Keynotes on leading, building, and thinking clearly when it matters most.
With four decades of building and scaling companies behind her, Jill Gwaltney delivers keynotes told through story, tuned to your audience, and designed to send people back to work with something they can use.
She's lived it
Not a career speaker. Jill built the largest woman-owned independent agency in the country, then sold it to Publicis. The stories are hers.
Story over slideware
A WWII pilot, a four-person startup, a boardroom. Audiences remember narrative — and leave with ideas they can act on Monday morning.
Tuned to the room
Every talk is shaped to the audience and what it's facing — founders, leadership teams, women in business, or a full conference hall.
The story behind the philosophy — and how any leader can use it.
At nineteen, Clark Cornell crashed his plane behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia and survived for months on foot, relying on nothing but ingenuity and creative problem-solving. Those same principles built his postwar life — and shaped his daughter.
Jill turns those father-daughter lessons into a keynote that moves audiences and sends them back to work with something usable: how to think clearly under pressure, lead with empathy, and find the survivable answer when the perfect one doesn't exist.
Talks structured around what your audience needs
Each can stand alone as a keynote or be shaped into a fireside conversation or workshop.
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What a downed fighter pilot and a four-person startup have in common: neither had a map. Jill on leading when the path isn't clear — making decisions with incomplete information, holding steady for a team, and turning uncertainty into momentum rather than paralysis.Description text goes here
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Creative thinking isn't ornamental — it's the adaptive instinct that gets people through war, entrepreneurship, and reinvention alike. Jill makes the case that the most resilient leaders are the most resourceful ones, and shows how to build that instinct into a team.
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Being deeply believed in by someone can change the entire arc of a life. Jill mentored leaders who rose from entry-level roles to the C-suite — including a receptionist who became CEO of the agency she built. A talk on how confidence is built relationally, and what it costs to withhold it.
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First female sales rep to company president. Printing to direct mail. Founder to acquired. Jill has reinvented herself and her businesses repeatedly — and shares how to navigate transition without losing what made you effective in the first place.
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The strongest decisions come from reading people as carefully as you read a market. Jill on the philosophy that built her agency — do what's right for the client, and don't stop until you've exceeded expectations — and why empathy is a competitive advantage, not a soft skill.
Built for your event
Keynote
A 30–60 minute signature talk, tuned to your theme and audience. The centerpiece of a conference or leadership gathering.
Fireside Chat
A moderated conversation that draws out the stories live — ideal for intimate rooms and audience Q&A.
Panel
A sharp, generous panelist who lifts the whole conversation, with a particular voice on leadership and women in business.
320+
Employees across 7 offices at the agency she built
$120M
In revenue before its sale to Publicis Groupe
#1
Largest woman-owned independent agency in the U.S.
2018
Named an Adweek Disruptor for leadership in the industry
Check availability
Tell Jill about your event and what you're hoping for. She'll respond personally to discuss fit, format, and dates.
Based in Laguna Beach, California — available to travel