KEYNOTE #1
“Trust, Your Competitive Edge. ”
How Top Leaders and Teams Drive Results Through Trust. Trust is a fundamental, bottom-line issue. Without it, leaders lose teams, teams lose athletes, salespeople lose sales, and organizations lose reputation, retention of good people, relationships, and revenue. But with trust, individuals and organizations enjoy greater creativity, productivity, freedom, and results. As a senior consultant with The Trust Edge Leadership Institute since 2016, Michelle has firsthand experience working with some of the world’s highest-performing organizations. Utilizing industry-leading research, The Trust Outlook®, Michelle reveals how top leaders and organizations drive business results to become the most trusted in their industry and how you can take the next steps to sharpen your ‘trust edge.’
KEYNOTE #2
“Pursue Your Savvy U®“
Lead Self to Lead Others: All great leaders know that in order to lead others, they have to know how to lead themselves well. Michelle takes you through a leadership body scan, literally head to toe, sharing research-based tools and strategies to help you become an even more effective and wise leader.
”The first and best victory is to conquer self.” – Plato
”Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle
Training and Workshop Sessions
Michelle teaches teams and organizations how to develop into more trusted leaders so that they can pursue their Savvy U®. With over 25 years of teaching experience, she welcomes the opportunity to share these timeless truths, along with cutting-edge research in interactive training sessions. She just now has a mobile, global classroom. Sessions can include, but are not limited to, taking and analyzing self and team assessments, creating organizational and personal mission statements, designing a personal brand, learning and implementing key strategies to increase your level of trust, acquiring effective interpersonal communication skills, developing a plan to improve culture and personnel retention, and large and small group improv.
Consulting
Michelle confidentially works alongside you to clarify your current challenges, detect team issues, and identify program gaps. Partnering with Michelle, you will develop a plan to resolve the issues, close the gaps, and see tangible results. She brings a breadth of knowledge from a variety of industries, systems, and organizations, as well as personal experience, to help you realize your preferred future. She will equip and empower you to become a more trusted and effective leader. Consulting contracts are set up for 3, 6, or 12 months.
Michelle Backes is the founder of The Savvy U, whose mission is to teach transforming truths to empower people to live a life of purpose, peace, and victory. As an award-winning senior certified consultant at Trust Edge Leadership Institute, she specializes in leadership development and training. Michelle has contracted with USAA, Bayer, National Guard, Department of Natural Resources, State of Oregon Fire Chiefs, National Association of Fleet Administrators, Nevada Department of Transportation, College of Bermuda, and several other athletic and educational institutions. She has also spoken to many health care and financial institutions. In addition, she is in her 25th year as a WNBA chaplain of the Minnesota Lynx.
She brings wisdom from her diverse experiences to the stage, delivering high-energy keynote presentations that inspire, motivate, and challenge leaders to be their best selves. Clients and audiences love her practical strategies and tools for developing a high-trust culture in work and life.
The Inside Game | 8 Week Course
A transformational coaching experience for leaders who want to win from the inside out.
The Inside Game is a leadership journey that starts within. Before you build your culture, you build your clarity.
Developed after more than 20 years of working with high-performing coaches and leaders who were winning on paper but feeling empty, exhausted, or out of alignment behind the scenes, The Inside Game guides participants through eight metaphorical “rooms” of the mind and leadership life — from the Entry Room of clarity to the Weight Room of consistency.
Each session is anchored in trust, supported by research-backed insights, and filled with practical, relatable tools. Every room helps leaders lead more wisely, live more freely, and love (and sleep) more deeply.
Individual Quest — Single Day or Multi-Day
A soul-searching Savvy U® Trust Edge adventure designed just for you. Michelle tailors every detail to your goals and pace while stretching your body, mind, and spirit. Explore curated Midwest locations or meet her anywhere in the world—including glacier treks, tide pools, waterfalls, sunrise hikes, and even cruise-based adventures.
A leadership experience like never before—Michelle’s creative delivery and personal attention are worth every step.
Michelle will guide you on a soul-searching Savvy U® Trust Edge adventure. She will tailor the trip to ensure your safety and accommodate your needs while still stretching your body, mind, and spirit. She has several Midwest locations ready for you to explore and experience this beautiful creation while experientially teaching the Savvy U Trust Edge® Framework.
Contact The Savvy U® if you are interested in a single- or multiple-day adventure. And…yes, she can travel to you or with you around the globe. She has adventures (hikes, glaciers, tide pooling, waterfalls, sunrises/sets to catch…) waiting for you in locations from Alaska to Bermuda and more.
Group Adventures
Want a custom team experiential Savvy U® Trust Edge trip like no other? Or join one of the open groups and meet new leaders? Sign up now! Michelle has multiple Midwest locations where you can explore and experience nature in safe ways, tailored to your group’s needs, all while learning the Savvy U® Trust Edge framework.
Bring your team on a Savvy U® Inside Game Trust Edge adventure like no other. Choose a custom-designed experience or join an open group and grow alongside other leaders. Michelle leads your team through transformational, nature-based practices across Midwest trails or global destinations—from Alaska’s glaciers to Bermuda’s beaches, waterfalls, and cruise adventures.
Unforgettable growth, unmatched creativity, and personalized attention—this is leadership done differently.
