SPEAKING
Your audience doesn’t need another person telling them to do more.
They need someone who understands why capable women keep taking on more in the first place—and can help them see another way forward.
Mary Fran Bontempo brings insight, practical strategies, and humor to conversations about responsibility, resilience, and what happens when women finally start asking not only what they Should do—but what they Could do.
Because sometimes the best way to recognize yourself is to laugh and say, “Oh, crap. I do that.”
Insight is important. But people have to see themselves in it.
Mary Fran doesn’t lecture audiences about what they should be doing differently. Responsible Women already have quite enough should in their lives.
She uses stories, humor, and real-life examples to help women recognize the patterns they’ve been living—often without realizing it.
Because being responsible isn’t the problem. Being responsible for too much is. When capable women automatically take on every problem, expectation, and loose end, it affects how they use their time, make decisions, set boundaries, manage their energy, and show up both personally and professionally.
Mary Fran helps audiences recognize what is actually theirs to carry, focus their energy where they can make a difference, and make more intentional choices about where their responsibility belongs.
There’s laughter. There are a few “Oh, dang. That’s me.” moments. But there are also practical ideas people can put to work long after they leave the room.
Because the goal isn’t simply to inspire people for an hour. It’s to help them make more intentional choices about what they take on, what they let go, and what they do next.
ABOUT MARY FRAN
Experience matters. So does living it.
Mary Fran Bontempo is a two-time TEDx speaker, author, podcast host, and creator of Brilliantly Resilient. For more than a decade, she’s been helping women recognize the strength, skills, and Resilience they often overlook while they’re busy handling everything else.
Her work grew out of her own experience navigating a family crisis that forced her to rethink what strength, responsibility, and Resilience actually look like.
Today, she brings those lessons—along with research, real-life stories, practical strategies, and a healthy respect for humor—to audiences navigating change, challenge, leadership, and the question so many capable women eventually ask:
What about me?
SPEAKING TOPICS
Conversations that help capable women see what they’ve been carrying—and choose what comes next.
THE RESPONSIBLE WOMAN TRAP
Recognize the hidden cost of always being the capable one—and learn how to stop carrying what was never yours to carry in the first place.
RESET WITH RESILIENCE
Turn overwhelm into forward motion by focusing on what matters, changing your perception of challenges, and taking back control of what’s actually yours to control.
FROM SHOULD BE TO COULD BE
Break free from the expectations and old roles that keep you stuck in what life should look like—and start creating what your next chapter could be.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Insight that sticks. Humor that connects.
“Her event was easily sold out. Her presentation was fantastic and funny, but still had the ability to give real takeaways for the audience. She was the perfect mix of relatable and engaging.”
Nicole Stephenson, IOM
Author of Unapologetic | Wharton Lecturer
“Mary Fran was such a breath of fresh air and her delivery was engaging and her points were right on the money. I left feeling excited and empowered. A week later people were still raving that it was one of the best, most enjoyable presentations we’ve ever had!”
Emily (Kohler) Marbot, MS, SHRM-CP
Director of Talent Management
“She was the talk of our office for days! She is fun, relatable and her message intertwines both your professional and personal life. If you are looking for a speaker who delivers a highly original, entertaining, and inspiring take on life, please book Mary Fran.”
Megan O’Drain
Marketing & Growth Strategist, CBIZ