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Nothing is more powerful than a second chance at life

Brett Connellan

travels from Australia

Brett Connellan is a shark attack survivor. He is now working as a keynote speaker, and is using his story to inspire other people.

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5 out of 5 stars

Brett's story is something everyone needs to hear. Not simply just because it is a raw and emotional story, but because it is a story that evokes a passionate and inspiring response from those that are lucky enough to be present for the experience. Instantly engaging, Brett presents his story and his learnings from his own experiences in a format that is adaptable to any setting and that would be of great benefit to any audience listening.

Why you should book Brett Connellan for your next event

  • Brett Connellan reflects on a shark attack that nearly cost him his life.
  • Brett inspires his audience to normalise and understand the role that setbacks play in the human experience.
  • Brett is using his unique and powerful story to help others make the most out of their journeys.
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About Brett

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Request fees and availability
Turning the worst day of your life into your best is no easy feat, but sometimes there is simply no other option. In Brett Connellan’s case, this day included the moment every surfer’s worst nightmare became his reality when he was attacked by a Great White Shark.

Why you should book Brett Connellan for your next event

  • Brett Connellan reflects on a shark attack that nearly cost him his life.
  • Brett inspires his audience to normalise and understand the role that setbacks play in the human experience.
  • Brett is using his unique and powerful story to help others make the most out of their journeys.

As the light was fading at Bombo Beach on the evening of the 30th of March, 2016, Brett was inches from death. He had lost three-quarters of his left quad, and emergency responders on the scene were sure Brett would not make it. Fortunately, the cards fell in Brett’s favour, and he managed to pull through with the help of a brave friend, timely emergency support and a healthy serving of luck.

The events that saved Brett’s life were not lost on him, and that perspective was needed as he faced a long and challenging road to recovery. With a bleak outlook prescribed to him by doctors, it was evident that Brett’s life as he knew it would never be the same. 

See keynotes with Brett Connellan
Keynote by Brett Connellan

WAVES OF RESILIENCE - Turning the worst day of your life into the best

Brett doesn’t think he would believe the advice he’d share with a younger version of himself because he believes that there’s no greater teacher than the experience itself.

Life, much like the ever-changing ocean, can throw unexpected challenges at us. It’s not that everyone needs to face a shark attack to gain perspective; rather, it’s about understanding how to adapt and navigate the waves of change. Resilience, that innate strength within all of us, is the anchor we can hold onto during turbulent times.

In this captivating presentation, Brett not only shares his remarkable journey of recovery after a life-altering shark attack but also equips you with the essential tools needed to conquer life’s obstacles. Discover the art of adaptation and resilience as Brett draws parallels between his journey and the challenges we all encounter in an ever-changing world.

Key Takeaways:

  • Unleash Resilience: Discover the transformative journey of resilience as Brett shares his powerful personal story of surviving a shark attack and rebuilding his life.
  • Strategies for Overcoming Challenges: Learn practical strategies for facing adversity head-on, finding hope in the darkest moments, and emerging stronger than before.
  • Adapt and Thrive: Explore how to harness change, turn setbacks into opportunities, and build a culture of resilience within your organisation.
  • Redefined Purpose: Gain insights into pivoting and finding new meaning when faced with unexpected detours, inspiring you to adapt and thrive.
Keynote by Brett Connellan

THE SECOND CHANCE EFFECT - Reimagining goals: Resilience and growth in action.

Discover and embrace a transformative mindset that will redefine how you approach life and all of its challenges.

Drawing inspiration from his own life-altering journey, Brett shares how a single message changed his trajectory, offering you a powerful opportunity for growth.

Through captivating storytelling and practical strategies, you’ll learn how to cultivate unwavering focus, achieve peak performance, and continuously elevate your goals.

Whether you’re an individual or a leader wanting to empower others. This will highlight a mindset that thrives amidst change, seizes new opportunities, and redefines what success means to you as you embark on a journey of personal transformation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dream Big, Achieve More: Discover the meaning behind a message that changed the trajectory of Brett’s recovery. “People fail not from aiming too high and missing, but from aiming too low and hitting”
  • Focus and Performance: Learn practical strategies for maintaining laser-sharp focus, maximising productivity, and consistently delivering high-performance results.
  • Evaluate and Elevate: Gain insights into the importance of periodically evaluating your goals, adapting to change, and learning from both successes and setbacks.
  • Resilience in Goal Achievement: Explore the role of resilience in pursuing your goals, turning challenges into stepping stones, and emerging stronger and more determined than ever.
Keynote by Brett Connellan

BENEATH THE SURFACE - Exploring the ‘Sad Shark’ of mental health

Having forged a special post-attack relationship with sharks, Brett has gained a unique perspective on the often misunderstood duality of these majestic creatures alongside mental health.

Just as the ocean hides the complexities of its depths, so too do individuals often conceal their struggles beneath the surface. This presentation will offer valuable insights and tools into self-awareness as well as encourage open, compassionate dialogues.

As we navigate this journey, we shed light on the profound impact that conversations can have in bridging the gap between isolation and connection. We explore the power of empathy, and support, empowering both those in need and those eager to provide assistance. The aim is to inspire meaningful discussions, break down stigmas surrounding mental health, and promote awareness, and compassion within organisations and communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Power of Conversations: Discover how meaningful conversations can break the surface and provide essential support for mental well-being.
  • Unmasking the Sad Shark: Learn to recognise and address the hidden struggles of mental health, fostering empathy and understanding, much like unveiling the depths of the sad shark beneath the surface.
  • Self-Awareness and Connection: Explore the role of self-awareness in nurturing mental well-being and creating meaningful connections with others.
  • Supporting and Empowering: Gain insights into being both a supportive friend and a valuable resource for those facing mental health challenges.
Keynote by Brett Connellan

RESILIENCE - Turning the worst day of your life into the best

Brett doesn’t think he would believe the advice he’d share with a younger version of himself because he believes that there’s no greater teacher than the experience itself. 

That’s not to say that everyone has to be attacked by a shark in order to gain some great perspective on life but a fact of being a human is that everyone will experience their own version of what Brett has been through. The key in getting through these experiences is knowing what to do in order to be resilient. Resilience is something that’s inside all of us and sometimes we need a little reminder of what that looks like. Here Brett shares the tools required to overcome some of life’s obstacles as he relates it to his recovery post shark attack and how he navigates the many challenges he faces in life today.

Key Takeaways:

  • Normalise and understand the role that setbacks play in the human experience
  • Build your ‘resilience toolbox’ through Brett’s 3 key areas (Perspective, Pathways and People)
  • Understand that the ‘resilience toolbox’ can be used not only to overcome obstacles, but to reach new heights in life

*This presentation can be 45-60 minutes and can include overarching themes of both motivation and/or mental health

Keynote by Brett Connellan

INSTINCT - The hidden tool to success

As humans, we often find ourselves in pursuit of high-performance habits or hacks that will lead to success, whether it be in our personal or professional lives. 

We’ve heard it all when it comes to these strategies and the more we look into them the more complicated they become, but it doesn’t need to be this complicated. As human beings, we have evolution to thank for our simplest and most effective tool when it comes to motivation and high performance and its roots are based on our instinct. This may seem like an odd way of looking at this, but looking at situations through a different lens is what someone like Brett does best as he explains how his near-death experience at the jaws of a great white shark helped him harness his instincts to not only defy the odds in his recovery but to excel in life from that point forward. 

Key Takeaways: 

  • Gain perspective on the role that instinct plays in helping us as humans achieve the best outcome 
  • Learn how to use instinct to create purposeful goals/direction in life, both personally and professionally 
  • Learn the framework to follow your purpose and achieve fulfilment and success

*This presentation is 45 minutes

 

Keynote by Brett Connellan

PURPOSE - Why do you do what you do?

Whether it’s work, education or parenthood, sometimes it’s easy to get stuck travelling through life on autopilot. How often do we actually stop and ask ourselves why are we doing what we do?

The answer to that question can unlock so much when it comes to achieving what we want in life. Whether it’s to reach your own goals or to service your clients better, when you learn how to pause and take a moment to connect with your purpose, you’ll soon realise the importance of one of life’s greatest drivers. Allow Brett to place this in context with his own experiences to see how purpose can be found in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Key Takeaways:

  • Identify situations when we need to pause and ask ourselves “why?”
  • Discover the role that purpose plays in directing the actions of our everyday life
  • Learn how to find your own purpose through personalised ‘pillars’

*This presentation is 20-30 minutes 

 

Watch Brett Connellan in action

Brett Connellan Speaker Reel

Watch Brett Connellan in action

A Day In The Life with Brett Connellan - Kiama Open

See keynotes with Brett Connellan

References

“Brett is an amazing, engaging speaker with a story that is relevant and inspiring. Brett's message of resilience and achieving your goals was clear through his storytelling approach. He had our audience fully engaged for the whole keynote.”

Allambi Care

"Brett is an excellent storyteller with a calm and composed persona. The way he presented his life experience left the audience spellbound. A few amongst the audience were able to share their experience and challenges. Brett managed those conversations very well. It was an invigorating experience for many of us.”

Blacktown City Council

Brett's story is something everyone needs to hear. Not simply just because it is a raw and emotional story, but because it is a story that evokes a passionate and inspiring response from those that are lucky enough to be present for the experience. Instantly engaging, Brett presents his story and his learnings from his own experiences in a format that is adaptable to any setting and that would be of great benefit to any audience listening.

Movember

We thoroughly enjoyed Brett’s talk on Thursday - His story is so inspiring and the strategies that he shared are incredibly relatable to our team. We all enjoyed it so much!

Yellow Canary

Brett’s presentation was one of the best our staff have had. They all were highly inspired and energised afterwards, speaking of the importance of perspective and mindset. Brett is a talented presenter who captivates his audience with great skill.

Woonona Public School
Non-binding request for Brett Connellan

Send a simple request. You’ll get a quick reply with fees and availability

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Brett Connellan
Brett Connellan

5 out of 5 stars

Brett's story is something everyone needs to hear. Not simply just because it is a raw and emotional story, but because it is a story that evokes a passionate and inspiring response from those that are lucky enough to be present for the experience. Instantly engaging, Brett presents his story and his learnings from his own experiences in a format that is adaptable to any setting and that would be of great benefit to any audience listening.

Keynote topics with Brett Connellan