Helping people stop trying to fix themselves so they can actually function better —
at work, in leadership, and in life.
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When High Functioning Comes at a Cost
Many people who appear confident, capable, and successful are quietly exhausted.
Not because they’re failing — but because they’re managing themselves constantly.
Internal judgment. Self-monitoring. Pressure to perform. Fear of being found out.
These patterns often develop as ways to stay safe, capable, and accepted — especially after seasons of struggle, shame, or stigma.
I’m Lauren Polly, and my work focuses on what happens beneath high functioning — where mental health, identity, and performance quietly intersect.
“Lauren is a wonder. When I began working with her, I wanted to rediscover my power. What I experienced was my true self and my body. These two things, opened me to an expanded awareness, which helped me to realize not only my true identity, but how I can use this to create possibilities. Working with Lauren is a wondrous adventure, and a gift that you give yourself.”
~ Renee, Author and Screenwriter, Oregon
As Seen In
“Lauren’s openness about the ups and downs of her own journey is so relatable. She reminded me that the world is ready for me as is, warts and all!”
~ Rebecca, Entrepreneur & Coach
Interview with PBS's Jim Masters: Emotional Intelligence & The Power of Empathy: Embracing Self-Awareness and the Gift in Our Differences
Breaking Free from Labels: My Journey to Mental Wealth through Holistic Care and Energetic Psychology
“A note to express my appreciation and gratitude for what you brought to Transport Topanga Literary Festival. It’s amazing to me that a person can be a container for so much transformation and still hold a brilliant, genuine smile and bounce in their step. Your triumph over doctors and labeling and pain is truly inspiring and educational. I hope our paths cross again.”
~ Kim, Director of Topanga Literary Festival
Speaking Engagements
I deliver keynotes that help audiences understand the hidden cost of high functioning — and why letting go of constant self-correction doesn’t lower performance, but restores clarity, confidence, and capacity.
I work with organizations seeking a mental health keynote speaker who can address perfectionism, burnout, and sustainable performance without stigma or clinical framing.
My work reframes mental health beyond labels and self-fixing, focusing instead on the quiet survival strategies many capable, high-achieving people rely on to feel safe, accepted, and effective.
“Lauren’s true gift lies in her ability to connect – whether that is one on one or in a group of 100+. I’ve sat in her presence in both circumstances and truly felt seen, heard, and inspired to take action on the tools she shares.”
~ LeAnn, HR Manager, Los Angeles
“I was impressed at Lauren’s vast knowledge base, real-life examples, and the simple tools she shared. I was particularly impressed that she invited group participation and fielded questions so that everyone got help on the issues that were directly impacting them. We all left with a lot of practical tips to help lead our team into healthier dynamics.”
~ Joe, Cardiac Rehab Manager, Los Angeles
Signature Keynote The Hidden Cost of High Functioning
In this keynote, I explore how perfectionism and self-monitoring often develop as intelligent responses to pressure, expectation, or past struggle — and why these strategies can quietly exhaust us over time.
What often looks like confidence and competence on the outside is frequently a form of self-protection on the inside: managing impressions, masking uncertainty, and working harder than necessary to maintain a sense of control or belonging.
This talk offers a practical, human approach to mental health that helps audiences recognize these patterns without shame — and reconnect to a more grounded, sustainable way of working and living.
“Listening to Lauren talk is so relaxing. You can tell she really cares. It let me take in her information more easily, and I was empowered to explore the new insights that arose."
~ Lucy, Graduate Student, Texas
“Lauren danced lightly into my world, opened my awareness and never made me wrong.”
~ Sue, Artist, Belgium
“Lauren can speak both woo-woo and practical. It's the perfect mix. She asks incredible questions to open my perspective and calls me out when needed on less-than-helpful behaviors."
~ Mary, HR Manager, Yoga Teacher, Canada
Audiences Leave With:
- Language for understanding perfectionism and self-monitoring as survival strategies, not personality flaws
- Insight into the mental and emotional cost of maintaining a “high-functioning” identity
- A clearer path to sustainable performance rooted in self-trust rather than fear-based self-correction
- A modern, stigma-free mental health lens that is practical, grounded, and applicable at work and in life
Audience Fit:
This keynote is frequently booked for:
- Corporate events and leadership conferences
- Professional associations
- Women’s leadership and wellness events
- Healthcare, education, and mission-driven organizations
Content is tailored to audience context, industry, and event goals.
The Other Side of Bipolar Lauren’s Best-Selling & Multi-Award-Winning Book
A different way of understanding mental health — and what’s been right about you all along
My multi-award-winning, best-selling book explores mental health beyond diagnosis, labels, and stigma.
Rather than asking “What’s wrong with me?”, it invites a deeper question:
What if the ways we learned to survive were intelligent — but no longer necessary?
The book blends personal experience with reflection and insight, helping readers reframe identity, self-worth, and emotional intensity without reducing themselves to a label.
“I just touched your book and a wave of compassion washed over me.”
~ Reader message from social media
“The Other Side of Bipolar sits apart from other autobiographical surveys of psychological struggles, offering readers the rare opportunity to explore and utilize many of the gifts formerly identified as disabilities. Any who have faced such a diagnosis will find this an inspiring, engrossing saga which offers hope, revelation, and much food for thought as it follows a journey that takes the identification of 'bipolar' and turns it upside down.”
~ Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“This intensely honest and insightful book is impossible to put down. From the first page, the story of this girl's struggle and courage drew me in so powerfully that I read the book in one sitting. I feel as if the author were a close personal friend, she is so soul-baring. Not only does she master the intensities of loneliness and being "other," she always shows compassion for everyone who was involved along the way. There is no blame or wrongness assigned to anyone. Soaring far above the hopes that even her family had for her, just to be able to survive and function, Lauren Polly is not only outwardly extremely successful, she has more awareness of herself and the world than most people. For those who have been given labels and who have been assumed to be less than or too different, this book is a lighthouse leading out of ostracism into possibility and joy. For those who have felt wrong, lonely and just out of place, this book shows how difference could be extra gifts and capacities, a greater contribution to our world. This is a hero's tale par excellence, which also happens to be a true story. I would add 5 more stars.”
~ Anonymous Amazon Review
About Lauren Polly
I’m Lauren Polly — a keynote speaker, multi-award-winning author, and longtime professional in the world of care, communication, and mental health.
My work bridges lived experience and practical insight, helping people move beyond mental health stigma and the performance-based strategies they learned to survive. I speak to those who are capable, committed, and outwardly successful — yet sense there must be a more sustainable, human way to live and lead.
Drawing on over 20 years of experience across healthcare, wellness, and leadership spaces, I bring a grounded, non-clinical approach to mental health that supports clarity, confidence, and sustainable performance — without asking people to fix who they are.
“I am always captivated by Lauren’s unique ability to identify core issues with such dynamic awareness. In her presence, I immediately feel a sense of relaxation—it’s clear she has my back. Her openness about her failures, transforming them into strengths and opportunities, is truly inspiring. Being a part of her community and watching her navigate the adventure of life inspires me to discover my own truth and let my voice be heard.”
~ Stacey, Paris