Rebecca Heiss, PhD

Harnessing the Power of Stress to Boost Performance

We are in the middle of a technological revolution. AI is here and we are not going back. What if, instead of fighting the stress and anxiety that accompany change, we could transform it into a competitive advantage?

In this eye-opening keynote, Dr. Rebecca reveals the secret upside of stress that the highest-performing athletes and leaders use to fuel their performance. She helps individuals and companies move from symptoms of PTSD to PTG (Post Traumatic Growth) with a simple science-based framework that allows anyone to stop fighting stress, and start leaning into it, improving productivity, increasing connection, and growing because of challenges rather than in spite of them.

Who it's for

• Audiences battling rising stress, burnout, and disengagement
• Teams exhausted by technology disruption and the pace of AI
• Anyone wary of traditional “stress management” techniques that only add more to-dos

Audience takeaways

• Avoid learned helplessness by understanding the biological root of the stress response and taking action to regain agency under pressure
• Engage with fears and reframe them as energy that optimizes performance and growth
• Adopt a simple framework for rewiring the brain to reduce burnout and restore purpose and fulfillment

Excelling Through Uncertainty

In this engaging keynote, Dr. Rebecca Heiss leverages decades of research into stress and human behavior to share simple, science-backed techniques for transforming fear into the fuel that will propel leaders and their teams to greater confidence, focus, and performance.

Who it's for

• Leaders and teams feeling overwhelmed by stress, challenge, or unpredictable change
• Those ready to return to performance growth, or concerned about how failure might be perceived
• Teams hoping to understand the science behind stress and anxiety so they can manage it more effectively
• Groups needing to come together to drive performance forward

Audience takeaways

• Rapidly transform stress and fear into energy that works for, rather than against, them
• Recalibrate the stress response so they can step into uncomfortable changes and challenges
• Adopt an adventure mindset that fuels resilience and adaptability in high-pressure situations

Fueling profitable growth

Winning streaks exist. In sports and sales, the winner's effect is real, measurable, and simple to execute once you understand the science that drives clutch performance. The Fear[less] Sales framework motivates individuals and teams to reach a new peak by harnessing the stress and pressure they feel to work for them. Olympic athletes don't break world records in practice; they break them when stress and pressure are highest. With a shift in mindset, your team can too, all while finding deeper meaning and purpose in their work.

Who it's for

• Leaders and teams looking to use stress and change as a catalyst for growth
• Teams that have stalled, plateaued, or settled into apathetic patterns
• Anyone ready to level up performance and springboard their growth potential

Audience takeaways

• Develop personalized strategies for transforming pressure into performance
• Tackle tough goals with a positive, fearless approach that builds individual and team confidence
• Harness the physiological and psychological power of the winner's effect

Putting the Fear[less] stress formula into action

Through a blend of cutting-edge science, engaging exercises, and collaborative reflection, participants learn to stop avoiding stress and start using it as the springboard to greater performance, deeper meaning, and accelerated growth. Using the Springboard Workbook as their guide, participants assess their current stress mindset, practice inviting discomfort rather than avoiding it, master the Fear[less] Transfer technique to redirect stress energy into productive emotion, and build personalized trajectories toward meaningful goals. This isn't theory; it's transformation in real time.

Who it's for

• Teams ready to deepen their conference experience for lasting impact
• Groups seeking practical, science-backed tools they can implement immediately
• Cultures that want challenge and vulnerability embraced rather than feared

Audience takeaways

• Apply the complete Fear[less] Stress Formula (Invite the Tiger In, The Transfer, and Springboard Toward Action)
• Use targeted exercises to redirect stress energy into excitement, productive anger, or focused determination
• Build personalized stress springboards that accelerate growth and strengthen relationships
• Implement hope-building practices that maintain agency and forward momentum