Liz Funk has been a speaker at Columbia University, Cornell University, Brown University, Duke University, the University of Colorado, Rice University, New York University, Boston University, American University, Whitman College, Northeastern University, Hofstra University, the University of Virginia, Colgate University, Hampshire College, the University of Missouri, Penn State University, Hollins University, Hudson Valley Community College, Pace University, Russell Sage College, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Plattsburgh, Mississippi State University, Miami University of Ohio, Lock Haven University, SUNY-Oneonta, SUNY-Plattsburgh, St. Joseph College, the University of South Florida, Northern Arizona University, Molloy College, the University of Iowa, the Stevens Institute of Technology, and the University of New England.

She has also given keynotes and spoken on panels at countless fundraisers, conferences and summits for non-profit organizations and media groups, including the YWCA Omaha, the College Democrats, Young People For/People for the American Way Foundation, the YWCA, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.  

Liz would be delighted to prepare the ideal talk for any school, organization, or event on a topic of the host’s choosing pertaining to Liz’s areas of expertise (eating disorders, teenagers, young women and perfectionism, college admissions) or Liz can deliver her nationally sought-after lecture-workshop program on young women and perfectionism. You can also learn about Liz’s new mission to help college students SAVE SATURDAY!

Today’s young women have more opportunities than ever before… but they’re also met with much grander expectations for their success. If the modern teenage girl or college woman is accomplished, charming, and intellectual–but also wildly stressed out, that’s not a 100% win for young women.  They key for young women to be happy and healthy is to learn how to fend off the demands of a culture of overachieving by having a strong sense of self and intrinsic worth.

While it would be great if young women were simply high-achieving and were reaching the goals that they set for themselves… this isn’t always the case.  Many women college students feel that their value is only made up of what they look like, what they’ve accomplished, and how others perceive them… and this drives young women to push themselves too hard.

At best, these young women lose their sense of self and are prone to breakdowns, and at worst, trying to be perfect takes the fun out of everything!  Also, the media gives young women some harsh messages about what’s expected of them: girls are told that it’s good to be curvy, but when “curvy” is being thin in the right places but busty and having a great butt–that’s really not liberating for girls at all.  Young women know that being perfect is impossible, but they still attempt it… and it will never ever lead to them feeling good about themselves!

When young women reject the push to be perfect and start developing their individuality, they’ll find that they don’t need to be perfect to be happy and they’ll ultimately have a much better relationship with their ambition. This program gives young women concrete tips on how to stop expecting constant perfection from themselves, how to reduce their workload and get comfortable relaxing (guilt-free!), and how to learn to listen to their internal monologues and develop loving relationships… with themselves!

This lecture-workshop is largely based on the research presented in Liz Funk’s first book, Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls. This program can be presented as a forty-five minute lecture, an hour-long lecture, or an hour and fifteen minute lecture and it can be accompanied by an hour-long workshop that helps audience members apply the concepts from the lecture to their day-to-day lives.

Liz also regularly speaks to aspiring writers about breaking into today’s media and publishing industries:

The competition for entry-level media jobs is very intimidating right now: there are many more eager applicants than there are jobs in newspapers, magazines, and web publications.  However, aspiring young media professionals who approach interviews with clips from professional publications have a large advantage over their competition. Young writers with clips also have the option to make a living writing freelance right out of college if they can’t find (or don’t want) a full-time media job.  There are also more young people than ever getting book deals; in fact, several recent bestselling novels, non-fiction books, and collections of creative non-fiction were written by writers under age 28.

This lecture gives a 101 on freelance writing, pitching articles, writing book proposals, writing books, media industry networking, and other ways to forge a successful career in writing and publishing (before even graduating from high school or college!).  Read what a Boston University student who attended one of Liz’s publishing workshops had to say.

If you are considering booking an event, please contact Liz directly at liz dot funk at gmail dot com.  If you like, Liz can send you an information packet with a copy of Supergirls Speak Out, a sheet of references, and more information about Liz’s programs.