Built and sold a world-first team-building company — distilling 17 years of entrepreneurship into leadership wisdom
Leona Watson founded and ran Cheeky Food Events, an award-winning, world-first team-building company, for 17 years before selling it — making her one of a rare breed of speakers who has built something substantial, navigated the full arc of entrepreneurship, and then handed the keys over. Before that, she managed $50 million budgets at Microsoft UK. She has led more than 3,000 workshops, keynotes, and corporate training sessions, and has trained in neuroscience to underpin the practical frameworks she delivers from the stage.
Her distinctive edge is the combination of genuine entrepreneurial credibility with a grounded, neuroscience-informed approach to culture and leadership. She has observed thousands of staff, CEOs, and leaders striving — and sometimes failing — to build real team connection, and she draws on that breadth of direct experience rather than theory. Her work with organisations spans unleashed leadership, team engagement, and what she describes as 'letting go to grow' — the underestimated challenge of stepping from one level of leadership to the next.
Leona suits conferences, leadership retreats, and professional development days where audiences want practical insight delivered with energy and wit. She has been a longstanding partner of Google and has worked with organisations including Novated Lease Australia. For event teams who need a speaker who can anchor a full day — or open one memorably — she offers the rare combination of substance, warmth, and hard-won story.
Leona Watson is a keynote speaker based in New South Wales who speaks on business strategy, leadership and motivation. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
“From Uncomfortable to Unwavering Leadership”.
As a regular Speaker at the CEO Institute, Leona delivers insights and truth-bombs that challenge even the most experienced Leaders… with a smile!
- Leona encourages Leaders, franchisees and entrepreneurs to lean into being 'uncomfortable' and to seek out the tough questions, conversations & situations, to uplevel themselves, their teams, clients and their results.
- Create the inner belief and toolkit needed for today’s modern leaders to inspire others to follow, whether staff or clients.
KEY OUTCOME: How to become the Leader you always wanted for yourself - with the results to match!
From "Chaos to Connected" Teams.
- Leona shares insights from overseeing 2,500 team workshops and 80,000 colleagues striving to connect with each other and the company values.
- Leona ignites the inner belief within teams, that they CAN lead themselves and each other to deliver the kind of results they can all feel proud of. Together.
KEY OUTCOME: How to create & be integral to the Team everyone wants to be part of!
"Step Up, connect, take action and feel crazy levels of pride as a Team".
From "Rocky to Resilient" Leaders of your own business or career.
"Secret Entrepreneur's Business"!
- Leona exposes and normalises what's rarely disclosed: The dizzy highs, crushing lows and emotional, often-lonely, rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship. Including being entrepreneurial within a large company.
- Leona learnt first-hand that each specific growth spurt of her business, demanded new leadership, influence and business skills.
- The version of "You" that nailed your first 2 employees, will get in the way of nailing 10, 100 and 1000 staff. Letting go is HARD!
- Leona shares the tips, hilarious (and often cringe-worthy) stuff-ups, wins and hard-earned lessons to grow a business, manage staff, make $$$, stay sane and sell.
KEY OUTCOME: How to Lead through the crazy, different phases your business (or career) will demand of you.
In one word 'WOW'. Leona facilitated our one-day training and MC'd our 2 day conference for Executive Assistants in PNG. Highly recommend.Faizan Siddiqui – Beyond360 Malaysia
"Leona made a profound impact as a speaker at our Women in Leadership Sydney Summit. Her fast, 10-minute post-lrev-up activity, was both impressive and effective, setting an empowering tone for the remainder of the event In addition, her "Letting Go to Grow as a Leader" workshop was a masterclass in Leadership Development. Addressing the critical issue of identifying and eliminating obstacles. Her insights and guidance, were actionable, providing tangible strategies for immediate application."UN Women in Leadership - Leigh Ann Payne – Event Producer
Our female business owners were completely engaged & captivated by Leona's thought-provoking insights, such as 'fall in love with your customers, not your service', and 'milestones matter most''. Leona was so good the audience didn't want to leave!DEBBIE ROBERTS, VICTRESS
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