Ann Marie Houghtailing
- One of the leading voices on Storytelling and Narrative Dominance in the age of AI
- Delivering intellectually rigorous, emotionally intelligent keynotes with humor and surprise
- Trusted by Fortune 500 companies, global technology firms, and Am Law 100 firms
Ann Marie Houghtailing Speaker Biography
Annmarie Houghtailing is a keynote speaker, corporate storytelling expert, and founder of Story Imprinting. For nearly two decades, she has helped leaders at Am Law 100 firms, global technology companies, and executive teams communicate with greater clarity, influence, and impact. Whether it’s a high-stakes pitch, a difficult conversation, or a message that must move people to action, her work helps audiences remember what matters.
In addition to her corporate clients, Annmarie has worked with billionaires, hospice patients, and incarcerated men—a range of experiences that has reinforced the same lesson time and again: people rarely remember information, but they never forget meaning.
A TEDx speaker, touring solo performer, and writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, HuffPost, and the San Diego Business Journal, Annmarie brings the presence of a performer and the rigor of an educator to every stage. Her keynotes blend humor, insight, and practical application to create experiences audiences remember long after the event ends.
When she’s not speaking, Annmarie lives in San Diego surrounded by stacks of books, a shambolic art studio and a demanding garden. She is a traveler, story collector and lover of art and long walks.
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Speech Topics
Narrative Dominance: The New Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence has made information abundant and cheap. Meaning is now the scarce resource. In this provocative keynote, audiences discover why storytelling has become one of the most valuable leadership skills of the AI era. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and real-world business examples, this session explores how storytelling builds trust, shapes perception, influences decisions, and inspires action. Practical applications include business development, recruiting, leadership communications, team building, stakeholder alignment, and high-stakes conversations.
Executive Presence: How People Feel in Your Presence
Executive presence isn’t about charisma, confidence, or commanding a room. It’s about the impact you have on others. This keynote explores the behaviors that build trust, credibility, and influence at every level of an organization. Audiences learn how to communicate with clarity, listen with intention, navigate difficult conversations, and create psychological safety that inspires confidence and action.
Feedback: A Free Education to Excellence
Most organizations want better performance, stronger cultures, and higher retention, yet many struggle with one of the most powerful tools available to them: feedback. This keynote explores why feedback is the heartbeat of culture and a critical driver of growth, engagement, and trust. Audiences learn practical approaches for giving and receiving feedback that strengthen relationships, improve retention, accelerate development, and create environments where people and teams thrive.
Narrative Capital: The Stories That Build Trust, Influence, and Revenue
Expertise gets you considered. Trust gets you hired. In crowded markets where products, services, and credentials often look the same, relationships become the ultimate differentiator. This keynote explores how stories build trust, deepen relationships, and create the human connection that drives referrals, loyalty, influence, and revenue. Audiences will learn practical tools for using narrative to strengthen business development, client relationships, recruiting, and leadership communication.
What Needs to Be Said: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Confidence
Every organization pays a price for the conversations it avoids. Avoidance breeds confusion, erodes trust, slows decision-making, weakens culture, and quietly dismantles executive presence. The leaders who create healthy teams and strong cultures aren’t those who avoid difficult conversations—they’re the ones who know how to navigate them. This keynote provides practical tools for addressing conflict, delivering feedback, managing performance, and communicating clearly when the stakes are high. Audiences will learn how to build trust, reduce defensiveness, strengthen relationships, and say what needs to be said in a way that moves people forward.
