Vernice Armour Speaking Topics

• A NEW CONVERSATION: ACTIVELY TRANSFORMING A COMPANY, CULTURE AND COUNTRY

  This isn’t about politics; this is about being proactive. This is about coming together and deciding what we can do as an organization to create an equitable culture for employees, stakeholders, and customers that serves all involved. Where ALL can feel like they belong. Where all feel like they are part of the team. This is about establishing rules of engagement for civil, productive conversations that find solutions, not fault. Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour was a diversity officer for U.S. Marine Corps HQ and liaison to the Pentagon. As a gay, Black woman she brought valuable personal experience to her work, driving diversity policy for a 200,000 personnel organization. When you bring people together, you will have differences and similarities that result in tension and complexities…THIS IS NORMAL! How you MANAGE diversity is the key!

  SAMPLE TAKEAWAYS

  • Why it’s time to turn THE Conversation into a NEW Conversation

  • Ways to face uncomfortable issues without playing ostrich

  • How to prevent a counter-productive herd mentality

  • Set an example of civility and motivate people to respond in kind

  • Create a culture that values and respects all team members

  TAILORED TO THESE THEMES: Belonging, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Organizational Culture, Teamwork

• WHO NEEDS A RUNWAY? TAKE OFF FROM WHERE YOU ARE

  Helicopter pilots spring into action from where they are. They don’t need a runway. It’s their edge in battle. Marine chopper pilot Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour believes this metaphor is perfect for uncertain times where speed and agility are survival skills. FlyGirl fires up audiences with her energy and storytelling – relating hard-learned lessons with tactics for quickly adapting to the forces of change. This presentation is perfect for audiences navigating uncertainty or looking to accomplish audacious goals. FlyGirl will spark their courage and enthusiasm.

  SAMPLE TAKEAWAYS

  • Recognize and take decisive action to capitalize on defining moments

  • No situation is ever perfect – gain momentum from where you are

  • The three-step plan: Decide, Commit, and Execute…at speed

  • Recognize and harness the talents of everyone around you

  • How to create a “Zero to Breakthrough” culture

GET GUTSY – HARNESS A BREAKTHROUGH MINDSET

How you respond to personal and professional obstacles, adversity, and disappointment is a choice. It also determines your future. Black, gay, and a child of divorce, Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour learned this early. Her incredible journey – from police department to the Marines and becoming America’s first Black female combat pilot – was filled with challenges, adventures, successes, and ultimate triumph. She translates those lessons for audiences, drawing from her book Zero to Breakthrough – The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter. FlyGirl is a force who will rock the house! Her energy, enthusiasm, and positivity inspire people to Get Gutsy and reimagine what’s possible.

SAMPLE TAKEAWAYS

• 7 steps shatter limiting beliefs, unleashing personal and professional breakthroughs

• Swap a defeating “Zero Mentality” with a winning “Breakthrough Mentality”

• Delay is not Denial, and to Retreat does not mean Defeat

• Tactics to ignite your passion and design the path to your dreams

TAILORED TO THESE THEMES: Inspiration, Positivity, Resilience, Motivation, Achieving Big Goals, Overcoming Obstacles

ONE MISSION – ONE GOAL – ONE TEAM

Gutsy Leaders create Gutsy Teams that make Gutsy Moves. Be proactive – not reactive; that’s how the best organizations create the future. It begins by summoning the courage to change tactics and align. Drawing on a distinguished career as a U.S. Marine combat helicopter pilot, Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour unloads valuable lessons learned under the most stressful of circumstances – about leadership, teamwork, resilience, communication, execution, and building a culture of unshakable trust. A compelling storyteller who commands attention – in-person or virtually, FlyGirl inspires audiences and shows them the key steps to achieving more than they ever thought possible.

SAMPLE TAKEAWAYS

• Create a culture of trust where everyone steps up, engages, and collaborates

• How really knowing your people can harness skills, talents & hidden passions

• Unleash the full potential of diversity to impact the bottom line

• Disrupt traditional metrics of success (measure more than money)

• How to decide when to plant and when to pivot

TAILORED TO THESE THEMES: Leadership, Teamwork, Execution, Inspiration, Creating High Performing Culture, Improving Trust, Diversity, Accountability

Driving Diversity Deep into the DNA of Your Organization: One Mission, One Goal, One Team

In this speech, Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour—a former diversity officer for Headquarter Marine Corps and liaison to the Pentagon—reveals what it took to help a 200,000-personnel organization get back on track. She explains how, when you bring people together, it is normal to have differences and similarities that result in tension and complexities, but that what is key is how you manage that diversity.

The leader will discover how to: Know your people and harness the power, skills, and talents of the team. Unleash the full potential of diversity to impact the bottom line. Effectively tap into the power of the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Teach everyone to be an ambassador for diversity. Create a culture that values and respects all team members: One Mission, One Goal, One Team!

Who Needs a Runway? Take Off from Where You Are!

The bottom line is that we have to move into action from where we are! Unfortunately, many people become paralyzed in the preparation phase. Decide what you want, put your stake in the ground and execute! FlyGirl calls this making a commitment to the commitment. Give your organization the boost they need to come together as a team, understand how their objectives support the overall strategy and accomplish the mission, achieving the desired Breakthrough Results!

This speech will give your attendees an invigorating perspective that reveals how to:

Infuse passion in your life professionally and personally! Recognize and utilize the skills and talents of everyone around you. Lead a Zero to Breakthrough life with a "Breakthrough Mentality" as the foundation. Unleash your full potential, no matter where you are personally starting from.