A practitioner who speaks from experience.
Cynthia brings 25 years of doing the work into every room she speaks in. The insight is grounded in experience, the stories are real, and the audience leaves with something to act on.
NOT THIS
Inspiration without application.
A talk that leaves people feeling good in the room and forgetting it by Tuesday. Cynthia’s sessions are built for people who want to think differently, not just feel differently.
NOT THIS EITHER
Theory without a scar to show for it.
Academic frameworks delivered by someone who’s never been in the seat. Cynthia has led through acquisition, navigated dysfunction, and built teams in high-pressure environments. She talks about what she knows.
THIS
Real talk that earns the room.
Candor and warmth in equal measure. Stories that put the audience in the room with her. A point of view worth disagreeing with. Substance that the conversation continues long after she leaves the stage.
SIGNATURE TOPICS
Three areas. One consistent thread.
Every topic draws from the same core conviction: how leaders show up — individually and collectively — determines what a team can and can’t do. The application differs. The foundation is the same.
01
LEADING WITH EASE
Leadership is hard. It doesn’t have to feel heavy.
Leadership will never be easy. But it IS possible to lead with ease. In this keynote, Cynthia shares how a career crisis gave her the opportunity to reassess how she was leading. Participants leave with a new model for leadership, and tangible actions and practices to lighten their loads and lead with ease.
02
LEADERSHIP & CHANGE
Leading yourself and your team through change
Change is the permanent condition of growth-stage organizations. Most leaders are equipped to drive change; fewer are equipped to lead themselves through it first. This session addresses both: the internal work of the leader and the relational work with the team.
03
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
EQ as the key leadership differentiator
Technical excellence gets you into the room. EQ determines how long you stay and what you’re able to do there. This session cuts through the soft-skills framing and addresses EQ as a concrete, developable leadership competency with real business consequences.
FORMATS
Built for the room you have.
Every format can adapted to your audience, your event, and what you need people to walk away with.
KEYNOTE
Conference or Leadership Event
45–60 minutes. A single, well-constructed keynote with stories, substance, and a clear call to action. Built to anchor an event and support your theme.
WORKSHOP
Interactive Learning Session
Half day or full day. Facilitated with audience reflection, discussion, and application. Best for leadership teams or HR communities who want to go beyond listening.
WEBINAR
Virtual or Hybrid Audience
90 minutes. Practical, experience-grounded, and designed to spark real reflection. A low-commitment way to bring Cynthia’s expertise into your organization.
PANEL & PODCAST
Conversation Format
Available for panel discussions, podcast appearances, and leadership roundtables. Cynthia is a direct, opinionated, and honest conversation partner with real stories to share.
WHO THIS IS RIGHT FOR
The right audience makes all the difference.
RIGHT FOR YOUR EVENT IF…
- You want a speaker who brings substance and energy.
- Your audience wants to think and be inspired.
- You want your leaders to hear a fresh, credible outside perspective.
- You want someone who will make your audience a little uncomfortable (in the best way).
- You value real talk over polished performance.
NOT THE RIGHT FIT IF…
- You want someone who will tell your audience what they want to hear.
- The goal is entertainment over insight.
- You need a passive experience. (Cynthia’s sessions involve the audience.)
- You’re looking for a celebrity name rather than a practitioner voice.
- You want a presentation full of data and studies rather than real and vulnerable stories.
IN THEIR WORDS
“Cynthia is a phenomenal speaker who delivers content flawlessly and naturally. She has a knack for engaging diverse audiences and creating meaningful dialogue while staying precision-focused on the objective of the event.”
VP OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS · GLOBAL INSURANCE COMPANY
SEE & HEAR CYNTHIA
The work in action.
Speaking clips and a podcast appearance — what it actually looks and sounds like when she’s in the room.
SPEAKING CLIP
Take Your Leadership Journey 20 Steps at a Time
PODCAST
“I’m Not Brené Brown” — And That’s Okay
The Imposter Syndrome Files
On owning your own voice as a practitioner, resisting comparison, and doing the work rather than performing it.
SPEAKING CLIP
Unpack Your Bags & Lead
Bringing Cynthia to your event.
Tell us about your event, your audience, and what you’re hoping they walk away with. We’ll figure out together whether this is a good fit.