• Retired U.S. Army Major
  • TEDxDetroit speaker
  • 23 engagements last year

Interrupting self‑doubt.Igniting audacity.Inspiring resilience.

Retired Army Major and TEDx speaker. Her keynotes and workshops help high performers, from emerging leaders to the executive suite, interrupt self-doubt and lead as themselves.

Watch the TEDx talk

Seen and heard on

TEDxDetroit · FOX 2 Detroit · Behind The Mission (PsychArmor) · Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency “I Am a Veteran” · NSA Michigan Last Story Standing, second place

Stages and audiences

TEDxDetroitTEDxDetroitFordFordMeijerMeijerComerica BankComerica BankEZCORPEZCORPSHRM Greater Ann ArborSHRM Greater Ann ArborNAAIA DetroitNAAIA DetroitBlack Tech SaturdaysBlack Tech SaturdaysDisruptHR DetroitDisruptHR DetroitMichigan Veterans Affairs AgencyMichigan Veterans Affairs AgencyMassachusetts Executive Office of Veterans ServicesMassachusetts Executive Office of Veterans ServicesVeteran 1stVeteran 1stACAREACARE

Why organizations book Lorrena

The cost of leading someone else’s way.

Your strongest people are not underqualified. They are performing a version of leadership that was handed to them, and it shows.

Nobody rises in a costume.

  1. 01Over preparing for a meeting that needed ten minutes
  2. 02Over explaining a decision that needed no defense
  3. 03Going quiet in the room where the decision gets made
  4. 04Turning down the promotion before you ever get to offer it
  5. 05Tired in a way that time off does not fix

Signature keynotes

Two keynotes, tailored to your event.

Lorrena Black on stage in a pink suit, arms open, at NextGen Meetings

Act I

Imposter Interrupted

01

Outsmarting Self-Doubt with Emotional Intelligence

What happens in the room

Imposter syndrome does not care how qualified you are. It shows up as over-preparing, over-explaining and going quiet in the room where the decision gets made. Lorrena names those patterns, shows what they cost, and interrupts them with emotional intelligence tools, not affirmations.

Audiences leave able to

  • Spot how their own self-doubt shows up, and what sets it off
  • Interrupt it before it costs another opportunity
  • Coach a colleague through it, in language the whole team shares

Keynote, 45 to 60 minutes. HR version eligible for HRCI and SHRM continuing education credit.

Lorrena Black with a microphone, walking a ballroom audience

Act II

R.A.L.L.Y.™ to Rise

02

Recenter. Adapt. Lead. Leverage. Yield.

What happens in the room

Resilience is usually sold as the ability to absorb more, which is why your best people are tired. The R.A.L.L.Y.™ Method makes it five repeatable steps, and the audience works all five live on a real situation, not a slide.

Audiences leave able to

  • Use a five-step framework to lead through change
  • Name the one step they skip under pressure
  • Recover without simply pushing harder

Keynote, 45 to 60 minutes. Built for corporate teams, ERGs and organizations in change.

Also available

R.A.L.L.Y.™ the Room

A merged keynote combining both frameworks.

Also available

Half and full day workshops

Workshop versions of either program.

Also available

Keynote plus workshop

Same-day bundles: the room hears it, then practices it.

Also available

Breakouts

Hands-on practice, alone or after a keynote.

See Lorrena in action

Before you decide, watch her work.

Her TEDxDetroit talk, and the story that placed second at NSA Michigan.

The Untold Strength of the Non-Combat Soldier

TEDxDetroit · November 2025 · 9 min

Rocks

Last Story Standing · Second place, NSA Michigan

Also on stage

“Follow Like a Leader” at DisruptHR Detroit, and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Women Veterans Conference.

What organizers and audiences say

The room, in their words.

“Lorrena Black is a masterful storyteller and a commanding presence, the kind of speaker who doesn't just take the stage. She owns it. She had the entire room in the palm of her hand, laughing one moment, deeply reflecting the next.”

Mimi Brown, CSP

Leadership keynote speaker · NextGen Meetings

EZCORP
“Her transparency created an immediate sense of connection with our participants. She challenged attendees to identify what they will start, stop, and continue. The framework was simple, powerful, and immediately applicable.”

Dr. Neferiatiti Holt

Senior Manager of Belonging, EZCORP

Keynote
“Lorrena Black's keynote on imposter syndrome was both validating and empowering, reminding us that stepping into our purpose often comes with self-doubt, but we belong in every room we walk into.”

Laura C.

CEO

Town of Carver
“Amazing, such an important message given by an incredibly engaging speaker. I was not expecting this today, but I feel so empowered and I have actions I can use in my life going forward.”

Celestine Crews

Town of Carver

Coaching
“Our coaching sessions have stuck with me for years and I still think back to our sessions as I continue to grow. Anyone who enters a coaching session with Lorrena or has the opportunity to hear her deliver a speech is lucky.”

Katie Maximena Flunker

HR Business Partner, coaching client

How Lorrena works with organizations

From the stage to the follow-through.

For companies, associations, nonprofits and veteran organizations. Every booking starts with a discovery call.

Keynote speakingLearn more
WorkshopsLearn more
CoachingLearn more
For event plannersLearn more

Where she speaks

From Detroit, to any stage.

Travels from DTW, in person or virtual.

DetroitBerkleyRoyal OakTroySouthfieldDearbornAnn ArborAvailable nationally from DTW
Service-area map — Detroit, Berkley, Royal Oak, Troy, Southfield, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Available nationally from DTW

Hold the date for your event.

Or call the office at (915) 269-2168 · lorrena@lorrenablack.com