Dr. Paula Stone Williams is an internationally known speaker on gender equity, LGBTQ advocacy and religious tolerance. As a transgender woman, Paula brings a unique perspective to her work on gender equity. She says, “The differences between living as a man and a woman are massive. There is no way an educated white male can understand how much the culture is tilted in his favor, because it is all he has ever known and all he ever will know.”
Paula, with decades of experience in strategic communications within partisan spaces, skillfully employs narrative communication—a storytelling approach that intimately connects the audience with the conveyed message, fostering enduring change. Whether a corporate meeting, women’s conference, company retreat or national gathering, Paula’s unique perspective and skilled storytelling engages everyone as she humbly and effectively advocates for gender equity, LGBTQ rights and better communication and appreciation for the differences among us.
Paula has been the CEO of a large religious non-profit, the editor-at-large of a national magazine, host of a national television show and a corporate consultant. With her doctoral thesis on the DiSC Personality Profile, Paula has led hundreds of corporate boards and work teams to become more efficient and productive. Paula has served as an adjunct university professor in the United States and Europe, and is the author of eight books, including She’s My Dad, co-authored with her son, Jonathan.
Paula’s memoir, As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned (Simon & Schuster), chronicles her transition journey and sheds light on the gendered landscape that impacts many in the LGBTQ+ community and women in the workplace and beyond. Her memoir will be turned into a limited series by Cannonball Productions.
In addition to her public speaking and corporate consulting, she is also a Pastor and Pastoral Counselor in Boulder County, Colorado. Paula has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, TEDWomen, TEDSummit, TEDxMileHigh, Red Table Talk, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, ABC Primetime News, CNN, People Magazine, and many other media outlets. She has been a keynote speaker for hundreds of conferences, corporations, and universities around the world. Her TED Talks have had over nine million views.
Everyone is talking, but is anyone really listening? In a world increasingly divided by walls of fear, multiple-time TED speaker Paula Stone Williams offers a powerful message of hope and connection. As a transgender woman, national leader, and former pastor, Paula draws on her unique experiences in partisan spaces, giving you the tools to truly listen to those from backgrounds different than yours.
A journey of self-discovery and empathy through sharing her own story of living as both a man and a woman, Paula sheds light on the complexities of identity and the importance of listening and understanding differences in perspective.
In this presentation, Paula provides audiences with actionable steps for effective communications:
– The problem with assumptions: Assumptions are based on our perspective, not on the truth. Be open to the possibilities of your own bias, look at the facts, and continue to educate yourself for a broader worldview.
– It’s not about you: Recognize that humans work from different moral standards. Coming together and hearing each other’s stories, proximity and narrative, can explain those differences and narrow the divide between people and groups.
– Use words without blame and judgment, toward yourself and others: Listen with grace and understanding. Be clear with intentions.
– Do your best: Speak with integrity, and bring your whole self to the conversation.
Whether your audience is grappling with issues of diversity and inclusion, seeking to navigate the ever-changing landscape of communicating better across genders or generations, or simply yearning for a deeper understanding of the human experience, Paula’s message will foster empathy and better communication across lines of difference.
“Paula’s perspective as a transgender woman spoke to gender equity in a way that doesn’t sound like complaining or criticism. Men left the talk feeling contemplative and many approached me afterward to express gratitude for opening their minds to the female experience.”
“Working with Paula was an absolute joy! As the conference coordinator, I found Paula to be engaging, compassionate and sincere- and that was just my initial phone call with her. Participants in her session stated that they wished her hour and a half session was four hours longer, as they could have listened to her all day. Getting to know Paula was, for me, a highlight of our conference.”
“Wow! We were blown away by your stories, authenticity, humor and anecdotes. Thank you again for spending the time with us and sharing your wisdom.”
“It was wonderful to hear Dr. Stone Williams’ perspective on living as both a man and as a women and how we need to be inclusive of transgender individuals to improve outcomes for all. It was truly the first time that perspective has been presented at SBM. Overall, it was a wonderful talk and we are so grateful she shared her lived experience.”
