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Changing My Mind
Canadians fell in love with Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s beautiful bride when he brought her to the world stage as the youngest First Lady in the history of the country. Yet, as time went by, MARGARET TRUDEAU was unprepared for public life, and plagued by mood swings. After three sons with Pierre, the marriage ended. She then remarried and had two more children. But the tragic loss of her son, Michel, in a skiing accident and the passing of Pierre Trudeau a few years later, were too much to bear, and she became severely ill.
Today, Margaret has rebuilt her life once again. Now, she brings her formidable life story to the stage in her quest to help others, sharing her message of resilience with the goal of helping to inspire others and to erase the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Choosing a Vibrant Future
MARGARET TRUDEAU offers audiences an inspirational and practical approach to choosing a healthy, happy, and secure future. Using stories from her own life, as well as those of others, Margaret–with the remarkable empathy and warmth she’s known for–brings attention to what people need to make their later years meaningful and fulfilling.
Margaret Trudeau is a powerful advocate on mental health
Refreshingly open, honest and passionate, Former First Lady MARGARET TRUDEAU is a powerful advocate on mental health and overcoming hardship. Described as “an international sensation, the Holly Golightly of the Mounties,” in a fascinating Vanity Fair cover story, Trudeau's remarkable life has taken her from becoming the Canadian prime minister’s wife at a young age and hobnobbing with celebrities, to the loss of both her son and her former husband, to living with bi-polar disorder. Trudeau is now the star of a one-woman show in Chicago called Certain Woman of an Age, which made headlines in NPR. In the show, Trudeau lays bare her struggles with mania and depression with humor and grit, and also works to raise awareness and help families understand what's happening to someone who is in mental disorder. A natural in front of any audience, Trudeau's keynotes leave audiences energized, empowered, and informed. As the University of Toronto raved: "Margaret Trudeau’s presentation was wonderful. She inspired a standing ovation from a sold out audience... Her talk was moving, funny, and very personal. She spoke eloquently for an hour, signed book autographs afterwards, and talked about her cause during the reception that followed... We were very, very glad to have her."
Margaret Trudeau receives rave reviews at YWCA
Former First Lady of Canada and mother of the current Prime Minister MARGARET TRUDEAU received rave reviews at a recent event for the YWCA of Yakima. Delivering a powerful keynote for over 1,400 community members, Trudeau shared lessons on how to overcome hardship, bounce back from mistakes, and lead a life of true joy. Opening up about her own struggle with mental illness, Trudeau’s moving stories made headlines in local media and kept the audience rapt. As the event chair raved: “Everything went beautifully with Ms. Trudeau. Our audience was charmed and inspired by her… She gave our sponsors her full and friendly attention at the VIP breakfast, engaged with residents of our shelter during the tour, gave a highly entertaining and enlightening presentation at the lunch, and did an unhurried book-signing afterward.” Recently featured in a fascinating, must-read Vanity Fair cover story, Trudeau is heralded for her refreshing honesty, openness and passion. Celebrated for her role as a respected mental-health advocate, Trudeau’s keynotes take audiences through her remarkable life, from becoming the Canadian prime minister’s wife at a young age, to the loss of both her son and her former husband, to living with bi-polar disorder. The Vanity Fair article describes Trudeau as “an international sensation, the Holly Golightly of the Mounties,” and describes her remarkable life in the 1970s—hobnobbing with celebrities and making tabloid headlines for wearing a knee-length cocktail dress to the White House. Showcasing her incredible work as a speaker today, the article perfectly showcases what makes Trudeau such a knockout keynote speaker. As the article shares, “It’s not easy to re-invent yourself as a serious person with a serious message after spending the best years of your life making the worst possible decisions, played out for the world to see and ridicule. And yet that is precisely what Margaret Trudeau… has managed to pull off, armed with perspective and grit and humor and the unyielding belief that, somehow, tomorrow has the potential to be better than today.”
Margaret Trudeau is the focus of a must-read Vanity Fair cover story
Former First Lady of Canada and mother of the current Prime Minister, MARGARET TRUDEAU is profiled in a fascinating, must-read Vanity Fair cover story that details both her past in the international spotlight and current work as a mental health advocate. Described as “an international sensation, the Holly Golightly of the Mounties,” the Vanity Fair article shares Trudeau’s remarkable life in the 1970s—hobnobbing with celebrities and making tabloid headlines for wearing a knee-length cocktail dress to the White House—as well as her battle with undiagnosed and untreated bipolar disorder. The article also explores her incredible work as a speaker today, “telling wry, self-deprecating anecdotes—along with offering prescriptions for addressing individuals’ and society’s mental-health challenges.” A sensational keynote speaker at the 16th Annual Activist Awards Dinner, over 400 audience members “roared” with laughter and listened in rapt attention thanks to her refreshing sense of humor and candid insights into her personal mental health struggles. As the article shares of Trudeau, “It’s not easy to re-invent yourself as a serious person with a serious message after spending the best years of your life making the worst possible decisions, played out for the world to see and ridicule. And yet that is precisely what Margaret Trudeau… has managed to pull off, armed with perspective and grit and humor and the unyielding belief that, somehow, tomorrow has the potential to be better than today.”
In her latest book The Time of Your Life: Choosing a Vibrant Joyful Future Margaret Trudeau shares her epiphany, born out of her past joys and sorrows
"I have lived through two divorces, the loss of a son, mental illness and several career changes, almost all of it in the public eye. Now I find myself on a new odyssey- accepting still more change and examining all the possibilities that lie before me. Reinventing what it means to age means reinventing myself yet again. I choose to see both freedom and opportunity in that."
Margaret Trudeau is celebrated as Canada's sensational first lady in the 1970's, and is respected for her work as a mental-health issues advocate. From becoming a prime minister’s wife at a young age, to the loss of both her son and her former husband, to living with bi-polar disorder, Margaret shares her personal stories to remind others of the importance of nurturing the body, mind, and spirit.
Margaret is the author of four books, including her bestselling title, Changing My Mind, which charts her life’s ups and downs, and her latest title, The Time of Your Life, which offers women an inspirational and practical approach to creating a healthy, happy, secure and satisfying future.
Margaret sits on the Executive Advisory Board of the UBC Mental Health Institute as a community advocate, and she is the Honorary President of WaterAid, a charitable Canadian non-governmental agency that is dedicated to helping poor communities in developing countries build sustainable water-supply and sanitation services. She is also the proud mother to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
My Speaker List
