Here’s the conference talks:

9:30am – 10:00am

Kim Ellis welcomes you to Free Spirits LIVE!

Opening keynote: Erica Farmer – Find your AI Dividend™

• Discover why successful AI adoption depends on trust, psychological safety and showing people what the technology can give them personally. Erica will introduce the AI Dividend™ and explore how AI can create more time, headspace, confidence and motivation, not just greater efficiency.

10:00 – 10:30am

Hayley Maisey – Turn your expertise into thought leadership

• Learn how to turn your expertise into useful content that builds your visibility, credibility and business relationships. Hayley will show you how to make long-form content work harder by repurposing articles, talks and podcast appearances across different channels.

Hari Patience-Davies – Feel the fear and do it anyway

• Public speaking, networking and putting yourself forward can be vital for freelance success, but that doesn’t make them any less nerve-racking. Hari will share practical techniques to calm your nerves, reframe anxiety and bring your best self to the stage, meeting or networking room.

Joanne Lockwood – From human authority to AI authority

• Clients and event organisers are increasingly using AI to find speakers, consultants and subject-matter experts, so being credible is no longer enough if your expertise cannot be found. Joanne will show you how to connect your website, articles, podcasts, social content and professional profiles into a coherent authority ecosystem that both people and AI can understand and trust.

11:00 – 11:30am

Linnéa Sjögren – Visible without becoming someone else

• Explore how to become more visible without creating a polished public persona that doesn’t feel like you. Linnéa will help you choose sustainable ways to share your thinking, work with imposter feelings and build trust through writing, speaking, video, conversations and community contribution.

Sarah Pocklington – Lights, Camera, Awkward

• Discover why online sessions can feel awkward or disconnected and why insisting that everyone turns their camera on may make engagement worse. Sarah will share practical ways to build trust, warmth and energy online while improving your own confidence and presence on camera.

11:30 – 12:00pm

Heidi Kirby – Build your own damn table

• A rejected pitch or proposal doesn’t have to be a reason to retreat; it can be the prompt to create your own platform instead. Heidi will explore how writing, speaking, research, podcasts, communities and events can help you build visibility that no longer depends on a gatekeeper saying yes.

Kara Stanford – Finding your voice starts with finding your value

• Your voice isn’t something you need to invent; it emerges when you’re clear about what you offer, who you help and why your work matters. Kara will share a practical framework to sharpen your positioning and help you talk about your work more naturally across LinkedIn, client conversations and proposals.

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Lunch

1:00 – 2:00pm

Speed talks – speakers to be announced end of September

2:30 – 3:00pm

Sapna Pieroux – Step into your superpower

• Writing a book can be a powerful way to build authority and visibility, but the journey is often packed with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Sapna will share how publishing her own book transformed her profile and what she learned about using your expertise to build a stronger personal and business brand.

3:00 – 3:30pm

Kim Ellis – Repurpose the heck out of your content

• Kim will share five practical ways to squeeze a lot more out of the content you’ve already made. That means spotting which pieces still have plenty of life in them and breaking one idea into loads of different formats (carousels, short videos, polls, checklists, newsletter snippets, you name it). You’ll leave with a whole pile of repurposing ideas you can crack on with straight away.

3:30pm – 4:00pm

Closing keynote: Tom McDowall – Useful out loud: Building a profile without becoming a “Thought Leader”

• Explore how generosity, openly sharing your work and helping others can build a strong professional profile without having to declare yourself a thought leader. Tom will look at practical channels including LinkedIn, Substack, video, podcasts and speaking, before helping you choose realistic next steps for your own business.

Wrap up the conference with Kim Ellis.

Get hands-on with practical, interactive sessions you can apply straight away.

11:00 – 11:30am

Building a successful YouTube Channel – Skills Lab hosted by Mark Gilroy

YouTube can be a powerful way to share your expertise and build visibility, but getting started can feel overwhelming. Mark will cut through the noise and show you the essentials you need to get right without wasting time or money on things you don’t need yet.

11:30 – 12:00pm

Preparation – your body, your voice, your content – Skills Lab Hosted by Matthew Matheson – The Speaking Coach

Learn how effective preparation can help you communicate clearly and confidently, even when you’re under pressure. Matt will introduce his Cards to Clarity and Blue-print processes, giving you practical tools to prepare your body, voice, content and message for any speaking situation.

1:00 – 1:30pm

Create showstopping showreels – Skills Lab hosted by Jill Sainsbury

Discover how to create a showreel that helps potential clients quickly understand what you do and how you come across. Jill will cover presenting to camera, choosing images, gathering interview clips and using text and graphics to create something professional, personal and compelling.

1:30 – 2:00pm

Canva – Skills Lab hosted by Thea Newcomb

Get hands-on with Canva and discover practical ways to create content that looks polished, professional and recognisably yours. Thea will share straightforward tips to help you design with more confidence and make better use of Canva’s creative tools. The topic Thea will be covering is: From Static to Scroll-Stopping – Bring a static design to life with simple animation and turn it into a short video for learning or event promotion.

2:30 – 3:00pm

Know your growth gears – Skills Lab hosted by Paul Service

Visibility can raise your profile, but it won’t generate business if your positioning, offer or follow-up aren’t working alongside it. Paul will introduce his eight Growth Gears, help you identify what is holding your business back and uncover the single best move you can make next.

3:00 – 3:30pm

Find Your Idea. Shape Your Article. Start Writing. – Skills Lab hosted by Jo Cook

Move past the blank page and the nagging feeling that someone else has already said it better. Jo will guide you through finding a genuine article idea, shaping a simple outline and beginning your first paragraph during the session.

Conversations on hot topics:

1:00pm – 1:45pm

Where’s the line between thought leadership and self-promotion?

Thought leadership can build trust and credibility, but when does sharing your expertise start to feel like relentless self-promotion? Our panellists will explore where that line sits, whether it is different for everyone and how to talk about your work without making every conversation about you.

• Hosted by Sapna Pieroux
• Panellists: Linnéa Sjogren, Erica Farmer & Jo Cook

2:30pm – 3:15pm

How do you engage an audience without making them cringe?

Audience engagement doesn’t have to mean forced participation, awkward icebreakers or putting people on the spot. Our panellists will explore how to create genuine involvement and connection while respecting your audience and staying true to your own style.

• Hosted by Jill Sainsbury
• Panellists: Kara Stanford, Sarah Pocklington & Hari Patience-Davies

What did people really think about the last conference?