KELLY’S RESEARCH SHOWS
Only 16% of people are thriving at work, her mission is to change that.
MEET KELLY MACKIN
Kelly Mackin is a human behavior researcher, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of the award-winning book “Work Life Well-Lived.” She is the CEO of Motives Met, a human-first platform grounded in the science of what actually drives people to thrive at work. Her research uncovers the human motives that fuel people and performance, and turns those insights into tools, conversations, and experiences that help leaders meet those needs in real, meaningful ways. Kelly is also the host of DisruptHR San Diego, a conference bringing together bold leaders shaping the future of work.
Kelly’s journey from ill-being to well-being ignited her dedication for helping people, teams, and leaders cultivate health and happiness in their lives and reach greater success.
Through her no-B.S. approach and groundbreaking original research that challenges the status quo, she helps create thriving cultures where people can be well and perform well at work.
Managed by Inkwell MGMT
Let’s Connect
PURPOSE
SECURITY
FLEXIBILITY
CONNECTION
FUN
WORK-LIFE HARMONY
CHALLENGE
PURPOSE
SECURITY
FLEXIBILITY
CONNECTION
FUN
WORK-LIFE HARMONY
CHALLENGE
See Kelly in Action
“Kelly challenged our CEO audience to think differently about motivation and leadership, which they loved! She highlighted the importance of understanding what drives individuals and adapting to create bigger impact.”
WHY LEADERS LOVE KELLY ON THEIR STAGE
“Kelly drew the highest attendance we’ve ever had for our BOOST HR Conference as our keynote speaker. Attendees raved that her message was unlike anything they’d heard before, that her insights were refreshing and completely new.”
Popular Keynotes
Motives Matter: The Science for Leading Happy, Healthy, High-Performing Teams
It’s time to move beyond recycled advice and outdated approaches to creating happy, healthy, high-performing teams.
Kelly Mackin cuts through the noise with a transformative framework grounded in her research on the 28 motives that drive us to thrive. These human needs like purpose, free expression, growth, belonging, flexibility, self-esteem, and fun, are our greatest motivators, they drive our well-being and performance.
Kelly will show you how to apply these insights across four levels of impact: starting with your own needs, building alignment and greater team connection, co-creating a culture where motives are strong, and leading with motives in mind.
What Drives Your People: The Leadership Advantage of Human Motives
Leaders today face more pressure and expectations than ever, yet still lack one critical insight to lead well: what actually drives the people they lead to stay, grow, and thrive? Kelly delivers a practical, human-first framework and actionable roadmap to move beyond one-size-fits-none leadership, have the conversations that matter most, and change what’s possible for both people and performance.
Work-Life Harmony: Crafted By You, Not Given to You
Vague advice about “balance” doesn’t cut it, which is why Kelly dove into quantitative research to uncover the six proven pillars of Work-Life Harmony and gives leaders real strategies to put them into practice. You’ll walk away with fresh insights, work-life conflict tips, and actions that strengthen well-being and combat stress and burnout. Because work-life harmony isn’t given to you, it’s crafted by you.
A BOLD NEW APPROACH
Think you know what thriving at work is all about? Think again.
Kelly and her team uncovered the 28 motives that drive people’s well-being and performance, these are the building blocks to being a leader people want to follow and creating culture people don’t want to leave.
Kelly makes these human needs come alive and reveals that thriving is personal, not universal. Each person has their own unique hierarchy of needs that drives them. She leaves people fired up to meet these motives for themselves, the people they work with, and those they lead.
The 28 Human Motives
WHAT KELLY IS KNOWN FOR
Kelly doesn’t recycle generic leadership advice, she builds her talks on original research and her unique approach proven among global teams. As the creator of the 28 Motives Framework and founder of Motives Met, her insights come from years of studying what actually drives well-being and performance at work and the truth behind human-first leadership.
Every keynote blends proprietary research, real-world stories, and interactive audience moments that make the content stick long after the session ends. Audiences don’t just leave inspired, they leave with powerful mindset shifts and a roadmap they can use on Monday morning.
ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Human-First Leadership that Leaves “One-Size-Fits-None” Behind
Meaningful 1-on-1s or “Stay Interviews” that Drive Trust & Loyalty
Co-Creating Thriving Cultures Through Compassion & Accountability
Leading as a Coach to Elevate
What’s Possible
Well-Being at Work & the Root Cause of Stress & Burnout
High-Impact Human Skills Like Emotional Inclusion &
Psychological Safety
Kelly’s keynotes are a breath of fresh air. A blend of storytelling, a dose of psychology, a touch of humor, and real insights.
“Kelly captivated my audience and left them inspired but more importantly, empowered with actionable strategies to make a big impact.”
inspired, but more importantly, empowered
with actionable strategies to make a big
impact.”
WORK LIFE WELL-LIVED
“I’m a tough critic when it comes to content that can impact mental health at work. I read “Work Life Well-Lived” faster than any other book in a long time, nodding my head the entire time, and having a good giggle too. A must-read!”
FEATURED MEDIA
Five Ways Managers Can Drive Well-Being at Work –>
From Burnout to Finding My Own Work-Life Balance –>
Only 16% of people are thriving at work – Here are five strategies to change that in 2025 –>
Author Spotlight “Work Life Well-Lived” –>
6 Research-Backed Pillars to Achieve Work-Life Harmony –>
Meet Kelly Mackin –>
Kelly Mackin Hits Best Seller Status with “Work Life Well-Lived” –>
Featured Podcast Episodes
Click to listen.
Kelly was in the Happier at Work, a top 2.5% global podcast, top 10 podcast episodes!
GET IN TOUCH
KELLY MACKIN
"*" indicates required fields