WHAT A BOOK CAN DO FOR YOUR CAREER—AND YOUR LIFE

Everyone who's successful in business is looking for a leg up. And anyone in that situation who hasn't published a book has done him or herself a disservice. Anna David learned this firsthand. After struggling with addiction and finding sobriety, she wrote a book about her experiences—and suddenly found herself appearing multiple times on shows like Today and The Talk as an expert on addiction.

That's not only when she realized that books are the new college degrees but that sharing about her most personal experiences brought her freedom she'd never imagined possible.

In this keynote that delves into what anyone who wants to write a book needs to do in order to have a hit, David brings an insider's knowledge to the publishing experience—and explains how people can find both their readers and themselves.

HOW TO WEAR YOUR LABELS

Many argue that the word “addict” is offensive; they say that labels keep people from achieving what they’re meant to and stigmatize those who would thrive if they weren’t being penalized by some pejorative identity. In this presentation, Anna David explains why she disagrees and how she believes that it’s only through using the addict label that we can destigmatize addiction. She argues that we shouldn’t be trying to avoid certain words but bringing them out in the open so that we can change the public perception of them. She explains how she believes labels can help us to thrive.

Attendees will be able to evaluate and discuss if the recommendation to not use the word addict—including the recent AP suggestion that journalists use the phrase “person with addiction” instead—helps or hurts the cause.

They’ll be able to compare her argument about the benefits of using the word “addict” to the many arguments people make that we must eradicate the word from our vocabulary altogether—and see the potential pitfalls of that philosophy.

In this entertaining talk that takes the opposite tact of all other talks about labels, audiences will be able to examine their own labels and share them with the world, in turn giving other people who may be struggling permission to do the same. (Time: 30 minutes-1 hour; recommended time: 45 minutes).

SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN AN ADDICTIVE SOCIETY

In the past decade, admissions to recovery programs have increased 143% for students between the ages of 18 and 24. And yet few schools have adjusted their curriculum to address the increasing need for information about addiction and recovery.

David takes the information gleaned from her own experiences with addiction—which she’s been able to share through best-selling books, numerous TV appearances and hundreds of published articles—and breaks down how addiction starts, develops and ends. Through anecdotes that are relatable to addicts and non-addicts alike, David tracks the part low self-esteem, family of origin and genetics play in addiction as well as the role of self-esteem in young people everywhere. The talk is for those with burgeoning addictions, the loved ones of addicts and anyone who wants to learn how to better cope in a society that’s always gunning for more, more, more.

In this insightful and crucial talk, audiences will learn to conquer self-defeating insecurities, deal with family members who are addicted and take the shame out of mental illness, addiction and self-doubt. (Time: 30 minutes-1 hour; recommended time: 45 minutes + Q&A