Kath Koschel
About
About Kath Koschel - Founder, Kindness Factory; Resilience Expert:
Kath Koschel is a survivor who has overcome incredible odds and unimaginable tragedy to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Koschel is a former cricketer and Ironman competitor whose world came crashing down when she broke her back twice in the span of five years and was told that she would never walk again. Instead, she faced the challenges head-on and defied all medical prognosis by teaching herself to walk again on three separate occasions. In the midst of these harrowing experiences, she believes she experienced two things in large amounts: adversity and kindness.
After re-learning to walk for the second time in her life, this realisation kickstarted a 2-month journey around Australia which relied solely on the kindness of strangers. No cash, credit card food or water – and no help from family or friends! Now a best selling book, Kath shares some of the insights learnt on this trip as part of her best-selling memoir and has transferred these learnings from book form to keynote on stages around the world.
Topics and Audience Takeaways
What Kath Koschel talks about:
Change Management
Leading Through Change: Grit, Grace and Getting On With It (GGG)
Change isn’t always chosen—but how you show up in the face of it defines everything.
With a story that redefines resilience, Kath brings a fresh perspective on navigating uncertainty, leading with empathy, and turning challenges into catalysts for growth. Change is about stepping up, staying grounded, and helping your team do the same when everything’s shifting around them.
Kath shares her extraordinary story of navigating life-altering setbacks—including multiple spinal injuries and the loss of loved ones—to illuminate how individuals and organisations can thrive amidst disruption. Kath’s keynote offers practical strategies to embrace uncertainty, reframe obstacles, and build a mindset that sees change not as a threat, but as an opportunity for reinvention and growth.
In this no-nonsense, deeply human keynote, Kath will help you find strength in the struggle and you’ll even have a laugh along the way.
Change doesn’t need a sugar-coat – It’s hard, but it doesn’t have to break you.
Adaptability beats planning every time – Because life rarely sticks to the run sheet.
You can’t control the wave, but you can learn to surf it – Even when it dumps you face-first.
People follow people, not processes – Lead with heart, not just highlighters and Gantt charts.
Comfort zones are great, but nothing grows there – Push the edges, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Humour helps – Sometimes a laugh is the best first aid in chaos.
Culture
Building a Culture of Kindness: The Foundation for High-Performing Teams
Forget the corporate jargon and create a company culture that actually shows up and cares. Kath gets real about what makes a team tick. Spoiler: it’s not beanbags and buzzwords, its kindness, grit, and genuine human connection.
Drawing from her evidenced based work with Kind Group, working with some of the worlds biggest brands such as LinkedIn, Google, Home Depot, Microsoft and AT&T, she’ll show you how a culture built on respect, decency and kindness doesn’t just feel good—it works. Through powerful personal stories and actionable insights, she explores how to build engagement, trust, and innovation in the workplace—helping leaders shape cultures where people feel valued, motivated, and aligned.
Trust is your real bottom line – Without it, you’re running backwards
Culture starts at the coffee machine – It’s built in the small moments, not just boardrooms.
Psychological safety isn’t a buzzword – It’s the foundation of risk-taking, creativity, and honest feedback.
Walk the talk – Values on the wall mean nothing if they’re not in your actions.
A strong culture doesn’t fear tough conversations – Respect and honesty go hand in hand.
Everyone’s a culture creator – Titles don’t determine tone.
Motivational/ Feel good/ Hope:
Unbreakable: The Power of the Human Spirit
Kath’s story is one that’ll hit you right in the heart—then have you standing on your feet ready to take on the world. From hospital wards to breaking world records, she proves that when life throws the book at you, you write a better one.
With raw honesty, Aussie humour, and a whole lot of heart, Kath reminds us what we’re really made of—and why hope, purpose, and sheer determination can get us through anything.
In this moving keynote, she speaks to the unshakable power of purpose, mindset, hope and belief. With authenticity and emotional depth, Kath ignites audiences to overcome their own limitations, lead with heart, and approach life and work with renewed energy and intention.
You’re stronger than you think – Full stop.
Your worst day can be your turning point – If you let it.
Purpose beats pressure – Find your ‘why’ and the rest starts to make sense.
Helping others helps you heal – Give a little, get a lot back.
You’re allowed to laugh through the chaos – It’s not unprofessional, it’s human.
Hope is a choice – And it might just be the bravest one you make.
Working with Kath Koschel was top notch. She took a keen interest in our audience from the very start, showed up early and well-prepared, and treated every one of our team with kindness and respect. After her presentation, Kath went out of her way to interact with event attendees including taking photos, answering questions, and giving them encouragement. And the presentation itself? Memorable beyond words. Our audience was awestruck with her story and inspired by the movement that came out of her life circumstances. Simply put, Kath Koschel is a real class act who will leave your audiences enthralled.
CalPERS
