Diane O'Connell
Speaker, Well-being Reinvention Strategist, Attorney, Mediator at Sorting it Out.Inc.
Motivational/Self Development
Education: ABD Geochemistry - Queens College - JD & LLM Financial Services Law - New York Law School
New York, NY, USA
Biography
Diane O’Connell is an author, speaker, coach, workplace culture reinvention strategist, attorney and mediator. After being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Diane left the practice of law to focus on why creating a workplace culture of wellbeing is so elusive, and how workplace wellbeing initiatives are generally inadequate, as they don’t address the core issue of how to create a culture of wellbeing that is effective for individual staff and has measurable results for the business.
Diane is on a mission to annihilate the belief that mental health, wellbeing and belonging are “soft” topics by demonstrating the business case that will empower business leaders to realize measurable successes that reduce risk, improve profitability, and provide results that can be clearly reported for ESG, CSR & DEI purposes.
By combining her experience as an attorney and leader in international business development risk management, and an individual who has endured toxic work environments, Diane’s commercial and practical approach to workplace wellbeing generates results for businesses while making employees more productive & happy.
Diane is a leader in the New York State Bar Association, a Stability Network Leader, is on the InsideOut Leaderboard and is active in the Mindful Business Charter and Wellbeing at Work Global, just to name a few. She is an advocate for mental wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and has numerous articles published on these topics. Diane also works with organizations worldwide to increase awareness of mental wellbeing and belonging and hopes that one day we will all have the understanding we need to be just a bit kinder to each other.
Passion
I love music; listening to it and playing it. If I could be a professional musician, I would totally go for it. I also get completely jazzed when I can find a way to help people move beyond their feelings of not fitting in. I think we all belong somewhere and when people find themselves in a place where they feel like they don't fit in it affects confidence and mental health. Life is too short for these shenanigans!
Best Story
When my son was about three years old, one day he said to me: “I know Santa brings presents on Christmas but it’s also Jesus’s birthday how are they connected?” Of course, I freaked out, thinking, shoot is this the moment I shatter his innocence, and tell him Santa isn’t real. But he’s so young, and this could damage him for life. I paused for about a minute, which really felt like five years, trying to come up with some plausible explanation for him. And, then it hit me; I told him, “Santa is friends with Jesus’s dad, “GOD, and God was so happy his son was born, he asked his friend Santa, who he knew lived with a bunch of elves that made toys and had a huge sled with flying reindeer, if Santa would ask the elves to make tons of presents and then deliver them to all the children in the world to celebrate the birth of God’s new son, Jesus . My son is married now and I bever told him the truth!
Origin Story
After being diagnosed with GAD, I started to focus on why discussing mental illness is so stigmatized and how it affects and prevents diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I found that the initiatives available in the workplace are generally inadequate as they don’t address the core of the issue; that everyone needs to feel safe, like they belong and that they are valued.
I learned that the psychosocial risks where I worked were not being properly addressed and my feeling of not fitting in, as a result, fueled my illness. My profession lost an awesome attorney and I spent too long suffering in silence, all because having honest conversations about mental health and inclusion are still uncomfortable for many due to the stigma attached to them.
I’m on a mission to annihilate the stigma that is holding us all back from having those real and caring conversations so we can embrace our individual uniquenesses.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
When my son was about three years old, one day he said to me: “I know Santa brings presents on Christmas but it’s also Jesus’s birthday how are they connected?” Of course, I freaked out, thinking, shoot is this the moment I shatter his innocence, and tell him Santa isn’t real. But he’s so young, and this could damage him for life. I paused for about a minute, which really felt like five years, trying to come up with some plausible explanation for him. And, then it hit me; I told him, “Santa is friends with Jesus’s dad, “GOD, and God was so happy his son was born, he asked his friend Santa, who he knew lived with a bunch of elves that made toys and had a huge sled with flying reindeer, if Santa would ask the elves to make tons of presents and then deliver them to all the children in the world to celebrate the birth of God’s new son, Jesus . My son is married now and I bever told him the truth!
Origin Story
After being diagnosed with GAD, I started to focus on why discussing mental illness is so stigmatized and how it affects and prevents diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I found that the initiatives available in the workplace are generally inadequate as they don’t address the core of the issue; that everyone needs to feel safe, like they belong and that they are valued.
I learned that the psychosocial risks where I worked were not being properly addressed and my feeling of not fitting in, as a result, fueled my illness. My profession lost an awesome attorney and I spent too long suffering in silence, all because having honest conversations about mental health and inclusion are still uncomfortable for many due to the stigma attached to them.
I’m on a mission to annihilate the stigma that is holding us all back from having those real and caring conversations so we can embrace our individual uniquenesses.