Brittany Martin Déjean
Brittany Martin Déjean
Signature Keynotes
Brittany speaks about how FOMU—the fear of messing up—leads to disconnection, missed opportunities, and stagnation in individuals, teams, and organizations. She has transformed thousands of professionals' perspectives with her authenticity and relatability. Referred to as “Enlightened”, “Inspiring”, “Captivating", "Engaging” and “Relevant”, she is ready to help you improve psychological safety and create cultures where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and innovate.
Beyond Awkward:
Beyond Fearless:
Leading through FOMU - the fear of messing up
Turning imperfection into an advantage
When we are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing conversations get delayed. Feedback gets softened. People avoid each other instead of engaging. Issues take root. 25% of the US workforce has a disability or medical condition, but despite good intentions, we flounder in the face of difference.
Avoidance creates disconnection, inconsistent leadership, and cultures where people don’t feel safe opening up. In this interactive and engaging talk, Brittany uses disability inclusion as the lens to explore this costly, but avoidable dynamic. Through examples, storytelling, and interactive scenarios, leaders shift from avoidance to engagement and prioritize connection over perfection.
Leave with an appreciation of disability inclusion’s value and ability to teach leadership skills teams need most: creating psychologically safe cultures where people engage, ask questions, and take risks without fear.
Too many professionals wait for certainty to act. We’ve normalized a culture of FOMU - the fear of messing up- and it’s one of the most underestimated threats to empathy and innovation. While people wait for the “right moment”, opportunities are missed, actions are misaligned, and leadership, creativity, and relationships are undermined.
In this powerful and relatable talk, Brittany reframes fear as a normal part of the human experience rather than an indicator of danger or weakness. Drawing from her own experience and real-world stories, she shows what it means to overcome a fixation on perfection.
The result is greater self-trust, stronger leadership presence, and the courage and clarity to take action in uncertainty. It’s about building psychological safety for our own mistakes, so we can foster it in our environments, communities, teams and businesses.
Who It’s For
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Discomfort, assumptions and FOMU lead to avoidance, disconnection, and missed opportunities
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Overcoming fear-driven hesitation builds trust and engagement
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Strategies to foster psychological safety to optimize communication and minimize risk
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The fear of messing up limit's confidence, communication, and leadership
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Reframing relationship to fear and avoidance creates psychological safety for growth and innovation
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Strategies to overcome inaction and ensure decisions are values-aligned
Key Takeaways
Leaders and teams that feel disconnected, cautious, or overly careful. It’s especially valuable for:
Any group or team of professionals who are feeling the detrimental effects of FOMU. It’s an especially powerful message for:
- HR, Culture, DEI, and Talent leaders responsible for engagement, retention, and risk mitigation
- Managers who want to lead diverse teams with confidence
- Organizations navigating change, growth or cultural strain
- ERGs seeking actionable impact
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Leadership conferences and professional associations
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ERGs and leadership programs
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Entrepreneurs, emerging leaders, and high-achieving professionals navigating growth and change
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Organizations developing confident, courageous leaders
ROI for Organizations
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Stronger Connection & Trust As leaders engage directly instead of tiptoeing or avoiding
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Better Talent Decisions By moving past assumptions and fear-based avoidance
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Higher Retention & Engagement Because people stay where they feel safe, respected, and valued
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Reduced Risk As issues are addressed in a timely manner
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A More Confident, Human Culture Where discomfort doesn’t derail leadership or performance
- Increased confidence and grounded leadership presence, from all levels
- Greater participation, voice, and visibility, especially from women and emerging leaders
- Stronger self-trust and resilience guiding decision making
- Increased psychological safety and belonging to support individual performance and team cohesion
- Cultures that value growth over perfection unlocking creativity and innovation
Key Takeaways
ROI for Organizations
Who It’s For
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“Brittany propelled me and our team to new levels of understanding and competence. She walked with us without judgment, but with humility, patience and the expertise which she shared with us. Brittany has a unique way of cutting through people's hesitation and discomfort and getting to the heart of what matters.”
Melissa thomas-hunt
Former Global Head of Diversity & Belonging at Airbnb
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“Brittany was thoughtful in her preparation, responsive throughout the planning process, and incredibly easy to collaborate with. She is one of those speakers who just ‘gets it’. On the day of the event, she showed up with warmth, authenticity, and a presence that put everyone at ease."
WON SHIN
Managing Director at Andersen