Kathryn Janicek

Kathryn Janicek

Kathryn Janicek

Kathryn Janicek

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

“Kathryn delivered the best opening mainstage address we've ever had!”

“Kathryn delivered the best opening mainstage address we've ever had!”

“Kathryn delivered the best opening mainstage address we've ever had!”

“Kathryn delivered the best opening mainstage address we've ever had!”

- NAPO Summit

- NAPO Summit

- NAPO Summit

- NAPO Summit

3x Emmy® Award Winner Former TV Executive

Fortune 500 Consultant

3x Emmy® Award Winner Former TV Executive

Fortune 500 Consultant

Watch Kathryn In Action

Even High-Performing Leaders Have Blind Spots That Cost Them Authority.

Over two decades in live television and breaking news, I watched this pattern repeat itself.







In 2007, I became the sole spokesperson during the collapse of the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. For nearly two weeks, I managed global media while families waited for answers and the world watched every move. That experience permanently changed how I understand

leadership under scrutiny.






Later, as a news executive, I kept seeing the same problem. CEOs, physicians, founders, and public officials were smart, prepared, and completely ineffective on camera or on stage. So I built a firm to fix what no one else was willing to address. Not just what leaders say, but how they 

show up when it counts.

Over two decades in live television and breaking news, I watched this pattern repeat itself.







In 2007, I became the sole spokesperson during the collapse of the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. For nearly two weeks, I managed global media while families waited for answers and the world watched every move. That experience permanently changed how I understand

leadership under scrutiny.






Later, as a news executive, I kept seeing the same problem. CEOs, physicians, founders, and public officials were smart, prepared, and completely ineffective on camera or on stage. So I built a firm to fix what no one else was willing to address. Not just what leaders say, but how they 

show up when it counts.

Watch Kathryn In Action

Even High-Performing Leaders Have Blind Spots That Cost Them Authority.

Over two decades in live television and breaking news, I watched this pattern repeat itself.







In 2007, I became the sole spokesperson during the collapse of the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. For nearly two weeks, I managed global media while families waited for answers and the world watched every move. That experience permanently changed how

I understand leadership under scrutiny.






Later, as a news executive, I kept seeing the same problem. CEOs, physicians, founders, and public officials were smart, prepared, and completely ineffective on camera or on stage. So I built a firm to fix what no one else was willing to address. Not just what leaders say, but how they 

show up when it counts.

Watch Kathryn In Action

Even High-Performing Leaders Have Blind Spots That Cost Them Authority.

Over two decades in live television and breaking news, I watched this pattern repeat itself.







In 2007, I became the sole spokesperson during the collapse of the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. For nearly two weeks, I managed global media while families waited for answers and the world watched every move. That experience permanently changed how

I understand leadership under scrutiny.






Later, as a news executive, I kept seeing the same problem. CEOs, physicians, founders, and public officials were smart, prepared, and completely ineffective on camera or on stage. So I built a firm to fix what no one else was willing to address. Not just what leaders say, but how they 

show up when it counts.

Transforming Experts into Magnetic and Inspiring Leaders

Experience

  • Ran live television under deadline

  • Managed global media during a national tragedy

  • Coached leaders before moments where mistakes are public and permanent

  • Seen exactly how audiences decide who to trust in seconds

Discover the work we do with leaders at

Janicek Performance Group.

Transforming Experts into Magnetic and Inspiring Leaders

Experience

  • Ran live television under deadline

  • Managed global media during a national tragedy

  • Coached leaders before moments where mistakes are public and permanent

  • Seen exactly how audiences decide who to trust in seconds

Discover the work we do with leaders at

Janicek Performance Group.

Transforming Experts into Magnetic and Inspiring Leaders

Experience

  • Ran live television under deadline

  • Managed global media during a national tragedy

  • Coached leaders before moments where mistakes are public and permanent

  • Seen exactly how audiences decide who to trust in seconds

Discover the work we do with leaders at

Janicek Performance Group.

I Tell Leaders What’s Getting in Their Way and How to Fix It.

I Tell Leaders What’s Getting in Their Way and How to Fix It.

Board meetings where silence carries weight. Media interviews that can move markets, policy, or reputation. Stages where the audience decides, within seconds, whether you’re credible.

Board meetings where silence carries weight. Media interviews that can move markets, policy, or reputation. Stages where the audience decides, within seconds, whether you’re credible.

I’m brought in when leaders are technically brilliant but not landing. They over-explain. Speak too fast. Hide behind slides. Look exhausted. They lose the room without realizing why.

I’m brought in when leaders are technically brilliant but not landing. They over-explain. Speak too fast. Hide behind slides. Look exhausted. They lose the room without realizing why.

I fix this using pressure-tested systems built inside newsrooms, crisis scenes, and executive environments where mistakes are public and permanent.

I fix this using pressure-tested systems built inside newsrooms, crisis scenes, and executive environments where mistakes are public and permanent.

Who I Work With

  • CEOs, C‑suite leaders, and board‑facing executives

  • Physicians and healthcare leaders in visible, high‑risk roles

  • Founders and senior operators preparing for growth, exits, or scrutiny

  • Women leaders navigating visibility, pressure, and career longevity

How I Help

  • Executive presence and boardroom authority

  • High-stakes communication and presentation preparation

  • Media-ready leadership for interviews, keynotes, and investor moments

  • Leadership stamina, boundaries, and performance sustainability

Results

  • You get promoted because your presence finally matches your capability

  • You walk into high-stakes moments calm, composed, and in control

  • You gain the right kind of media visibility and executive credibility

  • When decisions are on the line, your authority is felt before you speak

Leaders coached before earnings calls, congressional testimony, and national media.

Clients featured on major industry stages, including:

My Signature Framework

I give leaders and their teams a repeatable system to fix what’s getting in their way so they can command the room, align their people, control the narrative, and keep their lives intact while they lead.

I give leaders and their teams a repeatable system to fix what’s getting in their way so they can command the room, align their people, control the narrative, and keep their lives intact while they lead.

I give leaders and their teams a repeatable system to fix what’s getting in their way so they can command the room, align their people, control the narrative, and keep their lives intact while they lead.

What Shows

Up

First

Your body, pace, and energy answer the question before your words do.

What Shows

Up

First

Your body, pace, and energy answer the question before your words do.

What Shows

Up

First

Your body, pace, and energy answer the question before your words do.

What Shows

Up

First

Your body, pace, and energy answer the question before your words do.

Message Discipline

What to say, what to cut, and where leaders lose people without realizing it.

Message Discipline

What to say, what to cut, and where leaders lose people without realizing it.

Message Discipline

What to say, what to cut, and where leaders lose people without realizing it.

Message Discipline

What to say, what to cut, and where leaders lose people without realizing it.

Pressure Testing

Rehearsing for the moment when things go off-script.

Pressure Testing

Rehearsing for the moment when things go off-script.

Pressure Testing

Rehearsing for the moment when things go off-script.

Pressure Testing

Rehearsing for the moment when things go off-script.

Leadership Stamina

Fixing the fatigue, stress, and burnout that leak into performance.

Leadership Stamina

Fixing the fatigue, stress, and burnout that leak into performance.

Leadership Stamina

Fixing the fatigue, stress, and burnout that leak into performance.

Leadership Stamina

Fixing the fatigue, stress, and burnout that leak into performance.

Long-Term Presence

How leaders show up consistently over years, not just one event.

Long-Term Presence

How leaders show up consistently over years, not just one event.

Long-Term Presence

How leaders show up consistently over years, not just one event.

Long-Term Presence

How leaders show up consistently over years, not just one event.

Bring Kathryn To Your Stage

Signature Keynotes

  • From Expert to Authority: How Elite Communicators Get Believed, Remembered, and Followed
    After 20 years producing live television at top-rated news stations and coaching Fortune 500 executives, Kathryn Janicek knows exactly what makes someone impossible to ignore — and in this keynote, she hands leaders the framework to become the authority in any room.

    The smartest person in the room rarely wins. The one who communicates with precision, presence, and credibility does. Kathryn Janicek reveals the three moves that separate recognized authorities from overlooked experts, and exactly how leaders can make the shift.

    Audience Takeaways:

    • The three-part framework to transform deep expertise into executive authority

    • How to simplify complex ideas without losing credibility or nuance

    • The specific communication habits that signal leadership before you say a word

    • Why most smart leaders are invisible — and how to stop being one of them

  • The Leader People Actually Follow: Communication Skills That Build Trust, Command Rooms, and Create Movement 


    Drawing on two decades of high-pressure live TV production and Fortune 500-level executive coaching, Kathryn Janicek teaches leaders the presence, voice, and communication instincts that make people lean in, trust faster, and follow further.

    Anyone can manage. The leaders who attract loyalty, drive results, and get remembered are the ones who know how to communicate — in the boardroom, in a crisis, and in the moments nobody's watching. Drawing on her work with C-suite executives and large organizations including the Department of Homeland Security, Kathryn teaches the presence, voice, and conversational tools that turn authority into influence.

    Audience Takeaways:

    • How to communicate under pressure without losing composure or credibility

    • Vocal and physical presence techniques that command a room — without performing

    • The framework for leading high-stakes conversations that actually move people

    • How to build the kind of trust that makes teams want to follow, not just comply

  • The Trusted Advisor: Communication Strategies That Build Relationships, Close Deals, and Create Clients for Life
    With 20 years training people to communicate clearly under pressure — from live TV newsrooms to Fortune 500 boardrooms — Kathryn Janicek brings sales professionals the same trust-building communication framework the world's top leaders use to win the room.

    The top performers in any sales organization aren't the most aggressive — they're the most trusted. Kathryn Janicek brings the same communication framework she uses with Fortune 500 leaders into the sales room, showing professionals exactly how to become the advisor clients call first and refer most.

    Audience Takeaways:

    • How to communicate confidence and authenticity without sounding scripted

    • The storytelling techniques that shift buying decisions without pressure

    • How executive presence translates directly into sales trust and client retention

    • The specific habits that turn one-time clients into long-term advocates

Past Speaking Engagements

  • Chicago Executives’ Club — Keynote 

  • Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) & CHIEF 

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security Leadership Conference

  • National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Summit — Highest Rated Keynote in History

Trusted By Leaders Who Cannot Afford to Get It Wrong

  • “Kathryn is one of the best media and public speaking trainers I’ve worked with in 28 years. Where she really shines is helping people think about the impression they make and ensuring they’re seen—not just heard.”

    – VP, Media and Crisis Communications, Fortune 50 Company

  • “Kathryn tells leaders what no one else will. 



    The impact is immediate and lasting.”

    — COO, $20B Company

  • “This wasn’t surface-level training.

    It changed how I show up everywhere.”

    —  Senior Executive, Fortune 500

  • “Kathryn is a seasoned media expert who helped me eliminate blind spots by giving me trusted feedback I needed to hear—constructively and supportively.”

    – COO of a $20B US-based company

  • “For the first time, I’m not sweating bullets before speaking in front of large audiences. The difference is night and day.”

    – Dr. Sharon Stoll, Yale Neuro-Immunologist & Medical Expert

  • “She sees what others miss and fixes it fast.”

    — Healthcare CEO

  • “When I need the best in media coaching and storytelling,

    I go to Kathryn Janicek. She continues to exceed all expectations.”

    – Michael Ziener, Senior Director, American Cancer Society

  • “Kathryn quickly energized and polished our executives for a major event.

    There’s no one better.”

     – Julia Weiss, Director of Communications, CoinFlip

Trusted By Leaders Who Cannot Afford to Get It Wrong

  • “Kathryn is one of the best media and public speaking trainers I’ve worked with in 28 years. Where she really shines is helping people think about the impression they make and ensuring they’re seen—not just heard.”

    – VP, Media and Crisis Communications, Fortune 50 Company

  • “Kathryn tells leaders what no one else will. 



    The impact is immediate and lasting.”

    — COO, $20B Company

  • “This wasn’t surface-level training.

    It changed how I show up everywhere.”

    —  Senior Executive, Fortune 500

  • “Kathryn is a seasoned media expert who helped me eliminate blind spots by giving me trusted feedback I needed to hear—constructively and supportively.”

    – COO of a $20B US-based company

  • “For the first time, I’m not sweating bullets before speaking in front of large audiences. The difference is night and day.”

    – Dr. Sharon Stoll, Yale Neuro-Immunologist & Medical Expert

  • “She sees what others miss and fixes it fast.”

    — Healthcare CEO

  • “When I need the best in media coaching and storytelling,

    I go to Kathryn Janicek. She continues to exceed all expectations.”

    – Michael Ziener, Senior Director, American Cancer Society

  • “Kathryn quickly energized and polished our executives for a major event.

    There’s no one better.”

     – Julia Weiss, Director of Communications, CoinFlip

Trusted By Leaders Who Cannot Afford to Get It Wrong

  • “Kathryn is one of the best media and public speaking trainers I’ve worked with in 28 years. Where she really shines is helping people think about the impression they make and ensuring they’re seen—not just heard.”

    – VP, Media and Crisis Communications, Fortune 50 Company

  • “Kathryn tells leaders what no one else will. 



    The impact is immediate and lasting.”

    — COO, $20B Company

  • “This wasn’t surface-level training.

    It changed how I show up everywhere.”

    —  Senior Executive, Fortune 500

  • “Kathryn is a seasoned media expert who helped me eliminate blind spots by giving me trusted feedback I needed to hear—constructively and supportively.”

    – COO of a $20B US-based company

  • “For the first time, I’m not sweating bullets before speaking in front of large audiences. The difference is night and day.”

    – Dr. Sharon Stoll, Yale Neuro-Immunologist & Medical Expert

  • “She sees what others miss and fixes it fast.”

    — Healthcare CEO

  • “When I need the best in media coaching and storytelling,

    I go to Kathryn Janicek. She continues to exceed all expectations.”

    – Michael Ziener, Senior Director, American Cancer Society

  • “Kathryn quickly energized and polished our executives for a major event.

    There’s no one better.”

     – Julia Weiss, Director of Communications, CoinFlip

A Little More About me

  • Former TV producer who still thinks in live segments

  • Built a company while navigating IVF, leadership,
    and burnout recovery

  • Believes most leadership problems are communication
    problems in disguise

  • Known for asking questions leaders don’t
    expect and need to answer

  • Refuses to waste leaders’ time with fluff

A Little More About me

  • Former TV producer who still thinks in live segments

  • Built a company while navigating IVF, leadership,
    and burnout recovery

  • Believes most leadership problems are communication
    problems in disguise

  • Known for asking questions leaders don’t
    expect and need to answer

  • Refuses to waste leaders’ time with fluff

Ready to Connect?

Ready to Connect?

Ready to Connect?

Ready to Connect?

Book a call or reach out to discuss speaking, media, or leadership engagements.

Book a call or reach out to discuss speaking, media, or leadership engagements.

Book a call or reach out to discuss speaking, media, or leadership engagements.

Book a call or reach out to discuss speaking, media, or leadership engagements.

Book an intro call with Kathryn

Book an intro call with Kathryn

Book an intro call with Kathryn

Let’s Work Together

Let’s Work Together

Let’s Work Together

Let’s Work Together

KATHRYN JANICEK

KATHRYN JANICEK

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

Speaker & High-Stakes Communications Trainer

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