Bill Carr

What would happen to your organization if you could build stronger, deeper relationships with each other and your customer? When we hear the expression ‘talking in circles’ we often think about people talking round and round and going nowhere. Bill Carr’s keynote Talking in Circles is not that! Rather, it is all about people talking round and round with care and empathy and getting to the heart of things.

When you hear someone’s story the brain immediately searches for an ‘emotional parallel’ in your own life. That is a story of your own that is similar enough that you can relate their emotional world to your emotional world. Thus, understanding and compassion grows. Ancient cultures from around the world have gathered people in circle to share stories and dialogue on issues of mutual importance. By Talking in Circles they have been able to create, celebrate, restore and solidify community. Gathering together and Talking in Circles is a practice for evolving healthy and productive group and tribal connection.

In his keynote Talking in Circles, Bill Carr discusses how the need for circle dialogue has never been greater. Broken relationships, broken communities, broken societies surround us every day. As Ester Perel, a relationship expert points out, the need for deep meaningful relationship is a vital aspect of mental health. We spend so much time with our work colleagues and our customers that it is vital to our wellbeing that our relationships at work – work.

Bill also shares the significant neuroscience of interpersonal neurobiology behind how Talking in Circles works. He discusses the active entrainment that occurs when effective listening happens and how mirror neurons serve to create real empathy and compassionate action that can then easily follow. This compassion and empathy can then be shared with everyone with whom we come in contact in our daily living.

Talking in Circles offers a place to share our personal struggles, challenges, victories and questions. It is also a place to dialogue collectively about the reality we all share. The axiom, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is never more true than when we are Talking in Circles. Talking in Circles celebrates diversity, belonging and inclusion and helps nurture compassion and connection. The implications of this practice at work and in our society are vast and transformative.

Have you ever been asked the question “What’s on your mind?” What was your answer?

You might mention something that just happened to you that you found perplexing or enjoyable. You might talk about something that happened in the past that you can’t stop thinking about. You might mention a project or assignment you have been working on. You might talk about some future idea or plan that you are contemplating that has fired your imagination. Whatever your answer would be, it would involve what Bill refers to as ‘self-talk’. That inner dialogue that we are having with ourselves at any given moment.

This keynote What’s On Your Mind? is all about this self-talk that we all engage in; that constant chatter that is our ‘thinking’. It’s about how to learn what’s “really” on your mind, where it came from, and whether it is valid or not. It is about learning what is useful and what is harmful.

From his readings of ancient philosophies and theologies through modern psychology and interpersonal neuroscience, Bill assembles a set of accessible ideas that help each of us to better answer the question “What’s on Your Mind?” It isn’t about controlling the mind, as much as it is about learning how to work with the mind in a healthy and productive way.

Bill talks about the skills needed to ‘focus your attention on your intention’, a key phrase Bill uses to help address the mental dissipation we so often fall prey to. Bill explores such things as; the value of creativity and its dark side, the simple technique of critical thinking, nurture versus nature, and the use of deliberate perception – all are illustrated and laid out to help in our understanding of how the mind works for us or against us at any given moment.

Hot and Cold thinking, the neuroscience of mirror neurons and neural pathways, the ancient practice of Epoche’ and its modern applications, entrainment, empathy, rumination – all these ideas and more will be explored as ways of being and thinking that make our lives and the lives of those around us richer and more joyful. The neuroscience, ancient ideas and a vast number of humorous anecdotes make for a fun and informative journey towards answering the question “What’s On Your Mind?”

Every industry is a service industry. Every life is a life of service on some level. An illumination and a celebration of this deep truth is at the core of this Deep Service keynote. Whether at work, in our community, or in our home life, we do, in fact, as Bob Dylan says “serve somebody”. At work we serve our company, our fellow employees, our clients, our community, our society and our world. At home we serve our families, our neighbourhoods, and again our society and the world. The depth and quality of this service is directly affected by how we see ourselves as being “in service”. Perception drives performance.

In his Deep Service keynote, Bill explores the meaning of the word ‘service’ and how it has been diluted in the common marketplace. We end up having to say, “good” service, “bad” service, service “over and above.” Which is why Bill coined the term ‘Deep Service’ to describe that service which is based in empathy and ultimately “love.”

Using stories from a lifetime working with companies, organizations, associations and governments, Bill illustrates the key issues involved in Deep Service. He explores the interpersonal neuropsychology behind such things as ‘mirror neurons’ and how Deep Service is infectious in a very good way. Bill looks at the role “empathy” plays in Deep Service and he contends, empathy needs to be the most important consideration in business and society in the 21st century and beyond. That’s why Deep Service also explores the idea of servant leadership in your specific context.

Bill says “We are all interconnected and ‘Deep Service’ is a way of celebrating and enhancing that interconnectedness.” In a world where it seems like conflict and feelings of alienation dominate our culture, Deep Service bridges the gap and allows for a richer experience of our own humanity and the humanity of others. Whether it is an internal customer, an external customer, or our colleagues – connecting with ‘Deep Service’ makes for a richer more productive and happier personal and work life.

In this keynote, Bill shares research into how the brain works to create our experience of the world around and inside us. He shows ways we can use this knowledge to create an environment filled with joy, creativity, enthusiasm, and wild inspiration. Bill focuses on empathy and “contagious inspiration”. Bill talks about how working inspired is a choice., no matter the circumstances. That choice involves creating an “Inspiration Loop” by surrounding ourselves with inspired people and inspiring them as they inspire us. Working with inspiration is not about what happens to us, as much as it is about what how we see and then react to what is happening to us and transforming our world from within.

Reading things that inspire, talking to people that light a fire in you, remembering what it was like when you were enthusiastic and eager to do your work, are just some of the ways to learn how to Work Inspired every day. Bill calls you to develop rituals that remind you what you are doing at its deepest levels, remembering and deeply knowing the real purpose and value you bring to every encounter at work, at home and in your community. To Work Inspired needn’t be an occasional stroke of good luck. We don’t need to wait for the muses to visit us. We can be agents of our own inspiration and inspire those around us.

Bill’s Work Inspired keynote will reignite a passion and desire to find and develop inspiration in your own life and in the lives of all with whom you come in contact.

Host & Emcee

Bill is a well-known Master of Ceremonies and has hosted for a number of organizations such as the IWK Foundation and Children’s Hospital, Unicef, Hansard, the United Way, Neptune Theatre, The Canadian Breast Cancer Society, Department of National Defence, Credit Unions of Canada and the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada.

In this role, Bill introduces performers and speakers in a way that puts them and audience members at ease, introduces program items, presents awards, and recognizes sponsors. Bill performs these tasks in a timely, socially appropriate, and humour-filled style, ensuring that audience interest and excitement is peaked as he seamlessly transitions between sections of the program. He ensures that the event moves ahead at a steady pace and within time constraints and is skilled at improvising amid sudden change. Bill is also an accomplished and hilarious auctioneer if called upon! He is known for his ability to engage an audience, create goodwill and provoke the gift of giving and fundraising for many worthy causes.

Bill always prepares for an event ahead of time. He meets with organizers to learn about the overall event, the agenda, the presenters and any special guests. Based on the information he gathers, Bill is able to prepare an agenda or script for the event. He can also follow a prepared script if desired.

Conference Weaver

The role of Conference Weaver is one which serves to enhance the entire conference experience. In his role as Conference Weaver, Bill does as the name implies; he weaves the conference themes and ideas together, offering a cogent and coherent vision with a single voice for each event. This function and role adds continuity to the entire event and insures that none of the finer idea threads of the conference are lost. It also removes the pressure on leadership to “perform” in this role and allows them to participate with the other guests/delegates and build those critical relationships, a key benefit that a conference atmosphere can offer.

As conference weaver for your next event, Bill opens and welcomes guests/delegates and serves as host. He can also do an inspiring and entertaining opening or closing keynote as necessary. Bill attends many, if not all, of the break-out presentations depending on logistics. When delegates have re-gathered at various times (breaks/lunches/plenary), he summarizes and shares the ‘learnings’ from the break-outs in a relevant and timely way. This is all done in his quintessential style, with comedy and comment throughout as appropriate. Prior to the conference, Bill researches the themes of the conference. He carefully works with organizers to discover the outcomes, ideas and sub-themes that they wish to convey.

This presentation emphasizes that safety is not merely about rules but about fostering a mindset that prioritizes both physical and emotional safety. He uses real-life experiences, such as an industrial worksite in Alberta where bravado and ego often overshadow safety concerns, to illustrate the dangers of an unsafe mindset. Bill highlights the pervasive issue of underreported “near misses,” showing how slogans like “Safety is Job #1” can become meaningless without a genuine culture of safety. By addressing cognitive biases like bandwagon and anchoring biases, he demonstrates how these unconscious shortcuts can lead to dangerous behaviors and decisions in the workplace.

The keynote extends beyond physical safety to encompass emotional and social well-being, stressing the importance of a supportive and empathetic community. Bill delves into the neuroscience of interpersonal exchanges to show how our brains can either support or undermine safety. He advocates for a holistic approach to safety that includes protection from harassment and bullying, underscoring the need for a collective responsibility to create safer work environments. His workshop, “Seeing the World Through Safety Glasses,” builds on these ideas by offering practical strategies that can be immediately applied to enhance safety in various industries, from mining and oil rigs to healthcare and volunteer organizations