Global Recognition & Workplace Culture Expert

Sarah McVanel

Sarah McVanel is a global recognition expert and professional speaker known for helping leaders in high-pressure, people-driven organizations use recognition as a serious leadership practice, especially during change, burnout and uncertainty.

A former healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience in organizational development and human resources, she is the founder of Greatness Magnified and movement maker of F.R.O.G. (Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness™).

Sarah is the author of five books, has written 450+ articles, and co-hosts the Greatness Together psychology podcast with her daughter, Simonne.

Trusted for her credibility, warmth and practical depth, she delivers evidence-based insights that strengthen culture, retention and the human experience of work.

Biography

Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, a professional speaker, a coach, an author, a recovering perfectionist and a movement maker. She has created F.R.O.G. Forever Recognise Others’ Greatness™ to invigorate companies, enabling them to recognise their people as exceptional and collectively create a scrumptious and thriving company culture where everyone feels included.

Sarah has 25+ years of experience training, coaching, and leading teams. From her senior leadership role, she founded her boutique firm Greatness Magnified. Proclaimed as the “Frog Lady,” she can be found freaking out perfect strangers (in a good way) by handing out squishy frogs and asking them, “Have you been frogged lately?” and then acknowledging their greatness.

She’s a Certified Senior Organizational Development Professional (CSODP), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). Sarah McVanel is one of 700 Certified Speaking Professionals (CSP) worldwide. She has a BA in Psychology, MSc in Family Relations, and Diplomas in Human Resources and Healthcare Administration.

You can catch Sarah McVanel kayaking in the summer and snowshoeing in the winter with her husband or cooking a feast (while listening to an audiobook on double speed). She’s a die-hard carb-ivour, amateur hip-hopper, and TikTok embarrasser to her two kids.

Expertise

Leadership Development
Workplace Culture
Retention
Recognition
Failure Resilience

Published Books:

Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness

Flip Side of Failing

ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change – for Healthcare

ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change – for Women

The F.R.O.G.™ Effect Workbook

The Greatness Together Podcast

Sarah co-hosts Greatness Together, a mother-daughter psychology podcast, with her daughter, Simonne.

Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness

ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change – for Healthcar

ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change – for Women

Watch

See recognition land

Speaker demo / 2025

Under two minutes with Sarah McVanel

Canada's recognition expert, and the most format-agnostic speaker we have. Main stage, breakout or virtual, the room leaves feeling seen.

Start here

Speaker Demo Reel

Speaker reel

The Flip Side of Failing

Signature keynote

ROCKSTAR for Women

Keynote · Women's events

What Trends Tell Us About Keeping Great People

Keynote excerpt · HR and L&D

ThankFULL Experiences Demo

Gratitude experiences

Keynote Topics

The Exponential Power of Recognition

Superglue your culture through meaningful connection and abundant appreciation

In a time of constant change, uncertainty, and disconnection, one thing remains universally true: people need to feel valued.

Without meaningful human connection, performance declines. Engagement drops or people leave. Innovation stalls. Collaboration and accountability suffers. Yet imagine a workplace where everyone knows they matter. Where appreciation is fuel, not fluff.

What if recognition wasn’t just a program or perk, but your culture’s true differentiator?

Join Sarah McVanel, Canada’s Recognition Expert and international authority on the art and science of appreciation, for a dynamic, evidence-based keynote that challenges outdated thinking and creates unrivalled cultural resilience.

Through real-world stories, compelling data, and her signature F.R.O.G. framework – Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness™, Sarah reveals how organizations can finally close the gap between their intention to retain and engage, and the reality of what their people actually need.

Whether you’re navigating change, rebuilding trust, or reigniting morale, recognition isn’t optional, it’s the fast track to belonging, resilience, and performance. In today’s workplace, it’s a non-negotiable.

Learning Outcomes:

Implement practical rituals and habits that improve retention, agility, and wellbeing
Identify where outdated recognition efforts are costing you talent and trust
Explore global stories and cultural insights that prove recognition is borderless, timeless, and transformational
Build confidence in giving and receiving authentic, timely recognition, at all levels
Confront the myths and mindsets holding back meaningful appreciation

Work Reimagined

Restoring meaning in an age of disruption

Work today feels harder than ever. Cynicism, gossip, and negativity spread quickly. Burnout, turnover, and “just-get-through-the-day” thinking have become normalized. Add in return-to-office tension, AI disruption, and a shaky sense of job security, and it’s no wonder people feel disconnected and disengaged.

But what if the cure is closer than we think?

In this keynote, Sarah McVanel explores the three forces reshaping work: North America’s legacy of overwork, long-standing disengagement drivers, and today’s disruptive shifts. Drawing on data and stories from the world’s happiest countries and high-performing workplaces—from small teams to global giants—Sarah reveals how recognition flips the script.

Instead of seeing work as something to endure, employees and leaders alike can rediscover meaning, accomplishment, and connection. Participants will leave with clarity on why work feels overwhelming today, hope that it doesn’t have to stay this way, and confidence in small but significant recognition practices that rebuild culture from the inside out.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify the three major forces fueling today’s workplace disconnection and disengagement
Understand a practical model for moving people from cynicism to connection
Learn recognition strategies that leaders and employees can apply immediately to build trust and clarity
Explore global examples of cultures that thrive despite disruption and change
Leave with inspiration and confidence to create small shifts that strengthen meaning and belonging at work

From Problems to Possibilities

Better questions for clarity, creativity and collaboration

When it feels like work is constantly changing, what do we know for sure? That the way we ask, listen, and respond shapes how we handle uncertainty, adapt to change, and focus on what truly matters. These everyday conversations are what drive resilience, strengthen teams, and create the momentum organizations need to thrive.

In this experiential keynote, recognition expert Sarah McVanel introduces the Five Most Powerful Solution-Focused Questions, a simple, evidence-based approach that shifts conversations from being stuck in problems to opening up new possibilities. Participants won’t just hear about it; they’ll see it in action through a live demonstration, try it themselves, and leave with practical tools they can use the very next day.

By focusing on what’s possible instead of what’s wrong, audiences discover how to:

Boost collaboration in the moment, not just in theory
Empower creativity and continuous improvement
Spark hope and momentum in times of uncertainty

Designed for staff, supervisors, managers, helping professionals, and customer-facing employees, this keynote is not your average motivational session. It’s practical, hands-on, and deeply inspiring, because when you experience how quickly a conversation can unlock new possibilities, you’ll believe in the power of curiosity to change the future of work.

Learning Outcomes:

Practice five high-impact questions that transform reactive or unproductive conversations.
Shift from a problem-centered lens to a solution-focused approach.
Apply recognition and curiosity to build psychological safety and shared ownership.
Understand the science behind solution-focused leadership in times of change.
Observe and experience a live demonstration of how quickly trust, clarity, and depth can be created.
Take away simple practices that humanize change and unlock untapped potential.

Flip Side of Failing

How unconditional recognition ignites resilience, relationships and retention

We all say failure fuels innovation – but most of us still treat it like the other “f-word.”

High performers especially struggle with failure. We’ve been taught to succeed at all costs, equating our worth with our wins. Yet in today’s uncertain, fast-moving world, innovation and agility require missteps, false starts, and do-overs.

So how do we normalize failure, not just as a growth opportunity, but as an essential ingredient of progress, performance, and connection? That’s where recognition comes in.

In this powerful and refreshingly real keynote, Sarah McVanel, Canada’s Recognition Expert and author of The Flip Side of Failing, reveals how unconditional recognition – of ourselves, of others, and of the process – can transform our relationship with failure.

You’ll explore the F.L.I.P. framework (Fail, Learn, Ignite, Praise), a practical model for high-achievers, go-getters and bar setters so they can let go of unhealthy perfectionism to reframe missteps, harvest lessons, and fuel forward momentum.

This isn’t about glorifying failure. It’s about extracting value from what didn’t go right and building cultures where experimentation, risk-taking, and feedback are not only safe—but expected.

Backed by research and lived experience, and delivered with humour and hope, this session will help you redefine success so that failure isn’t your kryptonite; it’s your catalyst.

Learning Outcomes:

Deconstruct perfectionism and failure resistance, especially among high performers
Learn how recognition creates psychological safety in the face of setbacks
Apply the F.L.I.P. model to work more courageously through change and challenge
Reflect on personal and professional failures to harvest insight and possibility
Build greater failure resiliency in yourself, your team, and your culture

Testimonials

On behalf of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, thank you for delivering such a compelling keynote at our 2026 Conference & Trade Show. Your message resonated strongly with our delegates and provided meaningful insight that will continue to influence conversations across the sector. The leadership themes and practical takeaways you shared aligned well with the direction our industry is moving as we plan for growth toward 2030. We are grateful for your time, professionalism, and contribution to the success of the Conference.

Craig Foley, Chief Executive Officer, Hospitality Newfoundland

Thank you for your follow-up email. I just wanted to let you know that everyone had a fantastic experience with Sarah McVanel. Despite feeling a bit under the weather, Sarah’s energy (not cold) was infectious, and her content and exercises resonated deeply with our team. I wanted to mention that this event has sparked significant interest in having Sarah speak at one of our upcoming conferences. I’ll send you another email with the details so we can discuss this further.

CLHIA

I hope you had safe travels home. I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the time and energy you put into supporting our Summit yesterday with your keynote and breakout session. You elevated the conversation about Recognition and Appreciation to a whole new level for our organization. I particularly appreciated your candor and vulnerability in sharing your own family’s story — and for bringing us gratitude from across the country which left so many attendees in tears. I could go on and on about the numerous complements I received about your talk from our attendees. You brought greatness to our event in every sense — through your own greatness and by creating a sense of permission for others to revel in their greatness and our collective greatness as an organization!