Discussion Document for The Self-Trust Recession: From Hesitation to Contribution

Hi Josha & Denver,

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about speaking at the Rudin ERG Event on Sept 23rd, 2026. I’m excited to partner with you for this event.

Below are the details of my keynote experience and all that is included.  You'll also find a session description, bio, and some graphics / visuals you can use to promote the event.

Feel free to share this page with the other decision-makers and committee members. This proposal is intended as a collaborative starting point. I've tailored it based on our conversation and am happy to refine the session title, description, format, or learning outcomes to best support your event objectives.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me! (917) 584-2775 or neelu@neelukaur.com.

Warmly,

Neelu

The Keynote: The Self-Trust Recession - From Hesitation to Contribution

Every organization depends on people who think critically, make sound decisions, and contribute their best thinking. Yet many capable professionals hesitate. They second-guess themselves, wait for certainty, or assume someone else has the better answer. Over time, that hesitation doesn't just affect individual performance. It slows collaboration, reinforces silos, and keeps valuable ideas from being shared.

Organizational psychology expert and keynote speaker Neelu Kaur calls this The Self-Trust Recession: a growing disconnect between what we know and our willingness to trust ourselves.

In this thought-provoking keynote, Neelu introduces The Self-Trust Reset, her signature framework for navigating uncertainty, reducing hesitation, and making better decisions in a world filled with constant information, competing opinions, and pressure to get every decision right.

A piano keyboard with numbered keys and musical notation.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to trust their judgment, contribute their best thinking, and move from hesitation to contribution, one decision at a time.

Participants will explore the Self-Trust Reset Framework:

1. Who's in Charge?
Recognize when fear, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or old conditioning quietly takes control of your thinking, and learn how to respond from your grounded, adult self instead.

2. Reclaim Your Authority
Discover a practical decision-making process for recognizing when you've outsourced your authority to others and learn how to return to your own informed judgment, especially when the path forward isn't perfectly clear.

3. Expand Your Window of Tolerance
Increase your capacity to stay grounded during uncertainty so you can think more clearly, respond rather than react, and make better decisions under pressure.

4. Reframing Time
Learn how shifting your relationship with time reduces urgency, expands perspective, and creates the space needed for wiser decisions, greater creativity, and more meaningful contribution.

  • A black rectangular sign with white text that reads 'BRANDING EXTERIOR'.

    "Refreshing. Encouraging. Empowering!"

    - Lauren Eastwood, Project Manager, Bloomberg

  • Aramark logo with black text and a red abstract human figure to the right.

    "Neelu is an amazing speaker. Her enthusiasm is infectious!"

    - April Russell, Development Manager

  • Logo of the American Staffing Association with blue and white colors and an accompanying text.

    “Neelu's session was truly inspiring and packed with actionable points I will take into my everyday life”

    Participant from 'Be Your Own Cheerleader: Embracing Self-Advocacy in the Workplace'

  • Illustration of a person lifting a barbell with weights outdoors.

    “Mindset changing”

    - Jacob Anning, AGA National Leadership Conference Participant

  • Sony Music logo with red brush stroke and black text

    "Neelu did a fantastic job of providing strategies and kept us engaged throughout the session."

    Participant from 'Be Your Own Cheerleader: Embracing Self-Advocacy in the Workplace'

  • Guidehouse logo with a stylized green and black arrow and the company name in bold black letters.

    “Uplifting and encouraging for young professional women of color. I’ve never been to anything like this and it’s about time I did!”

    Participant from Guidehouse AAPI & Women's LeadHERship Event

  • Genworth logo with stylized blue circular design

    “The event was amazing and Neelu is a fantastic speaker. Her passion for the subject really shines through!”

    Participant from 'AAPI + Allies Self Advocacy Session'

  • Logo with the letters 'UKG' in dark teal color.

    "Genuine, personable, relatable, energetic and encouraging; more than we could have ever asked for in a guest speaker"

    Jeremy Casupanan, Senior Strategic Alliance Manager

  • Presidio logo in blue capital letters.

    “Inspiring and actionable!”

    Participant from 'Be Your Own Cheerleader - Embracing Self Advocacy in the Workplace'

Resources

Feel free to download and use these resources to promote your event:

Promotional graphics
Stage intros
Long and short bio

The Experience

This live, in-person keynote (60 min) is designed to be highly interactive, blending storytelling, organizational psychology, audience reflection, and facilitated discussion. Participants won't simply listen. They'll actively examine the hidden patterns that influence their thinking, decision-making, and willingness to contribute, leaving with practical strategies they can immediately apply in their daily work.

A black rectangle with pink text that says 'LUNCHEON SEED PUNCH' and a light green swirling pattern in the background.

Working With Neelu


Partnering with Neelu extends beyond the keynote itself. She works closely with your team before, during, and after the event to ensure the experience is engaging, relevant, and aligned with your objectives.

Whenever possible, Neelu will:

  • Meet with your planning team in advance to understand your audience, goals, and organizational priorities.

  • Arrive before the session to connect with attendees and remain available afterward for conversation, networking, photos, and book signings

  • Participate in a facilitated discussion, Q&A, breakout session, as requested

  • Offer signed copies of Be Your Own Cheerleader as an optional attendee gift. While the Self-Trust Recession introduces the framework for navigating uncertainty and rebuilding self-trust, Be Your Own Cheerleader provides practical strategies for communicating ideas, advocating for yourself, and putting those insights into action in the workplace.

A woman with long dark hair giving a presentation. She is wearing a rust-colored blazer, black top, black pants, and black sneakers. She is holding a small microphone in her right hand and appears to be speaking.
A yellow hardcover book titled "Be Your Own Cheerleader" by Neelu Kaur. The title features large purple and green text, with a purple megaphone illustration behind the word "Cheerleader." The subtitle describes the book as a guide for South Asian women's psychological and spiritual self-promotion at work.

Be Your Own Cheerleader

Be Your Own Cheerleader is a practical guide to communicating your ideas, advocating for your contributions, and ensuring your work doesn't go unnoticed. While the book draws on Neelu's experience navigating multiple cultures, its lessons on self-leadership, communication, and strategic influence resonate with professionals across industries and backgrounds.

Available as an optional attendee gift, Be Your Own Cheerleader extends the learning beyond the keynote by giving participants practical tools they can immediately apply to communicate with greater confidence, contribute their best thinking, and increase their impact at work.

Your Keynote Experience Includes:

  • Pre-Event Planning Meetings

  • 45-minute + 15 min facilitated discussion

  • 60 signed copies of Be Your Own Cheerleader shipped to the NYC office

  • Post Keynote Book Signing

  • Attendee feedback report with qualitative & quantitative insights

  • Post event debrief with the planning team

Total Fee: $20,000 USD

Next Steps

Thank you for taking the time to review this proposal.

I've tailored these ideas based on our conversation and would be happy to refine any aspect of the keynote to best support your team and event objectives.

I look forward to continuing the conversation and hopefully partnering with Rudin this fall.

Reach out if you have any questions!

Talk with you soon

Warmly,

Neelu

Who is Neelu Kaur?

Neelu Kaur is an organizational psychology expert, global keynote speaker, and author who helps organizations strengthen decision-making, reduce hesitation, and create workplaces where people contribute their best thinking.

Her latest body of work, The Self-Trust Recession, explores why capable people second-guess themselves in an increasingly noisy world and introduces practical strategies for rebuilding self-trust, navigating uncertainty, and making better decisions.

Over the past two decades, Neelu has partnered with Fortune 500 organizations around the world, helping leaders and teams improve communication, accelerate execution, and unlock stronger individual and organizational performance.

Neelu earned her Bachelor of Science from NYU Stern School of Business and her Master of Arts in Social & Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, combining a strong foundation in business and human behavior with more than two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 organizations.

She is the author of Be Your Own Cheerleader and the forthcoming The Self-Trust Recession (Wiley, 2027), and is known for translating complex human behavior into practical frameworks audiences can immediately apply.

A woman giving a presentation in front of a screen, holding a remote, wearing a rust-colored blazer and black pants.