Subtract to Succeed™
Do More Good, Without Doing More
You’ve built a life of achievement — the kind other people admire. Your team counts on you. Your clients trust you. Your family relies on you. You carry it all because that’s what good people do… right?
But no one sees the exhaustion deep in your bones, the guilt of dropping the ball, or the quiet ache of wondering, in the rare moments you pause:
If I’m so successful, why doesn’t it feel good?
What if everything you’ve been taught about success is backwards? What if the answer isn’t doing more — but systematically doing less? Not another productivity hack. Something deeper: the courage to subtract.
In this honest, high-energy keynote, Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey (Nell3D) shares the life-altering breaking points that led to her Subtract to Succeed™ method — from burnout and missed milestones to a near-fatal head-on collision that made the cost of over-responsibility impossible to ignore.
You’ll learn the simple, universal 3-step tool leaders use to reclaim energy, clarity, and integrity:
STOP — Get quiet enough to gather real data about your effort and impact
DROP — Release outdated habits, inherited shoulds, and unhelpful structures
ROLL — Find the structural “win-win-wins” where your effort advances more than one dimension of your life or leadership
Subtract to Succeed™ helps leaders see their lives and organizations as living systems, not endless to-do lists. It restores the clarity to choose, the permission to release, and the capacity to create change that’s actually sustainable.
You’ll laugh. You’ll exhale. You might tear up. And you’ll walk away with a clear-eyed sense of what’s worth your energy — and the freedom to release everything else.
What would you do with 20% reclaimed capacity… not by working harder, but by letting go of what no longer matters?
Past clients have said:
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"Elite, dynamic, and deeply resonant—Nell brings the perfect blend of warmth, credibility, and executive presence to the stage. Her 3D framework, powerful storytelling, and sharp insights don’t just inspire high-performing leaders—they challenge them to think, feel, and act differently."
Shirley Liu, FT300 Marketing Executive
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"Phenomenal. A dynamic speaker with a powerful 3D framework that invites high-functioning leaders to step fully into their lives—personally and professionally. Breathtaking to watch, deeply impactful to experience, and absolutely worth hiring."
Klay S. Williams, Founder, Purpose and Wellness Coach; Filmmaker and Creator of Just Beginning
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“Insightful, compelling, and deeply engaging. With a dynamic blend of storytelling and incisive frameworks, Nell delivers a keynote that inspires leaders to reflect, rethink, and take transformational action.”
Rajiv Mehta, CEO, Atlas of Care
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"Nell’s keynote is a masterclass in clarity, purpose, and presence. Her ‘Lead in 3D’ framework (ME, WE, WORLD) is both memorable and transformative, and her interactive exercises deliver immediate, practical impact. With poise, elegance, and storytelling that truly resonates, Nell leaves audiences empowered to create more joy, purpose, and fulfillment in their lives."
Nicole Donnelly, Founder + President DMG Digital
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“Nell delivers a powerful and authentic keynote, sharing her own regrets and showing that greatness comes from reflection and growth. She challenges the materialistic pursuit of "having it all," helping us see that true abundance lies in aligning with our values and priorities. Her practical guidance left me motivated and deeply grateful for the experience.”
Carylynn Larson, Ph.D., Founder, Rock Recovery Inc.
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“People are drawn to you and you have a powerful message that comes through brilliantly every time.”
Laura Leggette, Chief Operations and Client Relations, EQUUS
An Invitation to Do More Good,
Without Doing More!
The Missing 1% isn’t just a talk—it’s a reframe. A challenge. An invitation.
To stop doing everything… and start doing what actually matters. To lead from alignment, not ‘shoulds’. To stop checking boxes, and finally close the gap between external success and internal satisfaction.
The result? A leadership approach that doesn’t just feel better—it works better. For you, your team, your business, and your world.
Nell3D’s keynote, Have Your All, presents her proprietary framework, Leading in 3D, as the way to do MORE good without DOING more. For leaders who want their work - and lives - to matter, this is a must-listen.
Video Testimonials
From the Front Lines of Purpose to the Boardrooms of Power
With a rare blend of warmth, presence, and powerhouse insight, Nell 3D (Derick Debevoise Dewey) is not your average leadership speaker. She’s a former frontline humanitarian and global activist who discovered—after years of doing the work most people leave corporate to pursue—that even world-changing impact isn’t enough if it costs your health, relationships, or joy.
That was her missing 1%. And it’s the question that drives her now:
What does it take to be truly fulfilled—not just successful?
Through decades across sectors—from refugee camps to executive coaching suites—Nell has sought answers on the front lines of experience, transformation, and research. Her Lead in 3D framework integrates the best of all of it: global leadership, nature-based wisdom, the latest diagnostics like the GC Index, and radical human truth.
She’s not here to hand you empty inspiration. She’s here to deliver a framework that works—backed by battle-tested experience, bold storytelling, and the unshakable belief that 3D leaders don’t burn out. They light up.
From all of Nell’s sessions, Participants will learn:
Future-Ready Leadership: Achieve three-dimensional outcomes (performance, well-being, and impact).
Leadership isn’t just about hitting short-term targets—it’s about building a sustainable path that drives results today and sets you up for long-term success. Learn how to align your personal energy, team effectiveness, and broader impact to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Resilience: Navigate uncertainty and pressure with courage and confidence.
Today’s leaders face relentless challenges—market shifts, talent retention struggles, and personal burnout risks. Discover how to develop the clarity, adaptability, and emotional endurance to lead effectively through uncertainty without sacrificing your well-being or your team’s trust.
Three-Dimensional Alignment: Increase trust, retention, and bottom-line results.
The most effective leaders don’t just manage tasks; they create cultures of alignment where people feel valued, engaged, and committed. Learn how to synchronize your own priorities (ME), your team’s performance (WE), and your organization’s greater purpose (WORLD) to drive retention, motivation, and profitability.
Burnout-Proofing: Perform for sustainable growth in three dimensions.
The most effective leaders don’t just manage tasks; they create cultures of alignment where people feel valued, engaged, and committed. Learn how to synchronize your own priorities (ME), your team’s performance (WE), and your organization’s greater purpose (WORLD) to drive retention, motivation, and profitability.
Fireside Chats
More and more event planners are turning to fireside chats—and for good reason. These unscripted conversations offer a rare chance to go deeper, faster. But only if your guest brings more than polish. You need someone with insight, presence, and a story worth listening to.
That’s where Nell 3D (Derick Debevoise Dewey) comes in. A former frontline humanitarian turned leadership expert, she’s like a retired fighter pilot of purpose—someone who didn’t just talk about impact, but lived it. And now she’s here to share what actually works.
With degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, Columbia, and London Business School—and decades of experience across sectors—Nell brings both gravitas and spark. Whether unpacking transformation, burnout-proofing, or the future of meaningful work, she delivers bold insight with warmth, wit, and real-world relevance.
No slides. No script. Just the spark your audience didn’t know they needed.
Additional Topics:
The 3D Leader: Aligning Performance, Wellbeing & Legacy
The High-Performance Paradox: Do Less. Lead More.
Lead Smarter, Not Harder: The 3D Roadmap to Sustainable Success