About

About Heartspeak

Heartspeak is an organization dedicated to the development of compassionate leadership.

Experts recognize that what used to be known as "soft skills" are essential enduring qualities, fundamental to today’s workplace success.

Growing our collective capacity for compassionate leadership—in the workplace, personal life, and community—positively impacts the relationships and mental health of others and ourselves.

Shelley Steele launched her work with Heartspeak in 2005 with the goal to honour lived experiences and marginalized voices. She believes that through sharing our diversity and life lessons, our own personal life wisdom can be unleashed. Authentic stories have the power to engage and move us towards empathy, and more importantly, to take compassionate action.

Social-emotional skill development is like strengthening a muscle: it is an ongoing process and can be learned.

Hundreds of stories have been shared by Heartspeak mentors, who have provided insights on camera, in media workshops, small group settings, assemblies, professional learning events, and conferences. Participants have been involved in front of and behind the camera.

Heartspeak mentors with media—sharing lessons learned, what works, and strategies to create a better future.

Heartspeak stories are foundational as leadership development and social-emotional learning tools. These tools build capacity to address issues that employers, schools, and families confront daily.

The Heartspeak narratives provide a catalyst to spark reflection and discussion within a range of audiences. Whether addressing timely themes dealing with equity, inclusive leadership, mental health, Indigenous reconciliation, anti-racism, disabilities, LGBTQ2S, gender diversity, climate, and poverty.

The documentary-style videos have been integrated into conference keynote presentations, media workshops, leadership seminars, school assemblies, and classroom presentations across Canada and in South Africa.

Shelley has directed innumerable Heartspeak interviews on and off reserves, with youth and community groups, and a range of private and public organizations (supporting sensitivity training, inclusive leadership, educational and legal organizations across Canada.)

We are working to build Heartspeak’s scaleable solution.

The core offering of Heartspeak is a library of video learning modules (for workplaces, learning communities, and community organizations), that spark dialogue, get people thinking, open people’s minds to their differences and help them create empathetic connections.

Future Heartspeak Offerings

Video documentaries (feature-length and concise formats)
Unique courses and training modules, consisting of videos, activities, and guidance questions to encourage personal reflection or spark group dialogue.
Facilitation support materials for running interactive workshops and seminars
Space to share your contributions, including comments, stories, photos/videos, learnings, and progress
Webinars co-led by Heartspeak coach/mentor, and/or mental health professional
The Heartspeak InspireLine, providing mentoring and coaching support
An interactive platform with unique, curated, and relevant content that is not subject to the algorithms of popular social media and advertising platforms, where people contribute with accountability.

More to Come

The future of Heartspeak involves events and conferences, featuring a range of activities, performances, and engaging talks by those who have “been there,” including those who have been featured in Heartspeak documentaries.

About Shelley Steele

From a passion for delivering the power of story and voice to heal the human spirit, Shelley Steele founded Heartspeak in 2005.

Shelley is a Rotman Certified Executive Coach and Life Coach. She is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience as an educator, producer/director, and personal development coach. She offers expertise is providing guidance to let go of your past, move towards healing, and rise to a better future.

Her influence is…

Provincial