You may know me as the woman who

wrote more than over 10,000 thank-you notes

HERE’S WHAT I HAVEN’T SAID OUT LOUD:

When the ground shifted beneath me, thank-you notes were my way back. And what I found—one note at a time-was that paying attention is a radical act.

That’s what I bring to the stage.

I wasn’t trying to change the world.

I was trying to stay upright.

More On My Philosophy

The thank-you notes became that—one card at a time, pulling me back to what mattered. They shifted my attention. They restored meaning. They reminded me, again and again, that I could notice what was good, steady, and human in the world.

That first thank-you note wasn’t for someone else; it was really for me.

What began as survival became a practice.

What began as private became a whole new way of seeing.

And eventually, it became a way of living.

More than 10,000 notes later, I’m still at it. Not because I’m exceptionally generous, but because witnessing what matters keeps me buoyant. They’re lifelines that keep my head above water.

For years, I worked as a coach and trainer, helping people navigate with more purpose and joy. That work taught me how to sit with emotion, hold complexity, and stay present. It was essential training. But then something shifted. A new calling emerged—the vehicle changed from process to practice. And in that practice, my audience discovered the question for themselves: What lights up your heart?

WHEN I STARTED SINKING, I NEEDED A LIFE PRESERVER.

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Hi, I’m Ellen

I’M A SPEAKER AND WITNESS.

I show audiences how one simple ritual—noting and naming what’s good—can turn despair into buoyancy and reactivity into heart-led presence. I invite people to notice what sparks, what crackles inside them—and how even a small shift can change everything.

I bring warmth, humanity, and depth to keynotes. I don’t motivate through urgency—I invite people home to themselves through presence.

I’m a certified HeartMath trainer and Connection Practice facilitator, but I don’t teach those systems anymore. Instead, those foundations live quietly inside my work—shaping how I see, write, and respond to the world.

My story about thank-you notes caught the attention of the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Kelly Clarkson Show, NBC, USPS, and more. But they only told part of the story.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ELLEN

Speaking Info

WHAT MAKES THIS WORK SO POWERFUL?

Aging Buoyantly addresses what most organizations struggle to name: the quiet epidemic of disconnection and loneliness. When people feel invisible at work, performance suffers. When they feel essential, everything shifts.

I work with organizations and groups who want to:

-Give people a live experience of connection—not just a conversation about it

-Build cultures where people feel essential, not invisible

-Send attendees home with a real antidote to disconnection—simple enough to start today

What happens when people leave?

They feel seen, not taught. They think, “I can do this,” not simply “that was inspiring.”

Then they do it—because the practice is simple enough to start immediately and profound enough to change how they see themselves, their colleagues, and their community. They feel the shift that happens when we stop bracing for what’s wrong and start celebrating what’s right in front of us.

In the end, this isn’t about teaching gratitude. I offer something rarer: recognition. The kind that meets one of our most fundamental human needs—the need to matter.

And they leave believing, “I can do this.”

“A wise friend once told me that by the time you ask a question, you already know the answer. I didn’t really understand what that meant until Ellen taught me practical tools to unlock my intuition and trust that the wisdom I needed was within my own grasp. I have used what she taught me again and again. I am deeply grateful to Ellen for changing my life! ”

BARB C, WASHINGTON, DC
Ellen’s compassion and great skill helped me transform my thinking to vastly improve the most important relationships in my life. Working with Ellen made me stronger, more resilient and ready to navigate life’s challenges and transitions. Ellen is a wise guardian angel you want in your life!

BETH S., AUTHOR, FLORIDA
When a relationship is off kilter, it hurts. That’s what I was facing when I asked Ellen to help me with a friendship of many years that sucked my energy. In our sessions I feel safe, heard, and never ever have to pretend that my problems (and joys) aren’t big enough to matter. What a concept! I’m a believer!

REV. MARTHA D. NEW YORK
As a fellow coach, I can say that Ellen’s Age Buoyantly reflects her own desire for sanity in a confusing world, internal and external peace, and a quest to help clients find steady joy in their lives.

WENDY P, NEW YORK
During one of life’s crossroads, Ellen helped me identify a relationship blind spot that led to much-needed change. As a fellow coach, I value her head knowledge but even more so her heart intelligence. Her work, as bold as it is gentle, might best be described as personal empowerment fueled by self-knowledge and love.

SHEILA S, ARIZONA