Layne the Auctionista
Celebrity "Auctionista", Keynote Speaker & Event Host
Toronto, ON
What Layne is Passionate About
Bidding To Be Your Best
Entrepreneurship, Leadership and The Courage to Overcome Adversity
The journey of finding your greatness can reinvent and redefine who you are. It may redefine a community. It may even redefine a culture.
Mid-life, Layne stepped away from the corporate world and entered an unusual, niche career: fundraising auctioneer. A profession dominated by cis-gendered, white males; an industry not willing to stray from the norm. As a non-binary person, brand new out of auction school and with no client market, the odds were stacked against Layne at every turn. A decade later, Layne has found record-breaking success, redefining the role on their terms.
What does it take to blaze a new trail, break the stereotype, and defy convention? The answers are within Layne’s journey: grit, belief, skill, courage, and a lot of vulnerability.
In Bidding To Be Your Best, Layne demonstrates how to take the first step towards doing what you love. They give audiences insight into what it takes to overcome fear of failure, fear of adversity and how breaking stereotypes will lead you to greatness.
Layne relives the experience of being “The only gay in the village” at auction school in mid-west USA. Even after years of being top in the industry, they continue to experience challenging moments of gender discrimination.
With intelligent humour, emotionally charged storytelling and an educational lens, Layne draws listeners into their life experience. They unabashedly challenge the audience to dismantle their perceptions and beliefs about the meaning of success and societal expectations. Staying true to yourself always wins.
Learning Outcomes:
*Channel adversity and vulnerability to find your courage and momentum.
*Reframe societal expectations to live freely and be authentically you.
*Feel the reality of a LGBTQIA+ professional in a seemingly binary world.
*Build a profitable business with big thinking.
Target Audience:
*Leaders; Emerging, Corporate, Not for Profit, Professional Associations
*Students (post-grad/continuing education)
*Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs
Making Friends With The Future
Starting Over, Overcoming Adversity, Domestic Violence
When life is humming along and the world around us feels calm and positive, we feel excited about what the future will bring: more opportunity, abundance, and well-being. When life saddles us with challenges, fears and pain, the future can feel scary, daunting, and unwelcoming.
How do we stay “friends” with the future no matter what life throws our way?
Layne has endured cumulative trauma: financial ruin, dealing with life-threatening health issues, a business gone dark due to the pandemic. Most daunting of all: enduring intimate partner violence, surviving (and thriving) to give testimony to the undeniable hardship that over 100,000 women across this country face every year.
Time and again, they have been hurled into hardship. By practicing the mindset of welcoming adversity as an opportunity for growth and learning, Layne has found the lessons that develop wisdom.
In Making Friends With The Future, Layne shares the uplifting, very personal and insightful journey of their life. Audiences will learn how the choices they make when their world is falling apart, can lead to finding strength and a positive anticipation of the future.
Be purposeful about your happiness and intentional about chasing joy!
Adept and with a resolve to live your best life, YOU will be friends with the future!
Learning Outcomes:
*Channel and redirect fear and vulnerability into a positive perspective
*Commit to small, daily actions and find the joy in your future
*Understand the power of manifestation
*Reframe societal expectations to live freely and be authentically you
Target Audience:
*Leaders; Emerging, Corporate, Not for Profit
*Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs
*Professional Associations
From She To They
Starting Over, Overcoming Adversity, LGBTQ2S+ Issues
Why reinvent yourself and completely change how you present to the world? Because the anguish and heartache of hiding your truth becomes unbearable. From childhood, throughout the painful teenage years, and into mid-life, Layne agonizingly held it all inside.
After decades of skillfully depicting themselves as a straight, cisgender woman, a moment arrived where the truth could no longer be denied. With trepidation and gut-wrenching fear, Layne came out to friends and family. The reaction to the news was not what Layne was expecting.
Empowered with their new authentic self, they began blazing a new trail, while embracing the community in which they so proudly and openly belonged to now. And yet, as time passed, something still didn’t feel right for Layne. The label of “she”.
In From She To They, Layne explains what identifying as “Non-Binary” means. With correct language, and the understanding the importance of pronouns, listeners take away immediate learnings. Layne gives insight on behaviors and actions that create a more inclusive society and galvanize active allyship.
Providing welcoming spaces for all genders is not a privilege, it’s a right. With dynamic story-telling, humour, emotion and an educational lens, Layne delivers a presentation that will activate audiences to be the best version of themselves and become a positive force in their home, work and community by creating welcoming spaces for all.
Learning Outcomes:
*Reframe societal expectations to live freely and be authentically you.
*Understand Non-Binary, and how to use pronouns correctly.
*Feel the reality of a LGBTQIA+ professional in a seemingly binary world.
Target Audience:
*Leaders; Emerging, Corporate, Not for Profit
*Students (post-grad/continuing education)
*Professional Associations, Teams and Communities
Why You Need Layne
High-energy, witty, emotionally charged storytelling that powers kindness, authenticity, empathy, and inclusion. That is what audiences from across the globe have seen and felt when Layne takes the stage.
Layne is a non-binary, successful entrepreneur with a charming, animated personality, and armed with a collection of captivating anecdotes. They have presented on stages for over a decade, combining education and entertainment with seamless finesse. Layne delivers a unique blend of insightful learning and captivating humour, leaving audiences craving more.
They openly speak to their life experiences; coming out, rebounding from multiple traumas, mental health and physical wellness, and they hilariously spill the tea about being the only gay in the village at a US auction school. Layne offers insights into building a powerhouse company from the ground up, and the inspirational (and tragic) moments they’ve experienced during their career of working over 1,500 events.
Layne has appeared in prominent media from coast to coast such as CBC, Cityline, CTV, Authority Magazine (Medium) and as a recurring guest and co-host on Citytv’s Breakfast Television. Layne was named LuxLife’s 2024 “Fundraiser Event Entertainer of the Year (North America)”, Canadian Choice Award Winner for 2024, Corporate Livewire’s 2024 Innovation & Excellence Global Awards “Keynote Speaker of the Year” and was nominated in 2022 for a Canadian Event Award.
An advocate for social impact, Layne’s work as The Auctionista has raised over $40 million for charity across North America. Their magnetism has had Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laughing in his seat and has made sharing a stage with greats like Sarah McLachlan and The Tragically Hip look effortless. Layne’s undeniable stage presence and commitment to each and every cause has made them a force in the fundraising world. They champion the idea that no challenge is insurmountable, and no dream is unattainable.
Layne would know best. Prior to blazing a trail in a male-dominated industry and creating a wildly successful company, Layne changed career paths from a Financial Advisor to Director of Development at a charity, only to courageously pivot again. Through their determination and perseverance (and a certain someone telling them they couldn’t), they decided to take the leap and reinvent the role of auctioneer. As a non-binary, entertaining, fashion-forward philantro-tainer, Layne has turned the world of auctioneering on its head.
With securing the title “Celebrity Auctioneer” and live fundraising firmly under their belt, Layne stepped into the world of keynote speaking to deliver powerful messages about the importance of living authentically, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). In 2024, Layne launched The IMPACT Workshop; a learning series targeted to organizations which is focused on helping participants understand the concepts of gender identity, and how to create a workplace and community that is inclusive and accepting of all, honouring intersections of identity including race, body size, abilities, age, etc.
The IMPACT Workshop was prominently featured in the Spring 2024 issue of Canadian Business, where they spoke about the immediate, positive, and lasting effects that Layne’s workshop had on an organization.
Now, the ever-innovative Layne, is one of the most coveted and respected auctioneers, speakers, and workshop facilitators, with a sparkling reputation for personal storytelling that connects.
The power of vulnerability, courage, resolve and resilience delivered with humour is the Layne way!
Why You Will Love Layne
As the conference coordinator it feels like the weight of the conference was on my shoulders and you just lifted it off and it floated away!! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect keynote presentation!!
Bev Farrell
The City of London, Age-Friendly Conference
Impactful, heartfelt and moving. Your story described how you rose, against all odds. [Your speech] gave me hope and inspired me.
Ingrid Norrish
President Creative Meeting & Marketing Services, Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners (CanSPEP)
Change the way you see the world –with one of the most informative, entertaining and engaging keynotes I’ve ever seen. Layne has you hooked for moment one, bringing you into their world and helping you see your own with more compassion, empathy and understanding that you ever thought possible. Layne’s is an essential story for our modern world (and as a dad of a trans kid –helped me hold the best conversations of our lives).
Jason Thomson
Founder and CEO of SpeakUp Get Results
I have had the pleasure and honour of connecting with Layne on many levels. I often joke that when Layne turns up to do their work at an event, my wallet falls open. This is because of the passion, drive and energy Layne brings to every event. I have also seen them speak about their journey, and it is inspiring and thoughtful. Layne has a unique talent that I have not seen from anyone else in my role as a business owner, active community member, mother, and human. I am thrilled to have been able to share space with them, and look forward to doing so whenever possible!
Julie Cole
Co-Founder, Senior Director of Public Relations – Mabel’s Labels
Layne’s keynote was like a Disney movie-taking the crowd up with achievements and strength, and having them experience the challenges-and it was no movie -it was [Layne’s] life.
Leroy Innanen
CMHA Oxford
Layne was an absolute pleasure to work with. Very professional. They perfectly customized their presentation to suit our audience. Layne’s skill at engaging and interacting the audience is outstanding; our audience was captivated by the dynamic and energetic performance. Thank you!
Manager, Volunteer & Client Services
Cancer Assistance Program
How do you scare a comedian? —-put them in a virtual room with strangers who are in the middle of a crisis, feeling isolated and scared… talk about a tough crowd! It turned into a “Call to ACTION” for Layne and the result was breathtaking. Who could have imagined from a simple conference call, that Layne would deeply connect with the listeners. They never saw Layne’s face but they sure felt Layne’s HEART! MARVELOUSLY funny, we were thrilled with the talent of LAYNE! I wish to express myheartfelt thanks for your time that continues to motivate and inspire.
K. Stevenson
Crown Attorney
Layne’s story is extremely impactful and it is delivered in an animated and engaging way. It is noticeable from the time Layne greets the guests they are absolutely taken with their charismatic way of being in a room. The feedback post event so positive that I would not hesitate to hire Layne again.
Kendall Trembath
Executive Director - Women's Shelter, Saakaate House Inc.