TALKS AND TRAININGS

Your technical leaders aren't getting promoted. Not because they lack the skills - but because they're not seen as leaders.

And it's getting worse. While your competitors invest in leadership development, you're losing senior talent who feel invisible - taking their expertise (and your competitive advantage) with them.

I'm Amber Shand - a public speaking expert who's delivered 100+ international talks & trainings for the likes of Google, Salesforce, PwC, Capgemini, and more. I'm also a former software engineer and founder of She Bytes Back, a 3,000-person community for women in tech.

I work with organisations through the BRAVE Framework - my strategic approach to leadership communication built on five pillars: Beliefs, Resilience, Action, Values, and Energy.

Through keynotes, workshops, and multi-month programmes, I help technical professionals stop performing "executive presence" and start leveraging their natural communication style for influence.

The result? Your technical experts actually get promoted - and you stop losing senior talent to competitors who recognise their value.

Get in touch

USE YOUR SPEAKING STYLE AS YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

In this keynote, your team discovers the 4 Speaker Archetypes - The Rebel, The Heart, The Powerhouse, The Strategist - and learns how to leverage their natural communication style for influence in a way that makes them memorable.

Your team will learn:

  • How to identify their Speaker Archetype and use it strategically

  • The difference between being heard and being influential

  • How to turn visibility into leadership opportunities

  • Why being memorable matters and how to stand out

Perfect for: Technical leadership, all-company meetings, IWD/Women in Tech events

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THE VISIBILITY TAX: WHY STAYING QUIET COSTS MORE THAN SPEAKING UP

This session is for people who hate self-promotion but need to understand strategic visibility. Your team learns how to position themselves so opportunities find them, not wait around hoping someone notices.

Your team will learn:

  • Why "let my work speak for itself" is costing them opportunities

  • The difference between self-promotion and strategic positioning

  • How to claim credit without feeling like a fraud

  • Building a visibility strategy that doesn't require being "on" 24/7

Perfect for: Technical teams, engineering organisations, ERG events

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BREAKING FREE FROM THE PERFECTIONISM TRAP

This talk breaks down why perfectionism shows up, what it's costing your company when your best people stay silent, and the strategic shifts that help high performers move from "ready enough" to action.

Your team will learn:

  • The three perfectionism patterns that keep your talent invisible

  • Why "just be confident" advice doesn't work for perfectionists

  • How to reframe "good enough" without compromising quality

  • Moving from perfectionism to strategic excellence

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WORKSHOPS (FOR WHEN A TALK ISN'T ENOUGH)

Sometimes your team needs practice.

I run half-day and full-day workshops where people actually work on their message, practice their delivery, and leave with something tangible.

Workshop formats:

  • Finding your Speaker Archetype (and using it strategically)

  • Building your signature talk (the one that opens doors)

  • Strategic visibility for people who hate self-promotion

  • Speaking up in meetings when you're terrified

Want something custom? Let's build it.

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WATCH AMBER IN ACTION

TESTIMONIALS

  • “I've had the pleasure of having Amber speak at multiple codebar events, and she stands out as one of my all-time favourites. Her ability to connect with the audience on a personal level through warmth and honesty is truly exceptional. Amber effortlessly builds rapport, making everyone feel valued and understood. Her authenticity not only captivates but also earns trust and credibility. I couldn't recommend her enough!”

    Kimberley Cook, codebar

  • “Amber joined our conference as one of eight speakers and opened the event in 2023. Her talk was exactly what everyone wanted, presented professionally and with care and character. Amber is a wonderfully smiley and positive person and it was a pleasure to get to know her briefly over the days of the event.”

    Remy Sharp, ffconf

  • “What can you say about Amber that isn’t self-evident the first moment you meet her? She is a whirlwind of positivity – smart, energetic, charismatic – and, boy, can she present / perform. I know it’s not always been easy for her but she knows her stuff, and is a shining example to all young people of what you can achieve when you pursue your goals with passion, dedication and genuine generosity of spirit. Go Amber!”

    Pete Martin, Always Be Content

  • “A really engaging presentation demonstrating to those in your previous shoes what they can achieve. Personal stories are always really engaging, that together with insight on what you learnt, and your hints and tips were highly valuable to those on the WiT programme, and also to those like me hiring early careers apprentices and career changers. A super insightful and engaging presentation, with an added dash of spark and humour along the way!”

    Rob Mettler, PA Consulting

  • “Having Amber as a speaker at our recent The Tech Sisterhood “Leading Women in Tech” panel was an absolute pleasure. Her insights and experiences within the tech industry, particularly her advocacy for women, were inspiring & deeply resonant with our audience. Amber’s capability to articulate complex concepts in an approachable manner was exceptionally impressive. And her commitment to empowering women in the industry, through her initiatives like ‘Own Your Wins,’ stands as a testament to her leadership and dedication to making a substantial difference in what DEI looks like within tech.”

    Hannah Fisayo, Outbrain

  • “Amber spoke at the Triangirls 'Personal Retrospective' event about how to make personal goals and stick to them. Throughout the planning and build up to the event Amber was super responsive and proactive in her comms, and took on board our feedback to tweak her talk to have the biggest impact with our audience. On the night itself Amber's presence on stage was incredible. She is a NATURAL public speaker and had the room in the palm of her hand; we laughed and we learned tonnes! If you're considering booking Amber to speak at your event do it!!! She's a pro and I hope that I can collab with her again asap!”

    Rachael Grocott, Graphy

IS YOUR EVENT CRYING OUT FOR A BURST OF ENERGY?

Let Amber inspire and educate your audience in a refreshingly different way to make your event one to remember.

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SHE BYTES BACK

Amber founded She Bytes Back which hosts regular in-person events for women in technology to build connections, break down barriers and create opportunities.

Come to an event

SPEAKING HIGHLIGHTS

  • Click Start Campaign

    Worked to produce an advert with the Institute of Coding for their nationwide digital skills training programme.

  • BBC Radio 1Xtra

    Amber was invited to speak on Richie Brave’s 1Xtra Talks on “should we be scared of Artificial Intelligence?”

  • Talks & workshops

    Amber delivers motivational talks and workshops on a range of topics for companies, conferences, and community events.

  • PwC's Black Tech Talent

    Amber was invited to PwC’s Black Tech Talent series on LinkedIn where she spoke about her experience being a black woman in tech and more.