Keynotes & Workshops
Speaking
Julie doesn't do corporate platitudes. Her talks blend hard-won lessons from scaling billion-dollar transformations with the kind of honesty you don't usually hear from the stage — about failure, about being underestimated, about the masks we wear and the cost of taking them off.
She's not a retired executive on the speaker circuit. She's actively advising boards and leadership teams through Gold Thread LLC, which means the insights are current, the examples are real, and the bullshit detector is finely calibrated.
Available as keynotes, workshops, panel discussions, or fireside chats — each engagement is built around your audience, your industry, and your specific challenges. No off-the-shelf presentations.
NRF · New York
Sample Topics
What Julie speaks about
These are starting points. Every talk is customized to your audience and challenges.
01
AI Without the BS
Most companies are spending millions on AI while skipping the foundations that determine whether it works. This talk cuts through the hype to address what boards and executives actually need to know: where AI creates real value, why most pilots never scale, and how to build the organizational readiness that turns experiments into competitive advantage.
02
Scaling Without Breaking
Growth exposes every crack in your foundation. Drawing from scaling lululemon from $2B to $10B+ and building teams across four continents, this talk covers what actually holds together when companies grow fast — the infrastructure decisions, talent strategies, and leadership shifts that separate companies that scale from companies that just get bigger.
03
The Human Side of Transformation
Technology doesn't transform companies. People do. This talk explores why so many AI pilots fail and what separates leaders who deliver lasting change from those who just deploy tools. Real, unvarnished examples from Nordstrom, REI, and lululemon — including what didn't work.
04
Building Cultures That Scale
How to maintain high standards while creating psychological safety. Building global teams across time zones and cultures. The practices that helped lululemon scale while building world-class technology capability — and why culture isn't a soft skill, it's your competitive infrastructure.
05
Building Global Teams That Actually Work
Most companies treat distributed teams as cost centers and wonder why they fail. This talk shares the playbook for building global teams as true capability partners — drawing from creating lululemon's India Tech Hub with nearly 50% women engineers and a 95% retention rate when the industry average was 60%.
06
Leading Beyond the Expected Script
What happens when you stop trying to fit the mold and start rewriting it. On bringing your full humanity to leadership — and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is give others permission to be fully themselves too. The professional masks that help us climb the ladder are often exactly what hold our teams back.
Real Stories
No theoretical frameworks. Actual experiences from the trenches, including the failures that taught the most.
Actionable Insights
Every talk includes specific practices leaders can apply immediately — not just inspiration, but tools.
Customized Content
Each engagement is tailored to your audience, industry, and challenges. No off-the-shelf decks.
Flexible Formats
Available as keynotes, workshops, panel discussions, or fireside chats — with Q&A welcome.
