Julie Brown
Network Your Way to Greater Influence and Success - the step by step approach to building authentic, career changing connections.
After spending 25 years in the construction industry—where steel-toed boots outnumber heels—she rose from administrative assistant to director of business development, ultimately generating over $562 million in qualified project opportunities through one powerful strategy: authentic relationships.
Today, Julie is an award-winning keynote speaker, author of This Sh!t Works, and creator of The BOLD Framework: How to Be Unforgettable in a Forgettable World. Her work challenges outdated networking advice and replaces it with a practical, human-centered approach that helps professionals connect with confidence, open doors strategically, and build relationships that actually last.
Fee: $20,000 + $1,500 travel and hotel
Key Speech Themes:
Networking
Women’s Empowerment
Human Connection (as a Power Skill)
Relationship Building (as a Business Strategy)
Leadership Through Connection
Women’s Leadership & Visibility
Julie Brown built her career in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry — one of the most relationship-driven industries in business — and spent more than 25 years becoming one of the most sought-after voices on how professional networking actually works in the real world.
She is the author of This Sh!t Works: A No-Nonsense Guide to Networking Your Way to More Friends, More Adventures, and More Success, and the host of the This Sh!t Works podcast dedicated to business development and relationship building.
Her keynotes are high-energy, specific, and frankly more useful than anything most people have ever heard on the subject. She doesn't traffic in "work the room" platitudes. She teaches a methodology grounded in 25 years of actual practice, delivered with the kind of humor and candor that makes audiences realize they've been overthinking this the entire time.
Clients include UKG, the Women Who Build Summit, and conference audiences across industries who needed permission to network like themselves rather than like someone else's idea of a networker.
Ideal for: women's conferences, sales conferences, association events, any group where building relationships is tied directly to career growth or business outcomes.
Meet Julie
Julie Brown is an award-winning keynote speaker, author of This Sh!t Works, and creator of The BOLD Factor: How to Be Unforgettable in a Forgettable World. With over 25 years of experience in business development—including generating more than $562 million in project opportunities—Julie teaches professionals how to build authentic, strategic relationships that amplify confidence, visibility, and results.
A former construction industry leader turned full-time speaker, Julie has delivered high-energy keynotes on more than 200 stages worldwide, earning over 3,500 raving testimonials. She has worked with organizations including Stifel, General Electric, Dell Technologies, AAA, Perdue, and Toyota, and was named CREW Boston Entrepreneur of the Year (twice!).
Julie’s message is simple: opportunity isn’t random—it’s built through bold, human connection.
Topics & Descriptions
Networking Your Way to Greater Influence and Success
The Keynote That’s Changed the Way Thousands Build Relationships
Let’s be real.
Most people think networking is awkward. Exhausting. A little transactional.
Something you “have” to do if you want to get ahead.
But what if that belief is the problem?
In this high-energy, no-fluff keynote, Julie Brown flips the script on networking and shows audiences what it actually is: the most powerful career accelerator hiding in plain sight.
Julie breaks down:
Why networking feels uncomfortable (and how to fix it)
The myths that keep high-performers playing small
How relationships—not resumes—drive opportunity
A practical, step-by-step approach to building authentic, career-changing connections
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With humor, straight talk, and zero corporate-speak, Julie delivers tools people can use immediately - and still use years later. No awkward scripts. No “work the room” gimmicks. Just real research-backed strategies proven to build influence, confidence, and momentum.
Whether someone is early in their career or leading a team, this keynote changes how they think about relationship-building — and more importantly, how they do it.
Because when you understand networking the right way, it stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like leverage.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES/TAKEAWAYS:
How to Assess the Strength & Size of Your Network
Mars v. Venus: How Women Network Differently Than Men (optional)
Introvert vs Extrovert Networking
Networking Paradigms and How to Structure Your Network for Maximum Success
The 5 Best Networking Tools (and their hidden powers)
How to Effectively Follow Up: Steps to Fostering Relationships
How and When to Ask for Business
New Topic coming early 2027!
The Bold Factor: How to Be Unforgettable in a Forgettable World
The research is clear: people who feel connected at work perform better, stay longer, and contribute more. Yet most professionals are still operating inside systems that reward polish over presence and productivity over people. The result? Leaders and teams who hesitate to show up as humans and miss out on the connection that drives profitability.
BOLD changes that.
Through four principles — Be Human, Open the Door, List Yourself & Live, and Do the Work — Julie teaches individuals and teams how to build trust, expand influence, and move opportunities forward without becoming louder, smaller, or someone else entirely.
This isn’t about “working the room.” It’s about strengthening the room.
The impact shows up in:
Stronger collaboration
Higher engagement
Increased internal mobility
Leaders who build loyalty, not just results
When people stop editing themselves to fit a narrow definition of professional and start showing up human — strategically — they don’t just grow their careers.
They grow the business.
Full Bio
Julie Brown is an award-winning keynote speaker, author of This Sh!t Works, and creator of The BOLD Framework: How to Be Unforgettable in a Forgettable World. She empowers high-performing professionals to build authentic relationships that drive confidence, visibility, and measurable results.
Julie’s expertise is rooted in real-world experience. She spent 25 years in the construction industry—an environment where women represent less than 10% of the workforce—rising from assistant to director of business development. In her final year, her network generated more than $562 million in qualified project opportunities. Not through luck. Not through titles. But through strategic, human-centered relationship building.
That experience became the foundation for her speaking career. Over the past nine years, Julie has delivered high-energy keynotes and workshops on more than 200 stages across corporate, university, and association settings in the U.S. and internationally. With over 3,500 raving testimonials, her work has impacted tens of thousands of professionals worldwide.
Julie has partnered with organizations including Stifel, GE, Dell Technologies, AAA, UKG, RSM, and Turner Construction. She is a board member of the National Speakers Association New England chapter and a two-time CREW Boston Entrepreneur of the Year.
Passionate about mentorship and philanthropy, Julie actively supports women in business and young professionals through university programs nationwide. When she’s not on stage—often in her signature glitter shoes—you’ll find her traveling internationally, enjoying great wine, and celebrating over 21 years of marriage.
Her message is clear: bold isn’t a personality trait. It’s a decision.
Rave Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Julie Brown
Q: What does Julie Brown speak about?
A: Julie Brown speaks on networking, relationship building, and business development — specifically how to build a professional network that actually works, in a way that feels authentic rather than transactional. The author of This Sh!t Works and host of the This Sh!t Works podcast, Julie brings 25+ years of networking experience in the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry to keynotes that move audiences from "I hate networking" to "I can't wait to network."
Q: What is Julie Brown's speaking fee?
A: Julie Brown's speaking fee is $20,000 + $1,500 travel and hotel. Contact Upside Speakers for current availability for your event.
Q: What types of events is Julie Brown best suited for?
A: Julie Brown is an ideal fit for women's conferences, sales conferences, association events, and any group where building relationships is tied directly to career growth or business outcomes. She is also a strong choice for Gen Z and early-career audiences who want practical networking tools that work in the real world.
Q: How do I book Julie Brown for my event?
A: Julie Brown is exclusively managed by Upside Speakers. Contact us through the form at upsidespeakers.com/book-a-keynote-speaker with your event details and we will confirm availability.