Tamsen Webster

Empowering Keynote Speaker and Presentation Strategist

I change how people see.

I'm Tamsen.

I’m part keynote speaker, part message strategist -- and all about building big ideas. I combined 20 years in marketing, 13 years as a Weight Watchers leader, and four years as a TEDx Executive Producer into a simple way to change how people see, and what they do as a result.

It’s called The Red Thread®, and it’s what makes your Big Ideas even bigger than you think.

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PART STRATEGIST

PART STRATEGIST

Want to build your big idea? I’ll show you how to find your Red Thread.

TELL ME MORE

PART SPEAKER

PART SPEAKER

Want attendees to turn ideas into impact?
I help audiences change how people see.

TELL ME MORE

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT SPEAKING, PEOPLE, AND CHANGE, 
 I LEARNED AT WEIGHT WATCHERS. TRUE STORY.

Need a bio? Here you go:

LONGER

Part message designer, part English-to-English translator, and now part doctoral student, Tamsen Webster helps leaders craft their case for large-scale change. A sought-after speaker and consultant, she’s spent more than 25 years developing the field and practice of persuasive message design, with a particular focus on the principles and processes that build buy-in that lasts.

In addition to her work in and for major organizations such as Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Databox, she built and delivers the message design curriculum for Elemental Impact, a leading investor in impact startups. She’s a judge and mentor for the Harvard Innovation Labs and a professional advisor at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. She’s also spent over 10 years as the Idea Strategist for one of only nine legacy-level TEDx events and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022. She's the author of two best-selling books, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, and Say What They Can't Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change which was named one of the top 10 management books of the year by Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper and one of 6 Books to Transform How You Lead and Communicate by Forbes.

Tamsen was a reluctant marathoner… twice; is a champion ballroom dancer (in her mind); and learned everything she knows about messages, people, and change as a Weight Watchers leader. True story.

She lives in Boston with her husband, two sons, and her two brindle Greyhounds, Hazel and Walnut.

SHORTER

Part message designer, part English-to-English translator, and now part doctoral student, Tamsen Webster helps leaders quickly craft their case for long-lasting changes in thinking and behavior. In addition to her work in and for major organizations such as Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Databox, she’s a judge and mentor for the Harvard Innovation Labs, a professional advisor at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and has spent over 10 years as the Idea Strategist for one of only nine legacy-level TEDx events in the world. She was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022 and is the author of two books, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible and Say What They Can't Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change. She lives in Boston with her husband, two sons, and two brindle Greyhounds, Hazel and Walnut.

INTRO

​​Ever wonder why some ideas catch fire while others fizzle out?

Well, after 20 years as a professional speaker herself, Tamsen Webster is here to explain just that. Part English-to-English translator, part starry-eyed realist, and now part ivy-league doctoral student, Tamsen Webster has mastered the art and science behind what makes audiences not just listen—but act.

As founder of the Message Design Institute and author of two books—including the award-winning 'Say What They Can't Unhear'—she's helped everyone from Fortune 10 executives and Ivy League deans to impact-focused entrepreneurs accelerate the understanding and adoption of even the newest and most disruptive ideas. Her expertise spans speaking stages worldwide, and as Idea Strategist for a legacy-level TEDx event, she's helped countless thought leaders transform their ideas into unforgettable talks.

Her mission today? To show fellow speakers how to accelerate the understanding and adoption of innovative ideas (though her Bostonian alter ego, Karen O'Sullivan, might explain it a bit differently).

Please welcome master message designer, Tamsen Webster.

Want to go beyond the bio? Read on, brave soul.

Where did you grow up?
Mostly Virginia Beach, but I’m a Navy kid, so that’s not a simple question.

Where do you live now?
Boston, Massachusetts.

How long have you lived there?
Long enough to have a Boston-accented alter ego named Karen O’Sullivan.

What made you decide to do the work you do?
I wanted to make it easier for other people to do the work they do.

What animal’s daily existence best describes you?
A magpie. Black and white. Can recognize itself in a mirror. Finds what shines.

Married?
Delightfully so. He’s my partner, my other half. He’s a market researcher, and a speaker, too. Our conversations are filled with actionable takeaways.

Kids?
Two curious boys who challenge everything I *think* I know about making ideas irresistible.

What’s one thing you can do that might surprise other people?
Score a baseball game.

If you could only ask ONE question to learn as much about someone as you possibly could, what would it be?
“What proverb or quote best describes your approach to life?”

What’s your answer to that question?
“A stitch in time saves nine.”

What was your most unusual job?
Perfumer’s apprentice.

What one thing do you do every single day/week/month/year to maintain your sanity?
Dark chocolate after lunch.

What’s your theme song?
Edith Piaf: “Non, je ne regrette rien”

What always has a place in your medicine cabinet? In your pocket? In your junk drawer?
Lip balm. It’s in all three.

The Message Design Institute Newsletter


Tamsen is excited to announce the founding of the Message Design Institute! The MDI newsletter is delivered bi-weekly to over 4,000 readers looking to design messaging strong enough to build on.

Sign up now, and get Tamsen's Buy-In Building Blocks Toolkit: a single sheet of paper that will help you create everything necessary to build any and all messaging collateral you might need to get the right people invested in your offering or approach—fast.