Nora McInerny
Best-Selling Author, Creator and Host of Podcasts “Terrible Thanks for Asking” & “It’s Going To Be OK”
Nora McInerny
Best-Selling Author, Creator and Host of Podcasts “Terrible Thanks for Asking” & “It’s Going To Be OK”
Biography
"Nora was AMAZING! We had such good feedback from the attendees about her. She had folks laughing, some crying, and all left with positive feelings about her presentation. She had several folks come up to her afterwards to convey how excited they were to hear her speak since they had listened to her podcast. She connected well with the nurses! I am so pleased that she was our keynote this year! I hope she had a positive reception from the event as well. She is just a lovely human overall.”
"Months later, we are still talking about Nora’s keynote."
"Her relatable and funny style is honest and real and hit the most important points about grief & resilience."
How are you? Nora McInerny wants to know the truth. As the creator and host of the podcast "Terrible, Thanks For Asking," "It's Going to Be OK," and the TED speaker known for her viral talk, "We Don't Move On From Grief, We Move Forward With It," Nora McInerny specializes in making space for emotional honesty and difficult conversations.
From her bestselling memoirs and essay collections to her pieces in The New York Times, TIME magazine and The Washington Post, Nora's work regularly touches on topics many would rather not discuss — death, loss, illness, mental health, trauma and change — with disarming wit and earnest candor.
Drawing on her personal experiences with grief — Nora lost her husband, second pregnancy and father within a few weeks of each other — and her years of interviewing people who have lived through their own terrible experiences, Nora's unforgettable talks inspire audiences to face and conquer any obstacle — with the strength that comes from knowing that we are not alone.
Though Nora addresses challenging and uncomfortable topics, she does so with a light touch. Her disarming humor and wit break down the barriers that often isolate people who are going through adversity and change. Whether Nora is presenting a keynote or participating in moderated Q&A sessions, she creates interactive, one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations tailored to her audience, giving everyone new tools to help them connect more deeply with themselves and with each other.
Speaker Videos
Nora McInerny reads from 'No Happy Endings' - Live from Here
Nora McInerny presents: Moving Forward
TED: We Don’t “Move On” From Grief. We Move Forward with It.
A Conversation with Nora McInerny
Olivia’s Book Club Podcast: Nora McInerny, ‘Bad Vibes Only (And Other Things I Bring to the Table)’
Nora McInerny Couldn’t Have Planned This I Going Through It, from Mailchimp Presents
Every Word Counts by Nora McInerny
The Small Biz Ahead Podcast | Publishing Co. to Self-Produced: Nora McInerny’s Podcasting Journey
Virtual Keynote: It’s Going To Be Okay (Eventually)
Nora McInerny | Writer and 'Terrible, Thanks For Asking' Podcast Host
Nora McInerny shares story of dealing with grief
She still grieves her deceased husband, but she’s in love with someone new | The Lily
Bad Vibes Only with Nora McInerny
Walk In My Shoes
What's the Worst that Could Happen
Recovering Perfectionist
On Surviving Grief | Tam Talk
Timing is Nothing at All
It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too)
Speech Topics
Happyish
The pursuit of happiness is baked into our American culture, and the self-help industry is a multi-billion dollar--well--industry. Studies have shown that the pursuit of happiness actually makes us less happy, but we're still doing it! In this talk, bestselling author and host of the "Terrible, Thanks for Asking" and "It's Going to Be OK" podcasts debunks popular self-help tropes and leave audiences with a healthier take on mental health and a daily practice for moving from self-improvement to self-awareness, and embracing what it means to be happyish.
Mastering Workplace Communication: Strategies for Success
In business, whether you're a leader, employee, or someone just entering the workforce, how you interact with others is essential to your success and mental well-being—especially in times of crisis or high stress. Communication is key. If it's done well, it can lead to a more positive environment, better connections with your employees or coworkers, and a great and caring company where people want to work. In this talk or workshop, Bestselling Author Nora McInerny gives you the tools to successfully engage with others and effectively lead or navigate the workplace. As an extra bonus, these tips work at home with your spouse, family and friends, too!
Bringing Human Back to Human Resources
What happens if one of your employees experiences a tragedy? How are you going to meet such an incredibly sad and stressful human moment and provide them with the support and resources they need? In this talk or workshop, Best Selling Author Nora McInerny gives you tips on how HR professionals and leaders can be prepared to handle these situations and shows you how to create a more empathetic work environment that truly meets people where they are in times of crisis. You and your company can make a REAL difference in the worst time in someone's life. Nora will show you how to get started.
Hospice Heros: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments
Nora McInerny was a 31-year-old mother with a toddler when her 35-year-old husband entered hospice care in their home. What could have been the most frightening and stressful time of her youngish life was actually one of the most beautiful and transformative experiences, eradicating her fear of death and instilling a deep respect and admiration for the hospice community. This presentation is a love letter to those who provide humanistic and compassionate care and support patients and their families and caregivers. Your attendees will leave feeling a renewed sense of purpose and pride in their deeply meaningful (and deeply exhausting) work.
How Are You? (No, Really.) Redefining Resilience
Why do we ask, "How are you?" when we don't want to know the real answer? And why do we always say, "Fine," even when the truth is that things are not always fine? There's an ongoing mental health crisis, and the invisibility of grief makes it that much harder to acknowledge. Before it became a popular buzzword, resilience was an adjective used to describe goldfish or tires, something that didn't need much-taking care of. Even the dictionary says that resilience is about the "ability to return to the original shape." How can we possibly be expected to return to our original shape when our lives fall apart? Shouldn’t we allow ourselves to be altered by disruption, setbacks, or change? Using stories from her own life and her podcasts, Nora introduces a new definition of resilience and invites audiences to consider a less isolating, more honest answer to the question, "How are you?"
This talk is also available as a 90-minute workshop.
Moving Forward: What Happens When It All Falls Apart
Expanding on her viral TED Talk, "We Don't Move On From Grief, We Move Forward With It," Nora McInerny guides audiences through the impact of grief on their brain, body and interpersonal relationships and how the language we use around death and loss can help grievers move forward with their loss into a life truly lived.
Not (Just) a Sad Story: A Patient's Experience With Cancer, Life & Death
There's nothing funny about brain cancer. But Nora McInerny and her late husband laughed all the time during his treatment. No one wants to be just another sad story. And even the heaviest experiences have moments of levity. Nora walks caretakers and healthcare providers through a more complex version of the patient experience—inviting audiences to laugh and cry alongside her and reminding us of the humanity that coexists alongside terminal illness.
Here But Not Here: Creating a Supportive Environment for Students
It's no secret the last few years have been mentally tough on everyone. But none have been hit harder by the pandemic than students. According to recent surveys, anxiety, depression, sadness, and feelings of isolation and loneliness are all on the rise. In this talk, Nora McInerny lathers on her trademark humor and shares her journey as she tells audiences how to support students through their grief, how to build a community that treats each other with kindness and how to use our shared experiences to connect on a deeper level with each other.
Testimonials
Books & Media
Books
Bad Vibes Only: (and Other Things I Bring to the Table)
The Hot Young Widows Club: Lessons on Survival from the Front Lines of Grief (TED Books)
It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too)
Media
Podcast: Terrible, Thanks for Asking
Nora McInerny: What Does Moving Forward Look Like After Loss?