BOOK TALKS, WORKSHOPS, AND KEYNOTES
Helping people discover, do, and share their Great Work
Book Dr. Amanda Crowell
Dr. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, author, and speaker who believes that the world would be a better place if more people were doing their Great Work.
Drawing on cognitive psychology and the Great Work Method, Amanda helps audiences discover what matters most to them, understand why the most important work can be the hardest to pursue, and learn to make progress without sacrificing everything else.
Her keynotes explore how schools, universities, libraries, community organizations, and values-driven businesses can become Centers of Great Work, helping people express their unique perspectives, develop their abilities, connect with others, and contribute to something larger than themselves.
Her talks are warm, funny, grounded in research, and full of practical ideas people can use in their own lives and organizations.
BOOK TALKS AND FIRESIDE CHATS
Great Work: Do What Matters Most Without Sacrificing Everything Else
30 MINUTES + Q&A
Offered at no cost to libraries and community organizations
Everyone has Great Work inside them. It might be a book they want to write, a new direction they want to explore, a problem they want to solve, or something they've dreamed about doing for years.
In this lively, conversational event, Dr. Amanda Crowell introduces audiences to the central ideas of Great Work, exploring why the things that matter most to us can be surprisingly difficult to pursue and what psychology tells us about how to finally make progress.
Part book talk and part community conversation, these events invite participants to reflect on their own Great Work, share their experiences, and leave with practical ideas for taking their next steps.
Amanda offers one free community event each month. If you'd like to bring a Great Work book talk or fireside chat to your community, we'd love to hear what you have in mind!
WORKSHOP
Becoming a Center of Great Work
Schools, universities, libraries, community organizations, and values-driven businesses have an extraordinary opportunity to help people discover and do their Great Work. But creating an environment where people feel encouraged to explore their interests, develop their abilities, take risks, and make meaningful contributions requires more than good intentions.
In this interactive workshop, Dr. Amanda Crowell draws on cognitive psychology and the Great Work Method to help participants understand what people need to pursue meaningful work and what gets in their way.
Participants explore how their organizations can become better Centers of Great Work by recognizing and encouraging emerging interests and identities, normalizing the struggle that accompanies meaningful change, creating opportunities for productive failure, and building the relationships and support that help people keep going.
Through discussion and practical exercises, participants examine what their organizations already do well, identify opportunities to strengthen their support, and develop concrete ideas they can bring back to their teams and communities.
Ideal for educators, library staff, university leaders, community organizations, and values-driven teams that want to help more people do their Great Work.
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KEYNOTE
Community Organizations Are Centers of Great Work
How schools, universities, libraries, and organizations help people do the work that matters most.
We live in a world that is yearning for more Great Work. We need new ideas, creative solutions, stronger communities, and people who are willing to take on the problems that matter to them. And yet, even when people care deeply about their Great Work, getting started and following through can be surprisingly difficult.
In this engaging, story-forward keynote, Dr. Amanda Crowell explores what psychology tells us about the conditions that make Great Work possible. She explains why meaningful work can trigger our deepest insecurities, how people move from procrastination and perfectionism into meaningful action, and why connection, encouragement, and community are so important along the way.
Drawing on cognitive psychology, personal stories, and the Great Work Method, Amanda shows how schools, universities, libraries, community organizations, and values-driven businesses can become Centers of Great Work, helping people discover what matters to them, develop their abilities, and make meaningful contributions to the world.
The Centers of Great Work framework also gives organizations a powerful way to understand and communicate the value of what they do. It helps leaders and their teams recognize the Great Work they are already supporting, identify opportunities to do it even better, and articulate why their work matters to the people and communities they serve.
Because when we help more people do their Great Work, we change the world, one person, one organization, and one community at a time.
PUT A DATE ON HOLD
PUT YOUR DATE ON HOLD
How to Book Dr. Crowell
To book Dr. Amanda Crowell for a keynote, workshop, or book talk, begin by placing your date on hold. From there, we’ll confirm fit, format, and details.
Virtual and in-person engagements are available.
Watch Dr. Crowell’s TEDx talk
Three Reasons You Aren’t Doing What You Say You Will Do
In this TEDx talk, Dr. Crowell explains why motivation alone is rarely enough, how clarity and structure shape follow-through, and what actually helps people do the work they care about. Drawing on cognitive psychology and real-world examples, the talk reframes common assumptions about productivity and progress.
The talk has been viewed nearly two million times and was shared on TED Ideas and TED Shorts.