Kia Ora, I’m Julia Grace
I’m an international keynote speaker, author, teacher and Tui award-winning singer-songwriter with a strong background in Health Education.
In 2022 I won the Professional Speakers Association NZ Break Through Speaker of the Year and Educator of the Year awards.
The opportunity to share my journey with depression and anxiety and to encourage audiences to care for their mental health is a privilege.
My mission is to teach all ages to
Be Kind to Your Mind,
a message of hope and practical change.
I approach the topic of mental health with humour, and luckily science agrees with me. When we laugh or have any emotional response to stimuli, it opens us up to remember it better. I’ll be honest; I didn’t set out to be funny. I just did what came naturally, which is now a pivotal part of my communication style.
I’ve been on stage, performing since I was four years old. My first public performance was singing “Send in the Clowns” at a massive birthday celebration. Since then, I’ve sung in front of audiences worldwide as a solo artist and in bands with audiences in the thousands. My singing career also led me to win a Tui Award for Gospel Album of the Year.
Between the gigs, I taught Music and Health in schools and honed my skills in story-telling and education. There’s nothing like being thrown in front of a massive group of pre-teens to ensure you know how to keep a crowd's attention!
Over the last decade, I have experienced massive life changes that led to mental wellness challenges. A diagnosis of clinical depression and anxiety caused me to dig deep and learn practical ways of looking after my brain. A particular struggle was finding good language for such a heavy subject. In the middle of the journey, I put my ‘teacher hat’ on and created Grabable Words, sharing them with audiences at conferences and events.
The feedback was amazing. I am completely transparent about my own daily mental health journey. Sharing the tools I used to gain and now maintain my mental health has resulted in tens of thousands of people being impacted by the message of Being Kind to Your Mind.
Training as a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and gaining my certificate in Mind Health Carer have further enhanced my work, increasing the science-based foundation of the tools I teach.
Now more than ever, we need to learn to Be Kind to our Minds. I look forward to sharing with your audience, wherever in the world you may be.
- Julia
Experience
SPEAKING AWARDS
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION NZ Awards
Educator of the Year 2022 - 23
Breakthrough Speaker of the Year 2022 - 23
QUALIFICATIONS
Diploma of Teaching NZ
NZ Teacher Registration Current
Certificate Mind Health Carer - Mind Health
Mental Health First Aid - Qualified Instructor MHFA Aotearoa
MUSIC AWARDS
Tui Award Gospel Album of the Year
WINNER - 2005 (Juliagrace)
FINALIST - 2010 (Beautiful Survivor)
FINALIST - 2017 (Girl on the Kitchen Floor)
PRESENTER - 2016
PRESENTER - 2019
RADIO/TV/MEDIA
SEVEN SHARP Guest promoting Heart Foundation
RHEMA MEDIA, Drive show, weekly contributor of mental wellness content
Star Radio, Happiness Hacks Monthly mental wellness segment
HotSpots, 1-minute mental wellness segments played six times daily for two months
SHINE TV Mental Health Week 5 interviews on related topics
96five BRISBANE Radio interviews
VISION BRISBANE Radio interviews
WOMEN’S DAY Half-It Mental Health Series, interview and photo spread
NEWSTALK ZB - Real Life with John Cowan interview
4 CHAIRS Mental Wellness TV show, two episodes
PODCAST - Not so Breakfast Show with Ish Cheyne and Sacha episode
PODCAST - Down to Earth Conversations episode
THRIVE TV - Lauren Parsons guest (release upcoming 2023)
SUNDAY SANCTUARY WITH PETRA BAGUST - Radio Special (release upcoming 2023)
THE REAL RAW AND RELEVANT SHOW - with Locky McNeill highlights & full show
SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK - 4300 followers
YOUTUBE - MENTAL WELLNESS VIDEO SERIES - 45,000 Views 96,000 Reach
INSTAGRAM - 9000 followers
PERFORMANCES
COCA-COLA CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK - 3 years performing
NOISE CONFERENCE - Training Musicians and singers
EASTERFEST TOOWOOMBA AUS - Performer mainstage 3 years
PARACHUTE FESTIVAL - 12 Years Singing, Speaking, Mainstage Opening Acts, Various key stages and events
FESTIVAL ONE 5 Years - Speaker and Performer
INTERNATIONAL TOURING PARACHUTE BAND 2007/08, Extensive international touring as support as well as a member of the band, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Sth Africa
WORLD VISION NZ - Girls Night Out Events Nationwide tours 2007 - 09, 40+ Events, Singing and Speaking with Allison Mooney and Petra Bagust
HILLSONG SISTERHOOD SYDNEY - Performer
FESTIVAL ONE HAMILTON (4 years) - Mental Wellness speaker and Performer
QLD ONE VOICE WOMEN’S CONFERENCE (2 yrs) Speaker and Performer
GIRL’S DAY OUT AUCKLAND - Presenter, Speaker and Performer
INFLUENCING WOMEN NEW PLYMOUTH - Speaker and performer
SIGNIFICANCE WOMEN CONFERENCE - Main session Speaker and performer
REPLENISH CONFERENCE AUCKLAND, CHCH - Speaker and Performer
CHURCH UNLIMITED WOMEN AUCKLAND - Speaker and Performer
WORLD VISION AUSTRALIA - Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide - Speaker and Performer
TEARFUND - 80+ events in Nationwide Tours Presenting, Speaking and Singing, Beautiful Survivor Tours - with ex-Child Sponsor Lillian Nakabiri; God in A Brothel Tours - with Anti-Trafficking Advocate Daniel Walker; Girl On the Kitchen Floor Tours - Solo and with Local Duo CHEM
WORLD VISION - 45+ Girls Night Out Events nationwide with Petra Bagust and Ali Mooney, Chosen Child Sponsorship 15 events around Nz; NZ Comedy Tour - 10 centres with Paul Aldrich USA
Since tackling the topic of Mental Wellness 3 years ago, Julia has spoken at over 350 events across NZ and Australia
KEYNOTE SPEAKING
ASSOC. INTEGRATED SCHOOLS - National Conference Keynote Speaker
HIPGROUP - Staff Day Conference Keynote Speaker
FiTEX - National Conference Keynote Speaker
KORDIA - Senior Staff Day Conference Keynote Speaker
BRAVEGIRL CONFERENCE CHCH, GORE- Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
BLOOM CONFERENCE, TAURANGA - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
OASIS WELL WOMEN RETREAT, PICTON - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
SHE HOPES WELLNESS CONFERENCE - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
AUTHENTIC WELLNESS CONFERENCE BLENHEIM - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
REFRESH WOMEN’S CONFERENCE - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
POINT OF CHANGE FORUM, CHCH - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
CAIRNS BOLD BRAVE AND BEAUTIFUL CONFERENCE - Keynote speaker and performer
BRISBANE GIRLS NIGHT OUT - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
BRISBANE THE GATHERING - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
WELLNESS WEEKEND WINTON - Keynote Speaker on Mental Wellness
WORKSHOPS
LES MILLS - Senior Franchise Owners Mental Wellness Workshop
VITACO - Staff Mental Wellness Workshop
WAITEMATA DHB - Senior Nurses Mental Wellness Workshop, Mental Health week Staff event, Midwives group Mental Wellness workshop
DRESS FOR SUCCESS - Volunteers Mental Wellness Workshop
POSITIVE MEDIA MELBOURNE - Staff Mental Wellness Workshop
CKL ENGINEERING - Staff Mental Wellness Workshop
Hobsonville Point Primary School - Be Kind to Your Mind workshops Year 7 / 8
Iona School Havelock North Year 7 / 8 workshop, Healthy friendships
NEW WINE FESTIVALS KAPITI/NORTHLAND - Main session Speaker, workshop presenter on Mental Wellness
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS
PUKEKOHE SCHOOL - Teachers Only Day PD, year 12/13 Mental Wellness Session
KINGSWAY SCHOOL - Professional Development Workshop (Jan 2023)
TRINITY SCHOOLS MASTERTON - Professional Development Workshop (Jan 2023)
NETBALL NZ - High-Performance Leaders Mental Wellness Session
COMPANY OF WOMEN - National Conference Mental Wellness session
STRENGTH 2 STRENGTH EVENT CHCH - Speaker Training
PLUGGED IN WELLINGTON/PALMERSTON/AK - Speaker and trainer
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
NZ AND BEYOND CONFERENCE AUCKLAND - Speaker Mental Wellness
MENTAL HEALTH AND THE CHURCH CONFERENCE AUCKLAND
GIRLS DAY OUT CONFERENCE AK - Speaker
MINDFOOD Celebrating Women’s Day with Raewyn Henry and Liz Hancock
HEART FOUNDATION - Go Red For Women Nationwide Breakfast tour, presenting, Speaking and Singing with Dame Jenny Shipley and Dame Susan Devoy
HEART FOUNDATION - Comedy Fundraiser
HOPE SESSIONS WORLD VISION NZ - Sunday services 2020 - Speaker and Ambassador, 8 churches around NZ
IONA COLLEGE HAVELOCK NTH - Dads and Daughters Mental Wellness Event, Year 7/8 girls workshop session
CHURCH speaking/singing engagements:
Life Auckland
Church Unlimited AK
The Upper Room AK
Arise Wl, CHCH
The River AK
Renew WHANGAREI
Eastside Apostolic HAM
Northcross AK
Northcity CHCH
Gateway HAM
Hope Centre AK
Encounter AK
Encounter Bream Bay NTH
Orwell St Church - OAMARU
Te Awa - WAITARA
Church Northwest - AK
Massey community church - AK
Vineyard Churches: Urban Ak, Grace Chch, West Ak, Mahurangi, Hope Palmerston Nth
Elim Churches:; Auckland, Howick, Whangarei, Wellington, Porirua, Timaru, Christchurch, Taupo, Paeroa, Auckland West
C3 Churches: Sth City CHCH, Taupo, East Auckland AK, Hamilton, North Shore AK, CHCH East
Baptist Churches: Papanui, St Albans, Windsor Park, Waihi, Matamata, Waiuku, Kumeu, Rangiora, Titirangi, Whanganui East, Beachlands, Franklin, Putaruru, Levin, New Plymouth, Bethlehem, Young Adults retreat, Whakatane