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PRESENTATIONS
Presentations on Living Connected blend storytelling, real-life experiences, and guided reflection to help audiences reconnect with what matters most.
Tom shares his journey through life, leadership, and a long-term cancer diagnosis—offering insights that are both deeply personal and universally relevant.
The result is a talk that feels less like a lecture…
and more like a shared experience.
This is not a presentation people just listen to.
It’s one they feel—and carry with them long after it ends.
WHO IT’S FOR
Anyone going through tough times - Finding strength, meaning, and emotional resilience through connection.
Cancer Patients & Survivors - Finding strength, meaning, and emotional resilience through connection.
Caregivers & Families - Learning how to support others without losing themselves.
Healthcare Professionals & Teams - Reconnecting with purpose, presence, and the human side of care.
WHAT AUDIENCES EXPERIENCE
- A deeper sense of connection to themselves and others
- A renewed perspective on purpose and meaning
- Practical ways to stay present in difficult moments
- Permission to feel, reflect, and engage honestly
This is not about adding more to your plate.
It’s about seeing what’s already there—differently.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
This is not a typical motivational talk.
There are no clichés.
No quick fixes.
Instead, audiences experience something real:
- A moment to pause.
- To reflect.
- To reconnect—with themselves and with others.
That’s where lasting impact begins.
COST: FREE
Presentation Formats
Keynote Presentations - Inspiring, story-driven talks for conferences, healthcare organizations, and community events.
LIVING CONNECTED WORKSHOP
Some things you don’t get over — you get through them. And you get through them
better together. This half-day gathering is a quiet, honest space for anyone walking
through cancer, caregiving, or a hard season of life. Over four hours we’ll trade
stories, learn a few tools for the hard days, and walk through the five simple pillars
of living connected. You’ll leave with a thirty-day plan of your own — and, we hope,
a little less alone than when you walked in. Come sit a while.
If you lead a cancer support group, a Livestrong cohort, or any circle of people walking through illness and loss, bring them to Hawks Landing. One day. Eight chairs. A door that’s open.
You experience.
WHAT THIS IS
This is a small, guided group experience designed to create genuine connection in a comfortable, welcoming environment.
- Limited to 8 participants
- Hosted at Grandpa-T Retreat at Hawks Landing
- Calm, private, nature-filled setting
There are no expectations to perform.
No pressure to have the “right” answers.
Just an opportunity to show up as you are.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
- Meaningful, guided conversation
- Storytelling and shared experiences
- Moments of quiet reflection
- A sense of connection that feels real—not forced
Something shifts when people gather this way.
Barriers soften.
Conversations deepen.
And what matters most becomes clearer.
You don’t need to prepare anything.
Just bring yourself.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
This is not about information.
It’s about transformation.
There are no slides.
No scripts.
No expectations.
Instead, something rare happens:
People listen.
People share.
People connect.
And that stays with you.
A G E N D A
1 Welcome & Setting the Porch
2 When Crisis Hits: The Body & the Brain
4 The 5 Pillars of Living Connected
5 The Power of Being Heard (Pairs)
6 Tools for the Hard Days
7 The 30-Day Connection Plan
8 Commitment & Celebration
9 Closing Story & Send-off!
Ready to start your journey?
PRESENTERS
Thomas H. Hawks II, MSW
Grandpa-T · storyteller & guide, Founder of Grandpa-T CONNECT and creator of the Living Connected philosophy. A grandfather who has lived sixteen years with cancer, Tom teaches from the porch, not the podium — and is the author of three books: A Hawks Tale, I’m Not Dead Yet! , and Living Connected.
Ann-Marie DeSantis, RN
Founder & Director, NeuroResilience Program · URMC, Founder and director of the, NeuroResilience program at URMC’s Neurosurgery and NeuroMedicine Pain Management Division. A former oncology, bone marrow transplant, and palliative care nurse, she helps patients meet frightening diagnoses by building on their innate resilience, and is certified in pain reprocessing therapy for chronic neuroplastic pain.
THE SETTING — GRANDPA-T RETREAT AT HAWKS LANDING
Hawks Landing is more than a location.
It’s part of the experience.
Nestled in a quiet, wooded setting near Canandaigua Lake, it offers a peaceful backdrop that naturally invites conversation, reflection, and presence.
Whether sitting inside in a warm, welcoming space or outside under the open sky, the environment helps create what this experience is all about: Connection.
WHO THIS IS FOR
- Anyone going through tough times
- Cancer patients and survivors
- Caregivers and families
- Healthcare Professionals and Teams
DETAILS
Location: Grandpa-T Retreat at Hawks Landing 6202 Stemple Hill Rd, Naples, New York 14512
Group Size:
Limited to 8 participants
Duration:
4 hours (Includes a light refreshments & lunch)
COST:
$250 /person*
* Early-bird $195 through September 10, 2026
Sliding scale & scholarships are also available.
Call 585-704-7210 to register
for Early-bird, Sliding scale & scholarships.
STEP INTRO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL
If you’re ready for something more than a typical workshop—this experience is for you.
LIVING CONNECTED Coaching
Sometimes you don’t need a room full of people. You just need one honest voice, one-on-one.
This is a chance to sit down with me, just the two of us. I come with a map, but no sales pitch. No fixing. No rushing you toward the bright side. I’ve spent sixteen-plus years in the room you’re in now — illness, uncertainty, the quiet after — and I’ve learned a few things about how to keep living, and living connected, in the middle of it.
We’ll talk about where you are, what’s sitting heavy, and what living connected could look like for you — not a program, not a plan somebody handed you, but something real you can carry into your own days.
Come as you are. Half-finished thoughts welcome.
Six sessions. Six weeks. One-on-one, 30-minute phone calls. $250 for the complete journey.
WHAT THIS IS
This is a one-on-one experience designed to create genuine connection in a comfortable, welcoming environment.
- One-On-One
- Conversation with Grandpa-T
- Calm, private, nature-filled setting
There are no expectations to perform.
No pressure to have the “right” answers.
Just an opportunity to show up as you are.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
- Meaningful, guided conversation
- Storytelling and shared experiences
- Moments of quiet reflection
- A sense of connection that feels real—not forced
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
This is not about information.
It’s about transformation.
There are no slides.
No scripts.
No expectations.
Instead, something rare happens:
I listen.
You share.
We connect.
And that stays with you.
Ready to start your journey?
WHO THIS IS FOR
- Anyone going through tough times
- Cancer patients and survivors
- Caregivers and families
- Healthcare Professionals and Teams
DETAILS
Meet by Phone, FaceTime or Zoom
Group Size:
One-On-One
Duration:
6 - 30 minute weekly sessions
COST:
$250/Person
STEP INTRO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL
If you’re ready for something more than a typical coaching—this experience is for you.
GetAway
Getaway at Grandpa-T’s Guest Cottage
Welcome to Grandpa-T’s Guest Cottage at Hawks Landing… your romantic getaway! Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes, this extraordinary property perched above Canandaigua Lake with its spectacular views is within minutes of all the region has to offer. Hiking, fishing, boating, cycling, kayaking, snow many opportunities our guests can enjoy locally or just simply unplug and relax in the quiet of this cozy cottage. Come celebrate your special moments in the privacy of this beautiful cottage!