About Karen
I’m Karen Dean—a transformational speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author from Nova Scotia. I bring more than 30 years of business experience, hard-earned perspective, and a sense of humour to conversations about how we think, how we lead, and what we do next.
I’ve created and built businesses in different industries, from a restaurant to dairy farming to launching my own online clothing brand. I’ve made tough decisions, taken risks, changed direction, and learned a lot along the way. I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration, and I’ve been nominated five times for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. Alongside building businesses and raising three children on my own, I’ve faced challenges that changed how I see life, success, and what matters most. Those experiences shape the stories I share and the practical tools I bring to my work. Something I’ve always believed is that how we think affects how we approach what’s in front of us. When we look for possibilities, we give ourselves more options. We can question an assumption, ask for help, set a boundary, or take a chance on something we want—even when we haven’t figured out every step. That’s the perspective I bring to my work. We don’t always get to choose what happens in our lives, but we can learn to trust ourselves, make intentional choices, and decide how we move forward.
What I Bring to Your Event
My talks combine candid stories, humour, and practical tools that invite people to look at their own lives and work differently. I talk about resilience, mindset, courage, and the human skills we draw on when we’re making decisions, working with others, or facing change. I’ve shared my stories and strategies with audiences across Canada and beyond, including Farm Credit Canada, Opportunities New Brunswick, RCMP New Brunswick J Division, and TEAM Work Cooperative. From employee gatherings and leadership sessions to conferences and community events, I bring warmth, humour, and a willingness to have honest conversations. Whether I’m delivering a keynote, facilitating a workshop, hosting an event, or moderating a panel, I want people to feel connected to the conversation. I work with organizers to understand their audience and what they want the session to accomplish, so the stories, discussion, and tools have a clear purpose. I want people to leave with something they can use: a different perspective, language for a conversation they’ve been avoiding, or a next step they feel ready to take.
We Are Unbreakable
In 2020, I self-published We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia. This Canadian and Amazon bestseller shares the personal stories of 22 women and offers an honest look at the challenges they’ve faced and the resilience they’ve found along the way. Bringing these stories together reflects something that matters deeply to me: the connection that happens when people share their experiences, and someone else recognizes part of their own life in them.
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