Lee Esmond
Entrepreneur • Coach • Storyteller • Mom
When women in transition move beyond “what’s next?,” they unlock their “what if?!”
Lee guides audiences through relatable stories, actionable tools, sharing her own journey of reinvention to inspire courage and action for discovering their "what if?!".
Why Book Lee:
Attendees don’t just get inspired they leave with frameworks, checklists, and tools they’ll actually use the next day.
Executive credibility + human connection: With 25+ years leading agency leadership teams advising Fortune 100 brands and the lived experience of navigating reinvention, Lee bridges the transition from always-on parenting to what comes next with real-life relatability.
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Tailored to your audience: Every keynote is customized to address the specific challenges in the room, ensuring the message hits home and sparks action.
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Proven takeaways: Attendees don’t just get inspired they leave with frameworks, checklists, and tools they’ll actually use the next day.
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Flexible formats: All signature talks can be adapted into workshops, breakouts, or podcast interviews to extend engagement.
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Planner peace of mind: From pre-event calls to crystal-clear AV needs, Lee is prepared, professional, and easy to work with, delivering on time, every time.
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A Voice for "What If?!" in a "What Now?" World
An award-winning marketer, coach, and storyteller, Lee Esmond spent 25 years leading agency teams and advising Fortune 100 brands on creating meaningful experiences that move people. Known for blending strategic insight with human connection, she speaks on leadership, reinvention, and resilience.
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When her daughter left for college, Lee faced her own moment of reckoning, a quiet house, an open calendar, and a new definition of success. That turning point inspired Nest2Nxt and her mission to shift the narrative for women in this stage of life, helping them move beyond “what now?” toward “what if?!” and rise into their next chapter.
Talks that Spark "What If?"....
The Midlife Reset
Turning the empty nest years into your most empowering chapter yet.
When the kids leave, life doesn’t end it opens. In The Middle of Life Reset, Lee shows women how to turn the empty nest years into their most empowering chapter yet.
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Audience Takeaways:
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Understanding and awareness of the hidden challenges of midlife and empty nesting that often go unspoken.
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Practical strategies to quiet the swirl of doubt and anxiety.
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Renewed confidence to embrace change and rediscover personal power.
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Inspiration to view this season not as an ending, but as the opening to their most empowering chapter.
The Power of Community
Why female friendships and connection matter most in the empty nest years.
Empty nesting can be one of the loneliest seasons of life. In The Power of Community, Lee shows women how to move beyond surface-level social circles and intentionally create the friendships and support networks that make reinvention possible as we move from always on to on call.
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Audience Takeaways:
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Awareness of why community is vital during the empty nest years.
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Strategies to reimagine friendship and build connections that align with who you are now.
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Tools for moving beyond surface-level socializing to authentic support circles.
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Inspiration to view connection as the foundation for resilience, reinvention, and fulfillment.
Designing Your Next Chapter
How to dream bigger, live bolder, and unapologetically own what comes next
Post always on parenting isn’t the beginning of the end, it’s the start of the next chapter in your story. In Designing Your Next Chapter, Lee shows women how to move beyond societal expectations, strip away the noise, and unapologetically dream bigger than ever before.
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Audience Takeaways:
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Permission to let go of expectations and limits that no longer serve.
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Tools for reimagining purpose and possibility in the next chapter.
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Confidence to stop asking small questions and start dreaming bigger.
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Inspiration to see midlife not as a slowdown, but as the launchpad for everything still possible.​
The Art of Adventure
Reclaiming fun, exploration and new discoveries after empty nesting
News flash: it isn’t all hot flashes and lonely houses. In The Art of Adventure, Lee shows how the post always on parenting chapter can be the most exciting season yet, filled with play, curiosity, and bold new experiences that spark joy, fuel growth and unlock the "what if".
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Audience Takeaways:
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Permission to prioritize joy, play, and exploration in midlife.
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Reframing adventure as accessible, personal, and essential, not extreme or out of reach.
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Strategies to weave curiosity and discovery into daily life.
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Inspiration to see midlife not as a time to play it safe, but as the best time to play at all.​
Jennifer Shankman
Global EVP & Mom
Lee is the ultimate hype woman, she champions my wins, reframes my challenges and help me see the possibilities I might have missed on my own
Ashley Weyl
Former Principal, current Education Entrepreneur & Mom
Lee helped me identify what came next after my youngest went off to college and my 30 year career transition. We worked together as I defined" what if?" and discovered a new success horizon
Alessia Di Cecco
Director of Sales, Productivity Speaker & Mom
Lee, has help me to reframe balance, work, the value of purpose, career and my kids without losing myself in the process.
Now Booking Speaking Engagements, Podcast and Workshops for 2026
Get in touch so we can chat about your "what if?!" need.