As a Speaker + Facilitator
REBECCA FRY AND BEN MACNEVIN
Co-Founders, RYLA Oceania
Johanna’s presentation at RYLA Oceania was a universal favourite amongst our leaders. Jo exudes wonderful empathy which leaves a lasting connection, and many of our leaders were inspired by her session. Jo creates an incredible environment for personal reflection, while also providing practical guidance for leaders to make meaningful change in their lives.
AMANDA ROOTSEY
Founder and Director, Shine From Within
Jo is an unwavering pillar of belief and support with everyone she comes in contact with. Her work as part of our Youth Mentor Training and as a speaker at our conference has been incredible and to see her speak, answer questions and provide feedback and guidance to students and attendees alike is a special thing to witness. Jo is an incredible space holder, thoughtful in her choice of words, engaging, inclusive, full of wisdom and instantly makes her audience feel comfortable and as though anything is possible. She has helped our community a lot and she’s born to do the work that she does. So grateful to you, Jo!
JULIE PARKER
CEO and Founder, Beautiful You Coaching Academy
Johanna is a natural, giving and engaging speaker. She shines with authenticity and has an innate way of connecting instantaneously to her audience. She particularly has a special way of inspiring young people and young adults to be their true and best selves, and that’s because she is constantly challenging herself to lead her own true and best life. If you are looking for an incredible speaker for your next event, Johanna comes with my highest recommendation. For the many years I engaged her at the youth leadership conference I convened she consistently performed with star quality, and it was never a question I would invite her back year after year.
KEISHAN HUNKAR
RYLA Co-Conference Leader, RYLA District 9815
Jo is always amazing to work with and provides such value to our program.
Her presentation style was extremely engaging and thought provoking, and the participants really appreciated the opportunity to explore their values. Our participants rated the workshop very highly and are overwhelmingly likely to recommend her workshop to someone they know!
The thought and care that goes into the delivery of her workshop elevates the professionalism of our program, and sets the tone for a high standard of presentations for the week. Working with Jo is always a pleasure, the check in call was a great opportunity to explore what we were needing for the program and how she could best suit that and communication was clear and efficient!
CALLUM BARTLEY
RYLA District 9830 (TAS) Secretary 2020-2021
Jo has made our program better and more effective from the very first day she became involved. She is absolutely amazing in the way she holds space and is present in conversations, always seeming to say exactly what is needed when needed to bring what is most important to the surface. Her sessions are invaluable for our program’s participants and us as a team, and her professional debriefing supports our team to arrive fresh and ready to deliver each new program day while leaving the previous one behind. Cloning her or bottling up what makes her her, would be worth billions.
PAUL
Primary Health Workforce Manager, HR+ Tasmania
Jo nailed the Conflict Resolution Training. She was inclusive, compassionate, and delivered the content with her grounded style. She was unfazed by some late comers and the constant distractions of the catering staff. Jo was a delight to work with and she took the time to understand the brief, design and deliver the content requested. Thanks Jo! See you next time in Tassie!
ANDREW EXTON
Director of Student Wellbeing, MacKillop College
Jo has been prepared to go well beyond the brief to develop and establish a meaningful and ongoing partnership with our College, which will continue to develop into the future. I would highly recommend Heart Sparks to other organisations because of the professionalism of Jo and her team, alongside their willingness to truly listen and implement our ideas. Developing the working relationship with Jo and Heart Sparks has been a real highlight for me – there is nothing she could have done to improve our experience of working with her.
SOPHIE GAMBLE
RYLA 9830 Co-Director
Johanna is amazing to work with! She is an incredible facilitator and space holder and we appreciate all that she adds to our team and our program.
She just gets our audience and what we are trying to achieve. I’ve seen her do these sessions several times for us and I can see how each time she tailors it to the group as she gets to know them. She is so engaging, creates such a brave space for our participants, connects so well with everyone and you can tell that they all feel seen by her.
Jo is so organised and I love how much preparation she puts into our program. She always wants to learn about our participants so she can prepare and tailor to the needs of the group. The entire process of working with Jo is seamless!
Our participants are so lucky to have access to Jo in our program. She sets them up perfectly and gives them useful tools that actually work and are easy to implement. I sit there in wonder every time and I feel so privileged to get to watch Jo work her magic and deeply influence the lives of others in our programs. We invite her back to work with us every year without hesitation.
Jo has also facilitated debrief sessions for our team, which were very valuable for us. There’s nothing she could do or have done to support us better, she has been perfect and also a great support to me personally in my first year as a program co-director: there is no way I could’ve done it without having her by my side. She just knew when I needed her close by, when I needed a sounding board, or when I needed support talking to participants. She knows exactly what questions to ask and I always felt so supported and seen by her.
So thankful for you Jo and for all the love you pour into our program. We appreciate all that you add to our team.
HAYLEY TATNELL
Marketing, Social Media + Events Consultant, HR Plus Tas
Honestly, I am lost for words. There were so many positive, feel good ‘feels’ about the overall experience of Jo speaking at our conference that I am not sure how to capture it in words. We had many delegates comment on how amazing Jo’s sessions were and that they felt privileged to learn from her. Both Jo and the Heart Sparks Team were a pleasure to work with, communication was always a breeze.
Jo is warm and open, providing a comfortable environment for people to speak up and practice what she communicates and teaches.
Jo is a professional communicator who is organised and prepared. She is always respectful with others, engages our participants with passion and enthusiasm which promotes engagement, growth and opportunities for others to practice and advance their communication skills. Jo is open and welcomes everyone that she works with, making connections with participants and our team.
Jo has supported our Rotary Youth Leadership Award across many years. She has a great understanding of our program and applies her knowledge to better connect her teachings with our participants. We enjoy having Jo a part of our program as she forms a foundational part of how our participants communicate.
FI MIMS
Personal Branding Photographer, Fi Mims Photography
Johanna is an incredible facilitator who went above and beyond to ensure her time with us was both valuable and enjoyable for every single person. Every aspect of communicating and working with Jo in both the lead up to and post the retreat was highly professional. She contacted me before the event to ensure her content would be relevant, she held beautiful space for everyone on the day and I have had nothing but positive feedback from my retreat attendees since. Thank you Jo with all my heart, you were the perfect facilitator and exactly what I was hoping for!
JADE WISELY
Host of The Create Days
Johanna is a new kind of leader. She inspires intention-led living with her every interaction and her ability to connect and affect people is profound. I chose Johanna as our opening speaker for The Create Day and the energy she created with our audience set the perfect tone for our entire day. She presents with first class polish and heart, and on stage as well as in conversation, she is both captivating and generous.
People recognise that they are in safe hands with Johanna and are willing to be vulnerable because she quickly earns trust. Luminous yet grounded and accessible, she gifts audiences a perfect mix of inspiration and practical application that enables them to be the best versions of themselves. Johanna shows such depth, substance and infectious kindness. From knowing her I am more lit up in my own life and I was honoured to connect her with my community, too.
SAMANTHA FEWSTER
Chair 2020-2021, Rotaract Australia MDIO
Johanna was inspiring, engaging and the highlight of our event! She had researched the target market and in the online backstage area she was completely present and ready to go, which was really great for us as it was our first virtual event.
When she presented it felt like she was speaking to each of us individually. I found myself taking lots of notes and have received extremely positive feedback from our attendees. We all now have some great tools that we can continue to use too. It was a pleasure listening to her and we hope to have her as a presenter at our future events!
KATE BLACKBERRY
Marketing and Events Consultant, HRplus
Johanna presented towards a rather challenging industry of practice managers, where their demanding roles have increased in workload since the COVID pandemic. Johanna has a talent of engaging with the audience and reassuring them that their role is invaluable to this industry and that they should be proud of what they have accomplished, and are still accomplishing. She was great! Super friendly, warm and someone you could quite easily open up to. We would highly recommend Jo as a speaker at your event.
TRISH CARR
District Tech Comm Chair, Inspire Rotary District 9810
Director, Lightwavez Design Pty Ltd
We couldn’t be happier with Johanna’s work with us. She facilitated with ease as a speaker and being in her audience was a fabulous experience. Our attendees all loved Johanna’s style and humour as a speaker. From their comments on our internal feedback forms we know that she has had a profound and lasting impact on them too. Thank you Johanna!
MOLLY O’DONOHUE
Co-Director, RYLA District 9800
Johanna’s style of speaking really resonated with our participants. She did exceptionally well, adapted to our group and utilised a lot of useful techniques to get the participants engaging as much as possible. I really enjoyed that Johanna’s style of professionalism was still warm and genuine – it was something I haven’t seen a lot of, especially outside of RYLA, and it really shows that you don’t have to fit the moulds of professionalism and leadership that are expected of you. Thank you for a wonderful workshop.
JESS JONES
Jo spoke at SoarCon – a conference for women in business – and was the perfect person for the job! The audience were immediately engaged and truly inspired by her presentation on authenticity as it really hit the nail on the head for so many attendees. Jo was the favourite speaker amongst many guests and we had wonderful feedback from them saying she’d really struck a chord with them. A beautiful person inside and out, Jo’s ability to really connect with the audience was something not all speakers can do. We’d love to have her back at a future event.
LUKE ICELY
Student Leadership Program Officer, Federation University
Jo Parker is an impressive and engaging speaker with an easily-relatable storytelling style. Most recently I was privileged to welcome Jo to Federation University as a keynote speaker for The ‘One Small Thing’ Leadership Conference. Jo’s story and message impacted and inspired our students and student leaders greatly and her presence has left a long-lasting impression.
Jo was utterly professional and accommodating from our initial contact and session proposal right through the lengthy preparation for the conference, in her delivery on the day and even during reflective contact afterwards. She responded to communication promptly and clearly. I have booked Jo to speak and facilitate workshops here at the Uni multiple times and would have no hesitation recommending Jo to anyone looking for an intelligent, confident and warm speaker or facilitator who delivers a strong, clear message to a diverse audience.
LISA MAC
Future Focus Program Lead, Doxa Future Focus
Jo is like no-one I have ever collaborated with. Having worked in the youth sector for 15 years, I am always on the look-out for unique, inspirational and genuine people who do what they do because they absolutely love it. I saw Jo present to university students in our Cadetship program and I wondered if she could translate the concepts she delivered so well there to the Year 7 and 8 high school students I work with. I invited Jo to present to these young people and the feedback from them after hearing her speak spoke for itself! Jo delivered a transformational workshop, supporting students to develop their self-confidence, build resilience and enhance their personal values while embracing fear and expanding their comfort zones. I am grateful to have met her and to work with her.
SAMI YEOMANS
Coordinator Aquatic Education Services, Life Saving Victoria
Working with Jo was an absolute pleasure! Her presentation for our 2018 Swim and Survive Licensee Forum was professionally delivered, interactive and all participants were engaged. The time in which Jo spent investigating our clients and getting to know their facilities and programs, allowed the content to be made relevant and certainly complimented her presentation. The feedback from our Licensees was highly regarded, with Jo bringing a fresh way of delivering a Self Care-inspired PD, a topic which is sometimes overlooked and underrated.
JENNY SIMMS
Tasmanian District RYLA Director, Rotary International District 9380
I engage Jo every year to be a Keynote Speaker and a live-in Coach/Counsellor at a leadership program I direct for young adults from all over Tasmania. I first met her years ago when we were asked to collaborate in Sydney and deliver a four-day event for a group of 100 international young leaders from over 30 countries on behalf of Rotary International.
Back then I was filled with self-doubt and confusion about how I could have been selected for such an amazing role, but from the moment I first connected with Jo I knew that she would forever be a part of my life and world. She gave me the courage to find my inner strength – something I always knew deep down was there but struggled to let shine – and to face my fears. Her beautiful nature, honesty and warmth empowered me to believe in myself and to trust that I CAN do anything I set my heart and mind to. I am grateful to now have her as a continued part of our programs in Tasmania.
Jo’s sessions give you tools, insight, options and the space to truly think. She surrounds you with the support and encouragement to move forward with your goals and dreams. One person really can make a difference and lives are forever better because Jo has been in them.
MARCUS MICHELIN
Senior School Program Coordinator and Teacher, Westbourne Grammar School
Thank you so much for coming out to Westbourne and supporting us through mental health week Jo. The tips that you gave to our year 11 students were very timely as they headed into the hectic season of exams and finishing off their first year of VCE. Your willingness to share so much about yourself, especially some of the pain you have had to work through, is something you don’t often see but can be very powerful to young people when they see that others are or have gone through tough times and have made it through to the other side. We hope to see you back at Westbourne!
KATE CASHMAN
Partners Forum Member, Entrepreneurs Organisation
Jo came into our EO Partner Forum and helped us to build our confidence and our own unique communication and speaking skills, all while sharing some amazing tools and strategies with us as a group. Everyone there absolutely loved her session and we each walked away feeling more confident and assured in our communication skills. I highly recommend Jo as a workshop facilitator who can share her immense knowledge with a group, but still make people feel like they’ve had an extremely personalised experience.
TANYA WHITMORE
Youth Development Officer, Wyndham City Youth Services
I have been lucky enough to work alongside Jo, delivering personal development programs to young women. Jo is an incredible facilitator that oozes with warmth, understanding and compassion. Her ability to create a safe and nurturing space makes her so great at what she does. Jo is absolutely devoted to her vision of building positivity, self-love and confidence in every individual she connects with. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Jo and experience her passion for helping people to awaken their potential.
MADDIE VERNON
emPOWERme Committee, Lord Somers
Jo was an absolute pleasure to work with. From the beginning she was ready to help work with us to cater a speech unique to the day we wanted and incorporate all of our own personal touches. The students and volunteers of the program were incredibly impressed with her, and all learnt valuable information from her talk that was full of rich information. It was great to see the participants of the Ballarat program particularly love the talk and really engage with her about their future goals and dreams. Thank you for all your hard work Jo.
CLARE DESIRA
Founder, Top Five Movement
I have worked with Jo for 7 years co-directing a youth program in a volunteer capacity. Jo is one of the most inspiring and engaging people I have ever met. She has the ability to move a group or an individual in a short amount of time. She connects well with people, builds trust quickly and leaves you thinking ‘I cant believe I just revealed that…’ but you are always glad you did with the support, problem solving and million dollar questions Jo asks to help you collect your thoughts and make positive change. Jo pours her kindness and energy into everyone she works with and brings a wealth of experience.
RUTH MIHELCIC
Youth Participation and Leadership Officer, Wyndham City Youth Services
We were delighted to have Jo provide workshop and group consultation facilitation training to a group of our young people so that they could go on to confidently lead a consultation process with other young people on behalf of Council. Jo was engaging, interactive and was able to easily draw upon discussion with the group to illustrate examples and effectively teach them. Her session covered a fantastic range of content about facilitating groups and discussion, leading consultations and understanding a facilitator’s role, in a way that the young people could understand and relate with. The young people finished the workshop feeling confident and well prepared for any group situation they might encounter, and I have been hearing great feedback about Jo’s training all week. Thank you Jo!
PETA SEABROOK
Youth Counsellor
Johanna is very highly skilled with facilitating workshops for young people. She is very engaging and professional and brings a great energy to the room. She is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic which makes her workshops of a high quality.
TRISTAN KNOOP
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Leadership Team
Jo’s skill and passion for working with young people is infectious and has been a privilege to watch. Her ability to engage with not only individuals but also groups of young people is incredible, and her natural ability to make everyone feel important and valued leaves each young person she works with feeling empowered to take on any challenge they face and to change their own lives for the better. The way in which she captivates and involves her young audiences in the session content is remarkable to witness, and I recommend hiring her without hesitation to work with youth on any aspect of their personal development and growth.
HEATH SCHULZ
VCE Coordinator, Warracknabeal Secondary College
We were fortunate to have Johanna as a speaker at our 2013 graduation dinner at the College. She was the most honest, authentic and down-to-earth speaker that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Jo has the ability to appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and I highly recommend her services at such events. I feel so fortunate to have worked with someone who is changing so many lives, whist maintaining such an inclusive, community mindset.
CODIE HART
Youth Development Officer, Wyndham City Youth Services
I was lucky enough to work with Jo delivering personal development programs to Year 9 girls in Wyndham. Working alongside Jo was an absolute honour. Her bright, bubbly and kind hearted nature makes her so warm and inviting to interact with which was so apparent when observing her interactions with the girls – I could notice them all listening with open minds and enthusiasm to everything she had to say. She was perfectly organised, on time and with ample resources that assisted us to run the day smoothly, including resources for students to keep. Johanna’s approach is fun, friendly and interactive, whilst still maintaining professionalism and effective delivery. The work she does is truly empowering.
ROSIE BARBARA
Counsellor, Wyndham City Youth Services
It was an absolute pleasure booking Johanna as a keynote speaker for a Parent Information event here at Wyndham City Council. She was very thorough in her communication in the lead up to the event and she was also very accommodating and organised. Jo presented to an audience of parents and carers about the effects of stress on teenagers and empowered them with a series of tools and strategies to better support young people in their households during stressful exam periods and times of change, whilst also effortlessly recognising and validating positive contributions they were already making with their teens. Jo presents in a way that is both very engaging and easy to follow. She scored 10/10 across all areas of our feedback forms from 100% of our attendees, which demonstrated how highly they valued her presentation as well as her as a speaker.
JACINTA SAUNDERS
Blogger, One Gypsy Soul
I highly recommend the services that Jo at Heart Sparks offers. My experience with her was nothing but positive and she was able to provide me with the clarity and encouragement that I needed to pursue my dreams. Her positive outlook on life coupled with her belief in me was instrumental in allowing me to find the courage to pursue my dreams.
BROOKE WILSON
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Leadership Team
Jo has a way of asking the right questions to get the right answers. She has a warmth that makes you feel incredibly comfortable in her presence, in both one-on-one sessions or in front of a group.
PAULA HEARNDEN
Community Development Officer, Wyndham City
Johanna Parker from Heart Sparks was a joy to work with on our staff White Ribbon Day events. She was open to listening to our concepts and ensuring that the content met our needs and appealed to a wide audience. All our dealings with Heart Sparks was a smooth process from the enquiry, conception of ideas, development and delivery. The time Johanna took to research and deliver a well-crafted clear communicated message ensured the content was on point. We had great reviews from our staff on how it made them stop and think. Johanna is a highly skilled and professional woman and we are looking forward to opportunities to work together in the future.
Johanna was a keynote speaker at our Rotary International 9780 District Conference. She has a very pleasing approach to her presence with people and in all that she provides in the way of care and help to event organisers in the lead up to events. Her ability to combine our brief within her presentation was wonderful. A true professional who met all that was asked of her, Johanna is one of those people that you feel you’ve known for ever. A credit to her.
Jo’s debriefing sessions are amazing. They create such a safe and open space for our team to process what we’ve done and check in with ourselves, I look forward to them every time. Jo really helps us manage our own wellbeing after full program days and her presence adds soooo much love, value, kindness, fun, hope and passion to our retreat week.
As an MC + Host
JULIE PARKER
CEO and Founder, Beautiful You Coaching Academy
There was only one person I thought of to MC the Beautiful You Coaching Academy Inspiration Day in Bali and that was Jo Parker. I knew she would hold the entire day and those in attendance (who came from all over the world) in very safe hands. She was warm, gracious, kept beautifully to time and covered everything we needed. She was also inspirational and engaging with her beautiful speaking manner and there was not one thing more I could have asked for from her on what was a very important day for us. I absolutely recommend bringing Jo to your stage as either an MC or a key note speaker.
JADE MCKENZIE
Founder, Event Head
I recently engaged Jo Parker to be MC at my annual Inspired Women event and it was one of the best decisions I had made for my event. Jo was not only an incredible speaker (which I had already known about her and seen for myself numerous times), but she was also an amazing support in the lead up and on the day. When asked for what she needed prior to the event, her communication was prompt and clear, enabling me to gather the required information she needed quickly and easily with no fuss.
On the day, she turned up ready to go with all of her notes prepared and immediately dived into action. The utmost professional, Jo was an incredible addition to the day. Both the speakers and the audience absolutely loved her and I am still receiving feedback on how much they enjoyed her presence. As an event host, I needed to feel supported, prepared and like everything was running smoothly. Jo helped ensure that all three of those needs were met and more. Looking back, I honestly couldn’t have done it all without her as I knew that she was there to take care of the stage while I took care of all the other bits and pieces. Plus, I got to enjoy watching all of my speakers without being distracted in any way.
If you are looking for an MC that is professional, helpful, intelligent, warm and impressive, Jo is your go to woman. I’ve already booked her in for my next events so do not hesitate to engage her today, she will book out fast!