PORTFOLIO.YVR: Jill Sinclair: From TEDx to Training & Development Specialist

Jill Sinclair is a renowned Training & Development Specialist, author, TEDx and International Keynote Speaker who has helped countless businesses and individuals achieve their goals.

With her no-nonsense approach, she crafts messages that speak directly to the needs of her audience, providing tangible, real-life examples that can be implemented to drive positive change.

Jill has shared the stage with Ryan Serhant from Million Dollar Listing New York and will be featured in an upcoming television series called ‘COACH’ with Ed Mylett, David Meltzer, Jim Kwik, and many more.

Her commitment to helping others reach their full potential is evident in everything she does, from her speaking engagements to her training sessions and coaching programs and volunteer mentoring youth.

With 79 jobs and entrepreneurial experiences, Jill is a true collector of experiences who is always up for a challenge. She does not shy away from anything and is known for her oft-used retort – “Watch me!” – when faced with naysayers saying something cannot be done.

Jill’s mission is to help others step into their brilliance and lead with their genius to achieve their life’s goals. She is serious about changing lives and believes that training is not just about memorizing information but about living your learning out loud in your daily life to achieve success.

Jill’s passion for being a Keynote Speaker, Training & Development Specialist, and Performance Coach is unmatched. Her reputation for excellence and her unwavering commitment to helping others succeed make her a valuable asset to any business or individual looking to take their performance to the next level.

IN HER WORDS

“At 23 years old, I worked in Human Resources at Surrey Memorial Hospital and took fitness leadership and personal training courses at night. When unexpectedly laid off, I took a four-month trip to Asia and then returned and started a fitness company. I had 18 employees, held fitness classes at the community hall, and rented out gymnasiums at four local schools.

“When I was still in Health & Fitness, one of my clients worked for ICBC and said they had a new program they were trying to launch called the Recovery Management Program. This program was an external contract to work with people who had been in car accidents where their injuries were mostly soft tissue damage and bring them back to their pre-injury state.

“As I travelled to all of the ICBC locations, I became known as “Jilly Wonka” because when I met with the adjusters to convince them about this program to benefit their centres and help their clients, I would always attach a Hershey Kiss to my business card. It was always a sweet visit, and I certainly convinced them to utilize this very successful program.

“I have had over 79 job experiences and entrepreneur opportunities. That is neither praiseworthy nor cringe-worthy; it is simply a part of my journey. I have been a trampoline instructor, shoe salesperson, radio show host, janitor, hair apprentice, 3rd mate on a sailboat, CEO, furniture designer, speed dating host, author, realtor, and so many more.

“Looking back, I’ve always been especially taken by the kinds of experiences that have enabled me to solve problems and help people succeed. I got into business coaching and consulting as a realtor very organically.

“I was doing exceedingly well, and the other realtors kept approaching me and asking me how I was doing it. So, I began training others and knew, without a doubt, that THIS was my jam. Training and development and keynote speaking are my life’s blood. They get me out of bed in the morning and put a smile on my face daily!

“From 23 to 25 years old, I operated the fitness business and then sold it. This was the era of the new women’s only gyms with all the fancy new equipment, powder rooms, and sparkle opening up left and right. So it was either to get some investors and build a copycat or sell it to the person who wanted a small and manageable business that focused more on the community.

“From 36 to 38 years old, I had a furniture design company and sold it to my business partner as he wanted to move in a different direction.

“My life is continually evolving joyfully, and I am eager to collect even more experiences! You know, the older I get, the more I am at peace with myself, my surroundings and my future. I do not get emotional about inane things. Although I am an extremely passionate person with the life-changing work that I do, I do not get hung up on the dumb shit. Life’s too short to be anything but grateful and joyful.

“The young people I volunteer to mentor are who genuinely deserve to get the props and the accolades. These young people are hungry to learn, be accepted as they are, and be a better human.

“It is so humbling knowing that my time with these young people is making a difference in their lives, and even though most of them come from broken families, poverty, abuse and neglect, they thrive when someone believes in them and invests their time with them. They make ME want to be a better person and keep helping others.

“At one point, I did take a slight detour to be the CEO of a company after many requests from the owners. As I immersed myself in the role, I soon found that these owners lacked integrity, morals, and business sense. When I realized this, I quickly resigned, promptly went home, and re-created my website for my business training and development and keynote speaking.

“The first business and sales conference I put on was called ‘Hustler Sophisticate Speaker Series’ (after my book of the same name published in 2019).

“I produced, hosted, keynoted, sold all the sponsorships, handled the logistics, and more. I had a reality television and media star, Ryan Serhant, come to be the headliner, and I was also a Keynote Speaker for this event. I thought, if I do this, I will go big!

“People said I would lose money on this and it wouldn’t be as successful as my first conference. I said, watch me. It was sold out and launched my speaking career and led to me being asked to do my TEDx Talk, guest star on television shows and put me on the map with other keynote speakers that had been in the industry for at least 15 years more than me. I’ve been named in the ‘Top 30 Motivational Speakers in the World by Global Gurus’ for 2024.

“Ultimately, my goal is to be the most booked speaker in the world. That means I get to change more lives by getting on more stages, training, and helping more people. I was told that “I don’t just motivate, I inspire” because of my ability to share my lived experiences and truly connect with my audiences beyond the stage.

“By the end of 2024, I plan to be booked on 25 more stages to share communication and leadership training for businesses, inspiration for conferences, and tangible takeaways for all to implement into their lives for positive change.”

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.