About Deb

Transformative. Energetic. Fun. Inspiring.

Throughout her 30 years as a national speaker, award-winning storyteller, newspaper columnist, humorist, and writer, Deb has created her own innovative concepts to propel people to thrive.

Her humor column and nationally known brand—Slightly Off on Purpose—were platforms to help professionals reduce stress and see the value of failing, and help everyone embrace life's ups and downs with a sense of humor.

As a national speaker for healthcare, education, and women’s events, Deb has inspired and empowered thousands of people to achieve their goals and dreams. She has been interviewed on many radio and television stations and was a spokesperson for Hillshire Farm.

Deb is also the leading expert in the field of Purseology™ and utilizes the power of the purse to entertain and educate women. Her coaching and training programs have helped many individuals achieve authorship, along with other personal and professional goals.

Deb lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and travels across the U.S. to speak and host speaker training workshops. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family—especially her new granddaughter, Eleanor—and upcycling vintage furniture.

“Deb will change the rest of your life starting today.”

— Sandra T. Bennett, Society of Government Meeting Professionals

Deb's Story

From funny kid in class to national speaker and consultant.

I was five years old when I discovered that I could make people laugh, and it hooked me for life.

In high school speech class, I was the kid who wore a bathrobe and curlers to create a character who quickly had the whole room laughing. My heroines were Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.

But it wasn’t until I became a mom that my courage and creativity flourished. My miserations about mommyhood led me to write a weekly humor column called Slightly Off, which I penned in the Chicagoland Daily Herald and other papers for 17 years and created a character called the Slightly Off Supermom.

And once again I heard the sound that was music to my ears: laughter.

When I started sharing my experiences onstage, I found that place where courage and creativity meet humor and laughter. Now, my lifelong goal is to inspire and motivate others to find this happy place too. It’s here that we can achieve success with more fun and less stress.

“I was laughing so hard I nearly wrecked my car on the way to work.”

— Listener of Deb's former radio spot, on WHOT-FM

At a Glance

Award-winning keynote speaker who has worked with some of the largest brands in the U.S.
National Speakers Association Member of the Year 2007
Nationally syndicated humor columnist for 17 years
Instructor and speaker at multiple national conferences and societies, including the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and The Writer's Institute
Published in Writer's Digest, Daily Herald, Women's Day, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other national magazines and newspapers
Multiple appearances on national television shows and radio broadcasts
Author of Tales of a Slightly Off Supermom: Fighting for Truth, Justice and Clean Underwear