Much loved the world over, Swedish-born Kristina Karlsson is the Founder and Creative Director of Dream Life - an inspiring & empowering brand turned global movement.
After growing up on a small farm in Sweden, at the age of 22 she found herself in a new country, half a world away from family and friends, with little money and no idea what to do with her life.
So, what was a girl to do? Imagine what her Dream Life could look like – write her dreams down on paper - and then make them happen.
Kristina sold all she owned to create & build globally loved Swedish design & stationery business, kikki.K - from the ground up, to have: 120 award-winning retail stores in 5 countries; a passionate team of ~1,500; a reputation for innovation & service excellence; an online store serving stationery & design lovers in over 150 countries …and total revenue of around $650m.
After a tumultuous experience thru the COVID-19 pandemic - with forced closures of her stores - Kristina lost control of kikki.K and parted ways in heart-breaking circumstances. A riveting story with many learnings. She has since bounced back - on a mission to inspire & empower 101 million people worldwide to discover and chase their dreams.
Talking Points
Thriving in Times of Change: How to Embrace Uncertainty with Confidence
Drawing on her experience of building a $650m global brand and navigating its collapse during the pandemic, and starting again with a smile, she shares practical strategies to not only survive but thrive in times of uncertainty. This keynote blends personal stories from her journey with actionable tools that empower individuals and teams to embrace disruption with confidence and courage.Thriving in Times of Change: How to Embrace Uncertainty with Confidence
Key Takeaways:
• Tools to reframe uncertainty as opportunity, not threat.
• Resilience practices that enable high performance under pressure.
• A renewed sense of agency, optimism, and confidence in navigating change.
Turning Setbacks into Comebacks: Lessons from Starting & Losing a $650M Brand - and Starting Again with a Smile
Having experienced the dizzying highs of global success and the crushing lows of pandemic-created business failure outside of her control, Kristina shares her candid story of resilience, reinvention, and starting over. Audiences will hear the real lessons behind failure and how to turn setbacks into powerful comebacks. The session is equal parts vulnerable, inspiring, and practical - equipping people with simple and effective, everyday usable to rise stronger when life or business doesn’t go to plan.Turning Setbacks into Comebacks: Lessons from Starting & Losing a $650M Brand - and Starting Again with a Smile
Key Takeaways:
• The mindset shift that transforms setbacks into springboards.
• How to cultivate gratitude, perspective, and courage in adversity.
• Tangible strategies to start again — with resilience, optimism, and clarity.
Resiliant Leadership: How to Lead Through Change and Uncertainty
In times of disruption, teams look to their leaders for stability, inspiration, and vision. This keynote explores what it takes to lead with resilience and authenticity when everything around you is shifting. Drawing from her leadership journey, Kristina shares insights on creating clarity, empowering teams, and sustaining energy in uncertain times.Resiliant Leadership: How to Lead Through Change and Uncertainty
Key Takeaways:
• Practical leadership habits that inspire confidence and trust.
• How to keep teams aligned, motivated, and connected through uncertainty.
• A framework for resilient, values-led leadership in the modern workplace.
Fearless, Focused, and Resilient: Women Leading the Future of Business
Women in leadership are reshaping the future of work by leading with courage, empathy, and resilience. In this keynote, Kristina shares stories and strategies that empower women to overcome self-doubt, break through barriers, and lead fearlessly. It’s about embracing challenges as growth opportunities and inspiring others to do the same.Fearless, Focused, and Resilient: Women Leading the Future of Business
Key Takeaways:
• How to replace fear with focus and resilience in leadership roles.
• Tools for balancing ambition with wellbeing.
• Inspiration and strategies to create impact and legacy as a female leader.
The Leadership Power of Daily Habits: Small Changes for Big Impact
Success is not built on big leaps but on consistent, daily actions. This keynote uncovers the science and practice of small, powerful habits that compound into extraordinary results. Kristina shares simple but effective routines for wellbeing, productivity, and leadership- habits that sustain performance and help teams flourish.The Leadership Power of Daily Habits: Small Changes for Big Impact
Key Takeaways:
• How micro-habits drive macro-results in leadership and life.
• Practical daily rituals to improve wellbeing, focus, and resilience.
• A clear, actionable framework for embedding lasting positive change.
Dreaming Big in the Age of AI: Building a Future-Ready Business
If Kristina were to start their $650M global brand today, they would build it very differently—leveraging AI to dream bigger, move faster, and serve customers in more meaningful ways. In this keynote, Kristina shares timeless lessons from her entrepreneurial journey, paired with practical insights on how businesses can harness AI as a powerful tool for growth. This session offers a real-world roadmap for small businesses, franchisees, and entrepreneurs to combine vision, creativity, and resilience with the smartest tools of our time.Dreaming Big in the Age of AI: Building a Future-Ready Business
Key Takeaways:
• How to dream bigger and move faster by using AI to test ideas, understand customers, and scale with fewer resources.
• Practical, inspiring examples of how entrepreneurs can use AI today - for marketing, customer experience, and innovation.
• Why resilience, creativity, and human values will always matter most - and how AI can free you to focus on them.
101 Dream Workshop
This highly productive hands-on workshop will leave participants inspired and with a long list of dreams written on paper – with their top 3 identified – and a list of the first 7 most important next steps required101 Dream Workshop
to make them a reality.
• Drawing on her personal experience writing her dreams on paper in her early twenties, and then making them happen, the learnings she made researching and writing her best-selling book about the power of dreaming and her knowledge as a global thought-leader on the power of dreaming – Kristina runs a hands-on workshop to help audiences discover their dreams (business, team, personal or all) and to create an action plan to go get them.
• The workshop takes participants through a creative approach to goal setting & strategy development – beyond constraints – to tap into their hearts as well as their minds in a powerful way.
• A great way to start strategy, team building or planning sessions – or if you need to shake up and inspire your people to consider new approaches.
WHO IS THIS FOR:
• Organisations and individuals who want to break open their thinking beyond the status quo. Suitable for small or large groups of people.
• Kristina’s 101 Dreams Workshop is appropriate and relevant for audiences from the C-suite through entire organisations, departments & teams.
• Can be customised for specific audiences.
• As a follow-up, Kristina is available for coaching your best people 1-to-1 or in small groups.
AUDIENCE KEY TAKEAWAYS, TANGIBLE OUTCOMES & ROI:
• A practical and repeatable process for dreaming as a business (or personal) innovation tool.
• A long list of dreams written on paper – with the Top 3 identified – and a list of the 7 most important actions required to make each of them a reality.
• A sense of self-belief that comes from “If she can do it, I can do it”.
Video
Kristina Karlsson | Keynote Speaker - Entrepreneurship & Creativity | Saxton Speakers
Discover the inspiring journey of Kristina Karlsson, founder of a globally successful business and an expert in entrepreneurship and creativity. In this captivating keynote, Kristina shares her mission to empower 101 million people to dream big, write down their goals, and chase them with passion. With thought-provoking questions like “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” and her belief that dreaming must come before goal setting, Kristina encourages audiences to unlock their full potential. Her insights are perfect for energising teams, fostering innovation, and igniting purpose-driven success in both life and business. If you're looking for an engaging Keynote Speaker, MC, or Entertainer for your next event, visit Saxton Speakers to learn more about Kristina Karlsson and how she can inspire your audience.Kristina Karlsson was a wonderful speaker. She came prepared with her talk and tips in mind for the type of audience she had been briefed about. She outlined that it wasn't all plain sailing ... keep reading Maroondah City Council
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