Keynote Speaker & Strategic Identity Advisor
Courtney Broderick.
The voice that burned out, high-performing women have been waiting to hear.
At a Glance
- Founder, Chief Troublemaker Co. — creator of the P.O.S.S.E. framework
- 10+ years inside the machine at Indeed, LinkedIn, and Handshake
- Late-diagnosed ADHD at 39 — neurodivergence is lived experience, not research
- Based on a farm outside San Luis Obispo, CA — travels nationally
The Signature Talk
"You're Not the Problem.
"You're Not the Problem.
The Operating System Is."
Why high-performing women keep burning out — and what actually fixes it.
The most talented women in any room are often the most exhausted. That is not a coincidence. It is a design outcome.
The system was built precisely — for someone. Just not for you. And when women leave, nobody hands them something better. So they take the conditioning with them — same patterns, new container — and wonder why it still doesn't feel right.
This talk is not about resilience. It is not about leaning in. It names what is actually happening — and then shows what it looks like to build a real foundation, on your own terms, before you build anything else on top of it.
Part One
The Diagnosis
A structural diagnosis — not a personal one. Names the system. Takes the blame off the woman who has been running it.
Part Two
The Trap
Most women who leave just recreate the same dynamic. New job. New logo. Same conditioning. Leaving is only half the work.
Part Three
The Build
What it actually looks like to build a personal operating system that is yours — wired for how you actually work — before you build anything else on top of it.
Audience Leaves With
- Language for what they have been experiencing but could not name
- A structural framework for burnout that removes self-blame
- The six sections of a Personal Operating System — and what each one costs to be missing
- Permission to stop optimizing inside a system that was never built for them
- A free 20-page P.O.S.S.E. Starter Guide — every prompt, theirs to keep and build from
Hear It Directly
Building Your Business in 2026 Is Living the Revolution
As a woman building something in 2026, you are not just running a business — you are making a structural argument with your existence. Courtney on what that means and what it actually takes.
The Framework
The foundation for building whatever comes next — on your own terms.
P
Personal
O
Operating
S
System
for
S
forSelf
E
Expression
Every woman needs a P.O.S.S.E. — a clear operating system for what she will and won't do, and why. Without it, the same patterns follow you everywhere: into the new job, the new business, the executive role you worked years to earn. The name changes. The conditioning doesn't. P.O.S.S.E. is the foundation that keeps that from happening — whether you're building something new, going after the next level, or just trying to make sure the next chapter is actually yours.
This talk is right for rooms where…
- The audience is ready for a structural argument, not a pep talk
- High-performing women are exhausted and know the standard fixes are not working
- Neurodivergent women are in the room — visibly or not
- Post-corporate women, founders, or women in transition make up a meaningful portion of the audience
- The booker wants something that actually shifts thinking, not just mood
This talk is not right when…
- The goal is inspiration without disruption
- The message needs to be softened to protect leadership comfort
- The audience needs to leave feeling better about the system they are in
- You need someone who will adjust the argument to stay on brand for a corporation
Courtney will not sand down the argument. If your audience is ready for honesty, this is the talk. If they need comfort first, it is not the right fit — and that is fine.
Why This Talk. Why Now.
The system is not broken. It is working as designed. And right now, it is actively resetting what it owes you.
903
jobs lost
every day
in early 2026
every day
in early 2026
Early 2026 brought the worst layoff month since the 2009 recession.
330,000 jobs and counting. The stated reason — AI — is largely cover. Companies attributed 180,000 cuts to AI in 2025, yet most of those initiatives had not delivered measurable returns. The layoffs are not about technology. They are about leverage. The labor market shifted back to employers, and they used the moment.
10
days of PTO
Deloitte cut
in early 2026
Deloitte cut
in early 2026
It is not just headcount. They are resetting the floor on what work owes you.
Deloitte cut PTO by up to 10 days, halved parental leave, and eliminated a $50,000 IVF and adoption benefit — in a single announcement. When marquee employers move like this, they legitimize the same cuts across every market. The pandemic-era contract is being quietly unwound while the headlines talk about automation.
49%
of new US
businesses
launched by women
businesses
launched by women
Women are not waiting to be protected. They are building.
Up 69% since 2019. Women will control $34 trillion in investable assets by 2030. The departure from corporate is not a trend. It is a verdict. But what it gets built on matters more than most people want to say out loud.
BUT
HERE
IS THE
TRAP
HERE
IS THE
TRAP
Most women do not leave the conditioning when they leave the system.
They overdeliver to clients the same way they overdelivered to managers. Underprice from the same fear. Say yes when every signal says no. They trade one extractive system for another — this time with their own logo on it. Leaving is only half the work.
4X
business growth
in under
one year
in under
one year
When you build from an operating system that is actually yours — it compounds.
Sandra Elliott had already burned out of two careers. Still running her business the old way — desk 8 to 5, taking every contract, same patterns with her own logo on them. After completing the full Build Your P.O.S.S.E. advisory engagement, her business grew 4x in less than a year. The talk names the problem. The deeper work is where results like Sandra's come from.
This is the talk for this moment. Women in your audience are living these numbers right now. They are ready to hear someone say it clearly: the system was never designed to protect you. Building something it cannot take is the most strategic move available.
The Experience
Not a one-time energy hit
that fades by Monday.
that fades by Monday.
A before, during, and after experience — so the audience leaves with something they can actually use.
Before
Prime the Room
- Self-Authorship Snapshot — a guided reflection on how they actually work vs. how they have been performing
- Troublemaker Archetypes — six survival patterns for women who have been misread and mislabeled. A mirror, not a personality test.
During
The Talk
- The structural argument — delivered by someone who was inside those rooms
- The six sections of a Personal Operating System and what each one costs to be missing
- The reframe that changes how they evaluate every opportunity going forward
After
Something to Build With
- P.O.S.S.E. Starter Guide — a free 20-page workbook. Six sections, six reflection prompts, a full page to write each one. Something to fill in and keep.
- Notes from the Chief Troublemaker — free biweekly newsletter. Subscribe at chieftroublemaker.co
- For whoever is ready: the full Build Your P.O.S.S.E. advisory engagement
I had already burned out of two careers and was facing the real possibility of burning out on my business before it got off the ground. Courtney helped me see how I could use the things I do naturally — with joy and excitement — to build something new. One that fed me while also serving my clients. And one that won't burn me out.
4X Business Growth. Less Than One Year.
Sandra Elliott · Owner, belearning.center · Late-Diagnosed Neurodivergent Founder
On Building Your Own
Building Your Own Stability
What it actually means to stop depending on someone else's structure — and build the kind of foundation that holds because you designed it.
About Courtney
Courtney Broderick spent over a decade inside VC-backed tech — Indeed, LinkedIn, and Handshake — watching how corporate systems actually operate. She left, bought a farm, and built the alternative. She does not teach women how to survive broken systems. She teaches them how to build their own.
-
Founder, Chief Troublemaker Co. Creator of the P.O.S.S.E. framework — 7-session personal operating system methodology
-
Head of Partnerships, PILOT Inc. Leadership development and culture advisory for enterprise clients
-
VC-Backed Tech Veteran Indeed · LinkedIn · Handshake
-
Neurodivergent. Farmer. Maximalist. Late-diagnosed ADHD at 39. The hot pink is non-negotiable.
How to Book It
Four ways to bring
this into your event.
this into your event.
Keynote
30 – 60 min
The full argument, delivered. Opens with the structural diagnosis, moves through the trap, and lands on the build. Includes the P.O.S.S.E. framework and audience takeaways. Works as a standalone or as an anchor talk in a larger event.
Workshop
2 – 4 hours
The talk plus active work. Participants receive the P.O.S.S.E. Starter Guide and begin building their own during the session. Best for smaller groups where real shift — not just inspiration — is the goal.
Panel
As scheduled
Courtney brings a structural lens to any conversation about women, work, burnout, or building. She does not soften the argument for panel format. If you want a voice that will move the conversation forward, she is that voice.
Podcast
30 – 90 min
Best for shows focused on women's careers, entrepreneurship, neurodivergence, or the future of work. Courtney speaks from lived experience — decade inside VC-backed tech, late-diagnosed ADHD, left to build the alternative. No talking points. No polish.
Who Books This
This talk gets booked by people who are done with safe speakers.
Companies & ERGs
People & culture leaders, DEI teams, and employee resource groups booking for Women's History Month, leadership summits, or any moment where high-performing women need more than a pep talk.
Women's Conferences & Events
Conference organizers and event producers whose audience includes ambitious women who are exhausted, transitioning, or building something new — and ready for an honest structural argument.
Entrepreneurship & Founder Communities
Accelerators, incubators, and founder networks supporting women who have left corporate or are building alongside it — and need a foundation that isn't borrowed from the system they're trying to leave.
Neurodivergent & Advocacy Communities
Organizations serving late-diagnosed women, neurodivergent professionals, or anyone who has spent years being told their way of working is the problem. Courtney speaks from inside this experience.
Ready to invite
trouble in?
If your audience is ready for an honest conversation about why the system is not working — let's talk about fit.
Start the Conversationcourtney@chieftroublemaker.co · Response within 48 hours
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