There’s no greater way to honor our beliefs than to rejoice when we see them put into action. Holly Dowling, a widely celebrated Global Keynote Speaker and Inspirational Thought Leader, is someone who follows her soul’s highest calling! She defied all odds and built her profession on her own terms.

This immensely passionate personality is on a quest to help others realize their full potential and brilliance. With her indomitable spirit to create an impact, Holly strives to be a messenger of hope, inspiration, joy, and healing in this world. Formerly the vice president of an international brokerage firm, Holly creates and delivers bespoke keynotes as well as programs for Fortune 500 companies. She is of the opinion that each of us must define happiness for ourselves, rather than success.

She mentions, “I’ve never seen anyone succeed in this profession without the genuine heart and message of selflessness. My soul has always had a strong desire to serve the world. I was chosen to be a global messenger of hope and inspiration.”

The Emergence of a Passionate Leader

Who you are as a child might reveal a lot about who you will become later on in life. Holly had always been shy as a child. Despite her lack of confidence, she had an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to both entertain and help others. Since she was a little girl, Holly had always been curious about new things, such as combining entrepreneurship and entertainment, with the ultimate goal of assisting others and spreading happiness.

Holly’s professional career started when a woman she knew through her women’s group requested her to talk to a group of high school students in Denver, CO. She wasn’t sure if people wanted to hear about her struggles and overcoming obstacles. The woman advised her to relate the narrative as if she were speaking to a group of adults. It goes without saying that this episode had a profound impact on Holly’s life. After the discussion, she heard a queue of boys and girls applauding her struggle and being inspired to pursue their aspirations in life.

Holly’s life was dramatically transformed when she got a letter from one of the students in the audience several days after she talked. The letter recounted how, on the morning of Holly’s seminar, this girl was about to commit suicide because she was being sold for cocaine by her father. The letter went on to add that hearing her story influenced her perspective for good and that she had realized how vital her life was. While that day impacted this young girl forever, the imprint Holly had from the experience changed her life forever as well! The letter had such a great impression on Holly that for the past 25 years, she has carried it with her in a small plastic bag to every speaking event she has done. Following that discussion, the school principal requested Holly to speak at a school assembly. Not just that, other parents approached her too with business cards, inviting her to speak at corporate and business gatherings, and the rest is history! That spur-of-the-moment participation, followed by the life-changing letter, turned out to be a complete game-changer in Holly’s personal as well as professional life.

Ultimate Awards & Milestones

Holly Dowling is pleased to receive remarkable awards for her unwavering commitment and tenacity. She is an award-winning host on The Notoriety Network and a two-time Stevie Award winner for women in business. Additionally, Holly feels privileged to be a Former member of The African American Consulate, a proud partner of The United Nations Girl Up Foundation, and a Recipient of The American Riviera Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As an expert in joy and happiness, she believes that the word “success” has been misused for decades, leading to us being overwhelmed by ideas and experiences that are not in line with our soul’s highest calling.

Dowling is also a member of the Anti-Internet Child Exploitation Team, which raises awareness about internet crimes against children around the world. Adding to her key honors, she shares, “I have the extreme honor of being a top ten inspirational thought leader among influencers such as Deepak Chopra, who happens to be one of my all-time most inspirational figures.”

There’s no questioning that her career has had its ups and downs, but they have all served as a compass that points her back to the mission she feels privileged to pursue.

Holly, like a true leader, is leading by example, encouraging others to dream big and believe in themselves!

What Makes her Unique?

Holly Dowling, a successful woman with a long list of achievements, utilizes her profession to encourage a message of peace, love, joy, and kindness. She feels that she did not seek out this career; the mission was placed on her heart and the path she is on found her. As a global keynote speaker and inspirational thought leader, Holly, with her team, are continuously called back to serve Fortune 500 companies with a majority of their business based upon a referral.

Although she has successfully climbed up the ladder of success, the journey has not been easy. She acquired this accomplishment in a non-traditional manner, without the help of a speaker’s bureau, a TEDTalk, or a best-selling book. She shares, “Attaining repeat clients and referrals are attributed to asking the right questions; by following the goals and the dreams of our clients and customizing presentations to company culture while recognizing individuals of the company as part of the overall mission.” As a disciplined personality, Holly is quite mindful of each of her employees’ strengths and makes sure that they use them on a daily basis. She believes that creating an authentic environment where everyone can be transparent professionally and personally is vital to the success of the daily operations and long-term mission!

This self-made leader admits silence to be nectar for her soul. “During my quiet time, which is part of my four daily rituals, I am always asking for divine wisdom and guidance to pour through me,” she adds on.

Taking Over the Spotlight

“How can I define happiness for myself?” This realization marks a significant milestone in Holly’s career, as she shifts her focus from achieving what the world expects of her to creating a life and business that has a broader purpose in the world.

As a leader and in today’s big picture of creating an inclusive environment, Holly Dowling is more of a proponent of helping people uncover a spiritual side to themselves. She expresses, “As leaders, we have all heard of emotional IQ, but tapping into Spiritual IQ takes leadership to an extraordinarily different level. The Spiritual IQ has been the launchpad to my new quest to enhance leadership development and beyond.”

Holly sees her “Spiritual Quest Called Blessed” as a long-awaited nudge. She states, “The timing is now because leaders are becoming very mindful of what it means to be an awakened leader, an enlightened leader, and a leader who is supporting people as human beings by helping them find the gift within themselves and let it shine.” Needless to say, she is eager to get started on this mission! As more and more studies are looking into Spiritual IQ and how important it is to our character moving ahead, Dowling feels becoming an expert in Spiritual IQ amplifies her mission to the next level! To experience more on the Spiritual IQ, Holly’s newest keynote offering, Awaken Your Light Within, details how to tap into powerful innate characteristics and find joy in your life.

Choosing Better over Bitter

Not many people can face adversity with grace! Holly Dowling, a dynamic and notable thought leader, has gone through a lot and experienced countless challenges in her journey. When faced with hardship, she truly lives by her mantra and asks herself if she chooses to become bitter or better? And, without a doubt, she chooses to get better! “I have grown and learned from adversities. When I first started doing a lot of leadership work, I recall sitting on the bed crying and thinking to myself that I don’t think I can go back in there tomorrow. But I did, and it turned my life around,” she includes.

Holly’s mission was propelled to new heights when she hoped to assist others in healing by disclosing some of her terrible previous experiences in her life. As she decided to share the darkest chapter of her past with the world, she was sure to stay strong at all times, no matter how many roadblocks she encountered! As an expert in strengths-based leadership and corporate women’s empowerment, Holly has always been grateful and appreciative of her profession. Her sessions have made a profound impact on some of the most powerful leaders in the world, with long-term consequences. One thing Holly wishes to impart to every human being is to begin living a life that is tailored to them rather than one that is tailored to others!

Her Dose of Inspiration

Holly Dowling has always been fascinated by human behavior; thus, she has spent her life watching and observing innumerable people with both good and bad intentions. Talking about her biggest inspiration in life, Holly says, “My tribe, who are my siblings, are the ones who have believed and inspired me. They have been my balcony people who keep lifting me up throughout my life.”

Holly owes a debt of gratitude to Peggy Calhoun, the Denver public school teacher who invited Holly to speak to her high school students. It had a huge impact on the entire school, district, and ultimately her life. Soon enough, with the help of Gina and Kirk Shrek, Holly enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to begin delivering and facilitating the IBM circuit. In addition, Marcus Buckingham also noticed her brilliance and encouraged her to shine even brighter than before, propelling her career to a global audience!

Holly Dowling considers herself fortunate to have been given a plethora of opportunities that have enabled her to make a positive difference. With decades of golden experience, Holly understands the value of remaining true to herself and finds contentment when she does so.

Words of Wisdom

If you are passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, figure out what your purpose is and why it is so important to you! When Holly was asked for her best piece of advice for aspiring young people wanting to make a difference, she said, “Continue to seek first what your soul’s highest calling is, and although the world will tell you all the things, they think you should do, at the end of the day, the greatest gift you can give yourself and to the world is to bring the greatest version of you. This is not easy, nor is it going to be an easy path but it can be revolutionary for you and everyone else around you.”

Holly truly believes that miracles occur when we stop forcing things to happen and instead get into the flow of life, trusting and surrendering. “Stop believing you have to do things the way the rest of the world does. Stay true to yourself, listen to your spirit within, and continue to refine and find your niche in this world. Don’t let anyone take that away from you,” she adds.

How your brain responds to negative thoughts is one of the main topics Holly trains people on. According to her, you can get over your fear of speaking in public by finding out what makes you feel confident. Praying before giving a message is the most effective technique for Holly to engage an audience. She encourages budding public speakers to focus on what gives them confidence and gives their soul the calmest, most comfortable feeling, rather than worrying about impressing everyone. She asserts, “The second most terrifying fear is public speaking. Aging and becoming old is the number one phobia that individuals have today. What we need is a chance to be ourselves. Allow yourself to be in your most natural state!” This award-winning speaker does not believe in memorizing scripts, but rather urges others to face their fears, make new friends by mingling with the audience, and simply convey a message! Holly feels ecstatic about the opportunity to lead others and lives by the mantra, “Live life with passion!”