The Well Said Speaker Series is an annual fundraiser benefitting the mission-based work of Well for the Journey. The Well’s mission is to encourage and support spiritual well-being, connection, and community by offering opportunities for engagement and growth.
Originally conceived as an in-person traditional speaker event focused on hosting guests who nourish the spirit, the Well Said planning circle had to pivot with the onset of the pandemic and launch the series in a virtual format in 2020. The virtual format however, opened new opportunities allowing participants (and speakers) from all over the country to join us. After two virtual Speaker Series events, we returned to in-person with our first hybrid event in the Spring of 2022. Spring 2023 brought a fully in-person evening which we continued with in spring 2024; we will continue to provide an annual Speaker Event that will bring spirit-nourishing speakers to the Well through whom we will continue to build connection and community.
Series History:
October 8, 2020: In the middle of a worldwide pandemic the Well Said Speaker Series was born. After months and months of planning, the Well hosted its first Well Said Speaker Series event, virtually, featuring local author and playwright, R. Eric Thomas for “A Night of Hope and Humor” on October 8, 2020, as he discussed his nationally acclaimed book, “Here for it: Or, How to Save your Soul in America.”
March 4, 2021: For our second speaker in the Well Said Speaker Series, the Well hosted Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., an award-winning author, and internationally known public speaker and thought leader on issues of spirituality, religion, culture, and politics. Diana’s book, “Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks” was the main topic of the evening.
March 31, 2022: For our third speaker of the Well Said Speaker Series, we were able to return to an in-person format and brought poet, storyteller, author, and word-woman, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer to Maryland for a night of “Straddling the Edge of Joy.” We hosted a pre-party meet and greet with Rosemerry for premier ticket holders and then joined many others both in-person and from all over the country, online, for an evening of JOY!
April 20, 2023: Our spring 2023 speaker was Baltimore’s own, author, dancer, actor, joy-bringer, and hope-stirrer, Maria Broom. Maria joined us for a meet and greet event for all ticket purchasers and then treated us to “The Dance of Hope.” As we all experience challenging times in and around us, Maria helped us to balance the “Hope Dance” and encouraged all in attendance to “never let doubt take the lead.”… She ended the program by getting the room on its feet and dancing into the night.
April 18, 2024: Our spring 2024 speaker was Eric A. Clayton, storyteller, speaker, author, & Star Wars aficionado, who joined us on a beautiful spring evening to share ““Sacred Stories, Modern Myth: Connecting Your Spirituality within Pop Culture.” Through discussing how Pop Culture and spirituality connects us all, participants were able to connect in new ways finding connections with one another and seeing how that can also extend out into the world. Eric ended his presentation by engaging the attendees in a sharing exercise that allowed all to leave with recommendations of new and old pop culture favorites that have had a spiritual impact on group members.
Have a speaker to suggest for future events? Please email us with your suggestions.
Thank you “Well Said Speaker Series” Planning Circle
We are grateful to the “Well Said” volunteer planning circle members over time whose dedication and efforts have allowed the Well Said Speaker Series to continue with such great success. We express our sincere thanks to Mabeth Hudson, Maggie Lears, Karen Wright, Liz Neal, and Diane Gilbert for their talents, leadership, and planning expertise. If you’d like to get involved with helping to plan our future Well Said Speaker Series events, please email us.
