Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

What will you do with your second chance?

Many people feel so overwhelmed by daily pressures and obligations that they find themselves in Survival Mode, operating with the assumption that there will always be a tomorrow in which they can fix today’s problems, right today’s wrongs and take care of the truly important things they wished they’d done today. 

Second Chance Living is a transformational program that moves participants to put their challenges in perspective and to carefully consider how the choices they make will profoundly affect their future. Mercedes’ message focuses on personal success, overcoming challenges and finding authentic fulfillment. Through her gripping, poignant and yet humorous account of her plane crash and long-fought recovery, Mercedes proves that everyone can achieve their dreams.

Organizational Payoffs

Fortune 500 companies, national associations, faith-based and women’s organizations, government agencies, major educational institutions and non-profit organizations have utilized this topic to:

1. Develop and inspire their members
2. Teach determination and leadership in the face of adversity
3. Provide a truly memorable program that leaves a long-lasting impact
4. Give participants tools they can apply to their lives immediately

Individual Takeaways

Participants leave Mercedes’ presentations energized with:

• Increased confidence, knowing that no matter what challenges they may face in the future, they have the fortitude and ability to take ownership of their lives
• An inescapable understanding of the impact of their actions and the profound difference one person can make
• A healthy sense of urgency and renewed passion for life
• The three choices every individual can make to thrive rather than merely survive
• Awareness of the inner motivators that drive them to succeed and find fulfillment
• A grateful outlook that keeps life’s challenges and opportunities in perspective

All too often we operate in Survival Mode – doing just enough to get the job done rather than doing a good job. Our goals are simply to endure the daily challenges, keep our heads above water and make it to the end of the week. Sound familiar?

Individuals who routinely focus on surviving rather than thriving tend to be disengaged and unfulfilled. Organizations with Survival Mode cultures lose millions of dollars in productivity and struggle to achieve long-term profits and lasting success.

Get It Right Today, Not Tomorrow serves as a wake-up call. An eye-opening presentation that won’t be forgotten, it powerfully dispels the notion that there will always be a tomorrow in which we can finish today’s important yet unfinished business.

Weaving her inspirational story of tragedy, survival and recovery with solid business content, Mercedes challenges and changes the way people think and act. Her up-front dialogue, true-life examples and on-the-job application of real-world lessons moves audiences to work and live with intention.

Organizational Payoffs

Fortune 500 companies, leading healthcare organizations, national associations, government agencies and major educational institutions have utilized this topic to:

1. Develop and inspire their members
2. Develop their leaders
3. Release the untapped potential in their people
4. Improve employee engagement, loyalty and retention
5. Enhance teamwork
6. Increase sales and productivity

Individual Takeaways
Participants leave Mercedes’ presentations energized with:

• A new sense of urgency and purpose and a renewed passion for work
• Personal ownership and accountability for their actions and results
• A blueprint for working and living with intention
• A big-picture mindset and a clearer perspective of their daily challenges
• An inescapable understanding of Situational Awareness and the profound difference one person can make
• Insight into the inner motivators that will keep them committed and engaged from within
• The three choices every individual can make that will have an immediate and positive impact on their job and the organization

Audience and Format

Get It Right Today, Not Tomorrow is applicable for individuals at every level of the organization. Mercedes appeals to the diverse ages, ethnicities and genders that comprise today’s workforce. The keynote format ranges from 45 to 90 minutes and is customized to your organizational climate, meeting theme and objectives.

The pilots of Flight 965 were expertly trained, highly skilled and very experienced. Yet they were lulled into a false sense of security and a disregard for standard operating procedures that led to a series of human errors and, ultimately, the deaths of 160 people.

This one-of-a-kind presentation puts safety into the proper perspective and vividly demonstrates that the mistakes these pilots made are the same mistakes that anyone, in virtually any industry, can make on any given workday. Using the factual account of the crash of Flight 965 and safety investigation findings as anchors, Mercedes drives home the profound impact of individual choices and the devastating results of ignoring safety procedures. Participants will distinctly understand the difference between knowing about safety and putting safety into action.

Captivated audiences frequently comment that Mercedes’ true-life story of tragedy, survival and recovery is unlike any safety presentation they’ve ever experienced. A Hispanic woman in a male-dominated market, Mercedes is hailed as a fresh voice in the safety industry. Her genuine and personable style, combined with her knowledge of safety issues, ensures this presentation and its lessons won’t be forgotten.

Organizational Payoffs

Professional safety associations, the U.S. military and organizations from a wide array of industries – including construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, transportation and aerospace – have utilized this topic to:

1. Establish and enhance a culture of safety where safety is not just a priority, but a key organizational value
2. Introduce or reinforce behavior-based safety success
3. Develop individual responsibility and accountability for safety on the job every day
4. Provide a memorable, world-class program that leaves a long-lasting impact

Individual Takeaways

Participants leave Mercedes’ presentations with a whole new mindset about safety, as well as tools they can put to use immediately on the job. Key takeaways include:

• An acute understanding that safety is a mentality not a mandate
• A commitment to personal accountability for safety
• The inescapable truth that experience and familiarity are no guarantee and can, in fact, create a dangerous  complacency and false sense of security
• The hazards of disregarding standard operating procedures and taking “harmless” shortcuts
• The dangers of “going through the motions” and the importance of being fully intentional and engaged in the task at hand
• The significance of Situational Awareness and cross-accountability

Audience and Format

Safety: Don’t Count on Second Chances is applicable for individuals at every level who deal with safety issues, from front-line workers to safety experts. Mercedes appeals to the diverse ages, ethnicities and genders that comprise today’s workforce. The keynote format ranges from 45 to 90 minutes and is customized to your organizational climate, meeting theme and objectives.

Building a genuinely inclusive culture in our workplaces, communities and schools is imperative for shared success and establishing common values. In the past few years, the spotlight on diversity, inclusion and equity programs have been shining brightly. Is your organization checking off the “diversity” boxes and operating within the status quo? Or has the spotlight of D&I initiatives transformed into authentic organizational values? Do leaders truly value the impact of a fully inclusive environment or do they still view D&I through an antiquated lens?

As a first generation Latina American, Mercedes has experienced first hand the difference felt on the receiving end of tokenism versus actual genuine inclusive support and leadership. No stranger to being “the first woman to…” or the “first latina to…” in her professional and community roles, Mercedes weaves lessons of resilience, purpose and empathy in her customized D&I programs. Beyond being the right thing to do, inclusive minded leaders are better able to navigate and win the constantly evolving workforce, client base and environment.

Key takeaways:

• Greater clarity about what inclusion means and how it informs individual, group, and organizational performance.
• Identify fundamental barriers to inclusion.
• Take actionable models and definitions back to your organization to better inform your inclusion efforts.
• Get comfortable in embracing that D&I is vital to the employee experience and is a measurable strategy to increase retention, employee and supplier loyalty, and mental health wellness.