13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PEOPLE DON’T DO:
And the Plays to Run Instead
Pause
Pick
Play
In 2013, Amy sat down at her kitchen table and wrote a list titled 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. Within days it had been read by more than 50 million people. It became a bestselling book that has sold more than 1.5 million copies in over 50 languages, and a TEDx talk with more than 25 million views. A decade later, the 13 things have become shorthand for how to hold up in almost any circumstance.
But readers kept asking a different question. I know what not to do. What do I do instead?
In this keynote, Amy’s most-requested talk over the past ten years, she walks audiences through the thirteen habits that quietly drain mental strength at work and pairs each one with a specific play from her research-backed toolkit. Don’t shy away from change becomes the if/then plan. Don’t give away your power becomes the boundary reset. Don’t waste energy on things you can’t control becomes scheduled worry time. Audiences leave with something they can run tomorrow morning, anchored by the Pause → Pick → Play framework.
25M+ TEDx VIEWS
50+ LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS
TRUSTED BY FORTUNE 500 LEADERS
This keynote serves leaders and teams who are:
- Familiar with the 13 Things framework and ready for the expanded version
- Looking for a proven flagship keynote that lands across every role in the room
- Interested in both the habits that drain mental strength and the tools that rebuild it
Industry Customization Options
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Financial Services & Financial Technology
Technology & Enterprise
Associations & Professional Networks
The audience will leave with:
- The thirteen habits that quietly undermine mental strength at work
- A specific, named play for each habit, to run the moment they catch themselves slipping into an old pattern
- The Pause → Pick → Play framework for choosing the right play in the right moment
EXTEND THE IMPACT:
Give Every Attendee the Book
The keynote gives audiences the mindset shift; the book gives them the daily reps. Pair Amy’s keynote with copies of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do for every attendee so leaders and teams have actionable exercises long after the event wraps.
Organizer Testimonials
“Amy completely blew it out of the water. She gave many tips and examples of mental strength that really resonated with the crowd. Many people came up to her after to thank her for sharing her story and for writing her books. We look forward to hosting Amy again in the near future.”
— Margaux Holcomb, Supervisor, Customer Experience, Johnson & Johnson Institute
“We really enjoyed having Amy speak at Northwestern Mutual last week. I was standing to the side of our audience during her keynote, and I could see how engaged the audience was with her presentation—lots of heads nodding and emotions happening. As I walked Amy back from our main stage, we had a lot of people stopping her to tell her what a great job she did.”
— Sara L. Nelson, Sr. Business Project Manager, Northwestern Mutual’s TalentWorks Team
Best audiences:
- Annual leadership summits and all-hands meetings
- Large mixed-audience events where name recognition drives attendance
- Organizations that have booked Amy before and want fresh material
- Women's leadership conferences and conferences for women
- Conferences seeking a science-backed keynote with immediately usable takeaways
Bring 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do to Your Next Event
Don’t settle for good when your team can be extraordinary.
Everyone wants a team that performs well, but what about a team that consistently exceeds expectations? Through science-backed strategies and actionable insights, I’ll show your organization how to unlock resilience, innovation, and long-term success. My talks inspire change, ignite new ways of thinking, and equip individuals with the mental strength needed to thrive—even in the face of adversity. Turn untapped potential into unstoppable mental strength.
Organizations I’ve helped
Meet Amy
Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, international bestselling author, and one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers in the World. For more than twenty years she has helped people and organizations build the mental strength to navigate change, manage pressure, and perform under demanding conditions.
Her books on mental strength, including 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, have sold more than 1.5 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. Her newest book, The Mental Strength Playbook, gives readers 50 research-backed tools for coping with stress, thriving under pressure, and gaining a competitive edge at work.
Amy’s TEDx talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, has been viewed more than 25 million times and remains one of the most-viewed TEDx talks of all time. She has taught at Northeastern University, hosts the award-winning Mentally Stronger podcast, and contributes regularly to CNBC, Psychology Today, and Business Insider.
She has delivered keynotes for organizations including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Adobe, Chick-fil-A, Cisco, Reuters, Prudential, Under Armour, and Boston Scientific. She lives on a sailboat in the Florida Keys.