Sandy Yawn, Capt.

Renowned Super Yacht Captain, Entrepreneur & Reality TV Star of Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean"

Expert on

Breaking Barriers
Customer Service
Diversity and Inclusion
Inspiration
Leadership
Management
Overcoming Obstacles
Women In Leadership

Fee Range

$30,000–$50,000

Travels from

FL, US

Biography

With over three decades of yachting experience behind her, Captain Sandy Yawn is best known saving the lives on board a vessel during a fire in the pirate infested waters of the Red Sea, as well as commanding the crew aboard a 60 meter mega yacht on the BravoTV series Below Deck: Mediterranean. She is available for bookings as a celebrity speaker for exclusive private events, significant public speaking opportunities, and virtual appearances worldwide.

A Florida native, Yawn is among some of the most respected people in her industry, owing much of her success to being one of the only accomplished female captains in an extremely male dominated space. One of Sandy’s most notable characteristics she displays is bravery, which is easily seen through her actions off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. As such, she’s the ideal keynote speaker for events regarding boating, perseverance, women in leadership, travel, ocean life, and more.

Sandy Yawn’s public speaking style is often described as courageous and inspiring, offering sage advice on breaking barriers and never taking no for an answer.

Speaker Videos

Charting Your Own Course

Captain Sandy shares her inspirational story of overcoming addiction and cancer to become a world-renowned superyacht captain and lead on the popular Bravo reality show Below Deck Mediterranean.  With a story of strength and resolve that has led her to the top of a male-dominated field, Captain Sandy’s story is one of inspiration, overcoming obstacles and not letting fear get in her way—all with a wildly entertaining twist from her ‘Below Deck’ leadership escapades. 

Port of Call: Teamwork Lessons from the High Seas

Imagine the leadership and teamwork challenges you would face if the bulk of your staff turned over weekly. How do you inspire your crew to work together when many of them meet just hours before starting their voyage? How do you instill a sense of teamwork and mission to flawlessly execute under these conditions? Captain Sandy discusses how she navigates these workplace and human capital challenges as one of the world’s first female professional yacht captains. From the beginning of a voyage to the final port of call, Sandy imparts valuable teamwork lessons learned from her three decades of global yachting experience.

 

Navigating Troubled Waters in Changing Times: Servant Leadership Lessons

Captain Sandy captured our attention as the first female superyacht captain on Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean, and her fascinating stories hold leadership lessons for today’s live and virtual audiences. Through 30+ years of international maritime experience, Captain Sandy has broken glass ceilings, survived near-fatal accidents on land and pirates and fires at sea. Most business leaders will never have such life-or-death challenges in their daily work. But surviving stormy seas has taught Captain Sandy many invaluable lessons on such timeless leadership principles as inspiring your crew, that failure is ok, and empowering your team to accomplish their “win” together “in the same boat.” Enduring a voyage on a 154-foot vessel requires discerning when to be tough enough to stay the course or flexible enough to circumnavigate to calmer waters – decisions all leaders are faced with every day. Throughout her career, Captain Sandy has lived by the mantra, “Wake up, Show up, Kick Ass, Repeat!”