Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Urquhart.
Hi Jody, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t set out to become a keynote speaker.
I started my career in banking and, at first, I loved it. I loved helping people, being part of a team, and feeling like my work mattered.
But over time, something changed.
The workplace became more focused on processes, targets, and efficiency than on the people doing the work. Conversations became transactions. Stress became normal. People started showing up physically but checking out emotionally.
I watched good people become mechanical.
I watched leaders get so busy managing tasks that they stopped seeing the human beings behind them.
And I watched a job I once loved become a place I no longer wanted to be.
That experience sent me on a search to understand why workplaces lose their humanity and what it takes to get it back.
Along the way, I became a stand-up comedian.
Comedy taught me something powerful: people don’t change when they’re lectured. They change when they recognize themselves. Laughter lowers defenses. It creates connection. It helps people see patterns they couldn’t see before.
Eventually, I combined that understanding with my passion for workplace culture and leadership and built a career as a keynote speaker.
For more than 27 years, I’ve spoken to thousands of audiences across North America, written two books, created over 1,000 videos, and spent years studying stress, resilience, communication, and human behavior.
What I’ve discovered is that most workplace problems aren’t caused by a lack of skill or knowledge.
They’re caused by habits.
Under pressure, we become less patient, make more assumptions, listen less, and focus more on getting things done than connecting with the people around us.
My work is about helping leaders and teams recognize those unconscious habits before they damage trust, culture, and performance.
Because I believe people deserve more than a paycheck.
They deserve workplaces where they feel seen, valued, connected, and able to thrive.
That’s why I created Quietly Disruptive Leadership™.
Not to help people work harder.
To help them become more human at work
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If I look back, the biggest obstacles weren’t the workplaces I worked in or the people around me. They were the habits I developed in response to stress.
For years, I lived in a state of constant urgency. I was always trying to get more done in less time, always thinking about the next thing, and always worried about what other people thought of me. I became a people pleaser and spent a lot of energy seeking approval instead of being present.
What I didn’t realize was how much my own stress and anxiety were affecting the way I showed up. Under pressure, I could be impatient, distracted, and reactive. I wasn’t always treating others the way I wanted to, and I was often even harder on myself.
One of the biggest lessons I learned is that achievement and well-being are not the same thing. From the outside, I looked productive and successful. On the inside, I was often exhausted and disconnected.
The turning point came when I stopped focusing solely on changing my circumstances and started paying attention to my own habits. I became fascinated with stress, human behavior, mindfulness, and why good people sometimes show up in ways that don’t reflect who they really are.
That journey taught me that most of us don’t need more information. We need more awareness. We need to recognize the unconscious habits that take over when we’re under pressure.
That’s what eventually led me to create Quietly Disruptive Leadership™ and dedicate my work to helping people become more present, more intentional, and more human at work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
If there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s helping people see the habits they can’t see in themselves.
Through my work on Quietly Disruptive Leadership™, I help leaders and teams recognize how stress, pressure, and autopilot behaviours quietly shape the way they communicate, lead, and connect with others. Most people don’t need more information. They need more awareness of what’s already running the show.
What I’m most proud of is the impact I’ve had on people over the last 27 years. I’ve spoken to thousands of audiences, but what means the most to me is when someone tells me, “I finally saw myself differently,” or “I went home and had a better conversation with my spouse, my colleague, or my team because of something I learned today.” Those are the moments that matter.
What sets me apart is that I don’t approach leadership from theory alone. I combine my experience as a former stand-up comedian, my years studying stress, resilience, mindfulness, and human behaviour, and my real-world experience of struggling with these habits myself.
I use humour to help people lower their defences and recognize themselves. People don’t change when they’re told what to do. They change when they see themselves—usually while laughing.
At its core, Quietly Disruptive Leadership™ isn’t about teaching people to become someone different. It’s about helping them notice the unconscious habits that get in the way of who they already want to be. That’s where real change begins.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I like Know Thyself podcast, Rupert Spira, Mel Robbins
Pricing:
- Keynote speaker $12k
Contact Info:
- Website: https://idoinspire.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jody_urquhart/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jody.urquhart.3
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-urquhart-idoinspire/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fykF0V8IwAg
