- Thought Leaders • Women in Business
Founder, The Big Talk Academy
Strategic Advisor for High-Stakes Influence and Leadership Authority
- Follow Tricia Brouk
Speaking TopicS
- The Influential Voice
- Being Smart is Stupid: Command Any Room
Being Smart Is Stupid
Why Embracing the Wisdom of Your Buddha Nature is the Secret to Great Leadership
Tricia Brouk is the Founder of three companies, Brouk Moves, an in-home personal training company that she started in 1993, The Big Talk, a professional development platform for speakers and thought-leaders that she started in 2017, and The Wise Leopard, a life-style brand for women of a certain age, while at the time of writing this book is currently developing a new product that will go to market in 2026.
She has coached thousands of speakers including former Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and New York City mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia. Her work with speakers is featured on Amazon Prime in the documentary Big Stages, and she has worked with actors including Kelly Reilly, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, and James Gandolfini.
A lifelong student of Buddhism, she lives in New York City with her husband Joe Ricci and their fur baby Eva Moon. When she’s not coaching clients, writing, directing, or starting a new company, she’s in a cabana by the ocean with Joe being reminded of how much bigger than us it actually all is.
Professional Bio
Tricia Brouk is a globally recognized strategic advisor, award-winning director, producer, and public speaking expert who empowers high-performing professionals to become influential thought leaders through the art of authentic storytelling. With a career that began in the theater and expanded into film, television, and executive communications, Tricia has helped thousands of speakers command big stages across the world—from Mayoral races and debates, TEDx to the United Nations and the World Economic Forum.
As the founder of The Big Talk Academy, Tricia certifies speakers in the art and science of effective communication, guiding them to deliver powerful messages that create lasting impact. She is the former executive producer of TEDxLincolnSquare and Speakers Who Dare and continues to amplify influential voices as the host and producer of The Big Talk podcast and YouTube channel, both of which have received critical acclaim.
Tricia works closely with leaders, helping them articulate their vision with clarity, presence, and authority. Her method blends strategic messaging with performance mastery—elevating executive influence, building trust, and driving business results through powerful communication.
She is the author of the #1 Amazon New Release The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy, a guide for professionals who seek to speak with purpose, compassion, and clarity. Her highly anticipated follow-up, Being Smart is Stupid: Why Embracing The Wisdom of Your Buddha Nature is The Secret to Great Leadership, a companion to her keynote of the same name, will be released in October 2025. She is also the subject of Big Stages, an award-winning documentary about her work with speakers, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Through her values of inclusion, excellence, and integrity, Tricia continues to shape the next generation of changemakers by helping them communicate with confidence, credibility, and heart.
Impactful Takeaways from Tricia Brouk’s Keynotes
The Influential Voice:
In this highly motivational and inspiring talk, Tricia Brouk will share how identifying our purpose, values and mission will elevate our ability to be effective communicators. She will also share the five techniques she uses to direct actors and speakers to become fearless, effective and influential. We are all influential voices and when we understand how to communicate at home, in the boardroom or in our community we can change and even save a life.
Being Smart is Stupid:
In this inspirational and actionable Keynote, Tricia shares real life examples and stories from her career and life using the 9 pillars of embracing the wisdom of your Buddha Nature including:
- Get Still – Create space between stimulus and response
- Embody Gratitude – Move beyond performative appreciation to genuine connection
- Practice Impermanence – Release attachment to outcomes for greater creativity
- Let Go – Free yourself from assumptions, imagined futures, and limiting beliefs
- Discern – Make wise decisions with incomplete information
- Liberate Yourself From Fear – Transform fear from enemy to ally
- Become Aware of Your Awareness – Step outside automatic reactions
- Recognize Oneness – Understand the interconnectedness of all decisions
- Befriend Suffering – Use challenges as raw material for growth
Noteworthy Achievements
Public Speaking & Thought Leadership
- Founder of The Big Talk Academy – A certification program training global speakers in the art of powerful public communication.
- Executive Producer of TEDxLincolnSquare – Curated and directed high-level TEDx events in NYC.
- Executive Producer of Speakers Who Dare – An innovative speaker series spotlighting bold, mission-driven voices.
- Mentor to Thousands of Speakers Worldwide – Many of whom have spoken at:
- TEDx events globally (e.g., TEDxSyracuse, TEDxLadyBirdLake, TEDxRutgersCamden)
- The United Nations
- World Economic Forum
- Oxford Business School
- Google, Stanford, The White House, Forbes Business Council
Books & Writing
- Author of The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy – #1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020.
- Author of Being Smart is Stupid – Companion to her keynote, releasing October 2025. Book Info Sheet Link:
Media & Production
- Award-Winning Director and Producer – With a background in Broadway, TV, and film.
- Host & Producer of The Big Talk – A successful podcast and YouTube channel featuring expert interviews and public speaking insights.
- Star of Big Stages – A documentary on her work as a speaker coach, streaming on Amazon Prime.
Professional Background
- Former choreographer for Broadway, film, and television.
- Writer and filmmaker based in New York City.
- Recognized for her work in aligning purpose-driven communication with performance excellence.
Publications
Travels From
New York City, NY
Tricia Brouk is available for Public Appearances, Speaking Events, and Keynote messages.
