling unmoored, as if we've missed a crucial waypoint and are lost on our journey. However, these moments often present hidden opportunities for growth, guiding us toward new paths in life. After this talk, the audience will: • Understand how the dark, difficult moments can be tools for empowerment. • Explore 3 ways risk-taking builds resilience. • Shift the thinking surrounding regrets to motivate change. KEYNOTE: “Quit with Grit: intentionally letting go as a key to success” This 30-90 minute keynote is perfect for both general audiences and leaders who want to develop teams that are more resilient, develop discernment skills and flexible goal and maximize their potential. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: So many of us know the “secret to success” mantra – quitters don’t win and winners don’t quit – but sometimes, quitting is exactly the right course of action In fact, quit and grit are two sides of the same coin. Developing the skills to know when to say “no” can open us up to better opportunities to explore more, do more, and find the right things worth sticking to.  As a long-distance backpacker, Alison Young shares her adventure experiences oftentimes in life-threatening situations, where understanding the biases and blocks to quitting helped her find more success and deeper gratification on and off the trail. After this talk, the audience will: • Identify 5 biases that block intentional quitting. • Explore the mindset of setting flexible goals to manage uncertain outcomes. • Discover how getting to ‘no’ faster is a powerful skill. ALISON YOUNG BIO Alison Young is a dynamic resilience and TEDx speaker whose global hiking adventures serve as a backdrop for her inspiring storytelling. With over 12,000 miles traversed across six continents as a solo, middle-aged long-distance backpacker, Alison offers a unique perspective on embracing challenges and transforming adversity into growth. Her journey is not just about physical endurance; it reflects her remarkable resilience as a manager of a neurological movement disorder and a cancer survivor. With a titanium-enhanced spirit, she navigates both the trails and trials of life with grace and determination. As a speaker she has been described as "thought provoking and inspiring!" "engaging, emotional and relatable," as well as "even if your hikes are confined to your backyard, you’ll be inspired by her tales from the trail.” Alison Young is an award-winning professional flutist and a syndicated host on American Public Media, renowned for her creative work on the Blissful Hiker Podcast™. This unique podcast weaves together found sound, flute music, and personal essays, offering listeners an immersive experience that has garnered over 100,000 downloads. Her dual expertise as a musician and storyteller resonates deeply with audiences.