STORYTELLING SPEAKER & WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Speaking & Facilitation

Rooms are full of people who already have the information.

What they need is a point of view.

Sonia Bavistock sitting in front of an open laptop

SPEAKER & FACILITATOR

Let’s talk about it

I write for a living, which means I spend most of my time working out what a thing actually means before I know exactly how to say it. And that's the same job on a stage.

I speak about storytelling as a business function — why some brands land and most don’t, what happens when you find the words for what you believe, and where the ideas worth telling come from.

I'm based in Lennox Head, NSW, and I speak and facilitate in person and online across Australia and beyond.

My Key Topics

Every talk is built for the room it's going into — none of them are off the shelf. Topics I speak on (though I'm definitely not limited to them):

A woman with long wavy hair is lying on a white bed, reading a book titled 'Start With Yourself.' She is wearing a white t-shirt and brown pants, and there are white pillows behind her.

Key Topics:

From Attention to Interest

Attention can be bought. Interest must be earned. This topic looks at what changes for a brand when the goal shifts from reach to relevance — and why the businesses winning right now are the ones with something meaningful to say, not the ones talking the most.

Ideal for: marketing teams, founders, conference mainstage.

Woman with long wavy hair sitting casually on a white bed against a white wall, wearing a black top, a checkered blazer, and blue jeans.

Key Topics:

Brand Voice for Real Humans

Most business owners write like a press release and talk like a person. This topic closes that gap. We look at why writing flattens people out, the habits that do the most damage, and how to get the version of you that shows up in conversation onto the page instead. Practical, hands-on, and everyone leaves with something rewritten.

Ideal for: business owners, in-house marketing teams, networking groups and industry associations.

A woman with long wavy hair wearing a light pink blazer and blue jeans sitting on a white couch with white pillows, looking down and smiling against a plain white wall.

Key Topics:

The Art of Noticing

The best content ideas don't come from content calendars. They come from the three minutes you spent watching someone interact with the barista. A practical session on training attention as a creative discipline — where to look, what to keep, and how raw material turns into stories worth publishing.

Ideal for: creative and content teams, founders, writers.

A woman with long brown hair sitting on a white couch, holding a vintage black rotary phone to her ear, smiling. She is wearing a sleeveless red dress, with a pillow behind her, against a plain white wall.

Speaking Formats

Keynote

  • 30-45 minutes, with Q&A

Workshop

  • Half day or full day

Facilitation

  • Panels, offsites, and training sessions

MC

  • Hosting and stage direction

Podcast Guest

  • remote or in person

  • “Sonia is such an engaging and generous speaker. She brought a wonderful energy to the room and had everyone completely captivated. What I especially loved was how practical her session was, giving us simple tools and ideas we could immediately use to create more meaningful, story-driven content. She made storytelling feel accessible, relevant and genuinely exciting! Highly recommend.”

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    – Tyneal Alexander, Co-Founder, Byron Business Social

Woman sitting on a white sofa with a silver MacBook, wearing an orange sleeveless top and blue jeans, with a white wall in the background.

SPEAKING & FACILITATION

What It's Like

Before the day, I'll ask you what you want the room to feel by the end. Then I get to work and build the talk backwards from there.

On the day, I turn up early, I've read the run sheet, and I've thought deeply about who's sitting in front of me. I don't do five tips. I take a position, show my working, and make people laugh, because the truest things are usually weird and funny.

Afterwards, they'll have something they can use on Monday. And they'll remember what it felt like to be talked to like a person, not just an audience member.

  • “At Freedom Mastery, we believe sustainable business success starts with personal transformation, and Sonia's message aligned beautifully with that philosophy. We are incredibly grateful she shared her expertise with our clients and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a speaker who creates lasting impact from the inside out.”

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    – Gemma Webb, General Manager, Freedom Mastery

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Podcast Guesting

Give me a question and a curious host, and we'll end up somewhere neither of us saw coming.

If you have a podcast about business, womanhood, creativity, identity, writing, or midlife, here's where I'd love to take the conversation with you:

  • "Sonia has a rare gift for turning life's biggest challenges into conversations that leave people feeling seen, hopeful and less alone. She's warm, deeply authentic, and willing to have the conversations that so many people need but few are brave enough to share. It was a privilege to have her on the Dream Makers Podcast, and I'd welcome her back in a heartbeat."

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    - Claire Byrt, Host of the Dream Makers Podcast

Tell me about the room — when it is, who's in it, and what you're hoping will shift for them — and I’ll come armed with stories and strategies to ignite inspiration and action.

Ready to Book Me for a Speaking Engagement?

*Speaking fees vary by format, location, and audience size. Send me the brief, and I'll come back with a plan and a quote.