Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time with Dr. Natalie Nixon PhD

What if our most productive moments happen when we step away from our desks? What if flourishing—not busyness—was the true measure of productivity?
In her groundbreaking new book Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time., creativity strategist and keynote speaker Natalie Nixon, PhD, challenges the outdated model of productivity rooted in time, speed, and output. Drawing on her eclectic background in anthropology, design thinking, fashion, academia, and dance, Nixon introduces the MTR framework—Movement, Thought, and Rest—as a new operating system for work in the 21st century.

Far from procrastination, MTR activities like walking, daydreaming, reflection, and pausing are the hidden engines of innovation, well-being, and business growth. Nixon shows how integrating them into our personal routines and organizational cultures unlocks creativity, attracts top talent, and builds workplaces where people and ideas truly flourish.

This is a call to rethink productivity—not as grind, but as cultivation.
Practical Tools and Strategies You’ll Gain

• How to use the MTR framework to design workflows that support creativity and clarity.
• Ways to reframe “stepping away” as essential, not optional, for problem-solving and innovation.
• Practices that help integrate movement, reflection, and rest into your day without sacrificing results.
• Insights for leaders to cultivate teams that thrive in hybrid and high-pressure environments.
• A fresh perspective on productivity as yielding value and meaning, not just checking boxes.

Ideal Participants for This Conversation

• Leaders and managers seeking healthier, more sustainable models of performance.
• Professionals across industries—technology, healthcare, education, finance, creative fields—who want to expand their impact without burning out.
• Teams navigating hybrid work and searching for new rhythms of collaboration.
• Innovators and problem-solvers looking for a framework to spark fresh thinking.
• Anyone ready to move beyond hustle culture and design work that fosters real flourishing.

It’s time to step away from “always on” and discover a more human approach to productivity. Join Natalie Nixon, PhD, and explore how moving, thinking, and resting can transform the way you—and your organization—work.


About the Author: Creativity strategist Natalie Nixon is “the creativity whisperer for the C-Suite”. She is a highly sought after keynote speaker, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation.

Natalie advises leaders on transformation- by applying wonder and rigor to amplify growth and business value. She brings an innovative and unique perspective to every keynote, strategic advisory engagement, and leadership coaching session. Her experience living in 5 countries combined with her background in anthropology, fashion, academia, and dance distinguish her as a one-of-a-kind creativity expert.

Natalie has been named among the top women keynote speakers by Real Leaders and BigSpeak; and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and INC. She’s the author of the award-winning The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work and her firm Figure 8 Thinking, was named among the top women-led innovation firms by Core 77. Marketing guru Seth Godin has said that Natalie “helps you get unstuck and unlock the work you were born to do!”; and Jessi Hempel, host of LinkedIn’s “Hello Monday” podcast called Natalie “a personal trainer for your creativity muscle”.

Natalie is a trustee of the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum; Vassar College; and Leadership+Design. Natalie received her BA (honors) from Vassar College, and her PhD from the University of Westminster in London. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.