ABOUT
LIESEL MERTES: THE SPEAKER LEADERS TRUST AND TEAMS REMEMBER
I’m a keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and workplace empathy consultant. And I get to work with organizations from across the world, from RV manufacturers to bankers to diplomats and doctors.
Tools for Leaders and Teams
No matter the session topic, I help leaders and organizations build empathetic, thriving, human-centered cultures.
Whether I’m delivering a keynote, facilitating a leadership intensive, or helping teams successfully navigate change fatigue, my goal is to always leave you with tools and tactics that you can immediately put into practice, making a positive impact at work and in life.
This work is personal: my “why” for empathy
Watch my “why” for empathy at work
I combine compelling storytelling (we all love a good story), research-backed strategies, and practical guidance to help leaders strengthen trust, improve retention, and handle disruption with care.
This is my story.
When My Child Died
In 2011, during the first year of my MBA program, I birthed and buried our third child, a daughter named Mercy Joan.
During this great grieving (and again, years later, as my son needed multiple, open-heart surgeries), I relied on the care of my community to survive, stabilize, and eventually thrive. Some people showed up with remarkable skill and compassion….others, not so much.
While professors taught me about market fit and maximizing returns, no one was helping us, as a next generation of leaders, learn how to show up as humans who care for people – during their disruptive life events or during our own.
The experience sparked a question that still drives me today: How should we train and equip leaders?
The answer, I found, was to intentionally teach empathy and care as core business skills.
It isn’t enough to simply talk about new ways to work. Human skills have to be practiced. That’s why every keynote and training gives you the chance to interact and to metabolize empathy, equipping you to handle both life and work with care.
Meet my daughter, Mercy Joan
Watch video below
Services
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Speaking
Keynotes that inspire, energize, and help you show up with care when it matters most.
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Trainings
Trainings that build skills, shift mindsets, and strengthen teams.
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Online Course
A self-paced online course featuring 30 quick lessons, ready-to-use templates, and practical checklists.
rave ReVIEWS
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![Five star reviews for Liesel Mertes]()
“I believe I am already an empathetic person, but it is always good to hear the message reinforced, especially in a training that is organized by senior management. It sends a good message about the workplace.”
Pierre, North American Canadian Consulate
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![Five star reviews for Liesel Mertes]()
“Speaker was direct and honest with attendees. Also seeing the messages in chat were surprising as people were really honest with how they felt.”
Participant feedback, Florida Agency Network
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![Five star reviews for Liesel Mertes]()
“This content is so timely, with racial tensions and mental health crises, we all need more empathy.”
Participant feedback, Greenville DEI Summit
Free Guide:
How to Help During Hard Times
Life is hard and complex, but caring for your people doesn’t have to be. This free guide offers a clear, easy-to-implement checklist for how to care for your team during disruptive life events.
From the first day, week, and month after disruption, this guide helps you show up with consistent meaningful words and actions while maintaining business priorities. Enter your info below and we’ll send you your free guide and put empathy to work.