Speaking

Ginger Hardage is a dynamic communicator whose content is steeped in experience and rich in wisdom. She accepts limited virtual and in-person engagements each year at both large organizations and conferences as well as small, intimate, executive style functions. In addition to Google, Princeton, and Nespresso, check out some of the other 100+ organizations that have worked with Ginger below.

 

Speaking

Ginger Hardage is a dynamic communicator whose content is steeped in experience and rich in wisdom. She accepts limited virtual and in-person engagements each year at both large organizations and conferences as well as small, intimate, executive style functions. In addition to Google, Princeton, and Nespresso, check out some of the other 100+ organizations that have worked with Ginger below.

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5 CORE TOPICS

An Overview of Ginger’s Most Requested Talks

5 Lies About Workplace Culture

When considering workplace culture, some universal lies tend to rise to the surface. In the back of our minds, we have little voices telling us that we can’t change the culture of our companies and teams. Maybe for you, that’s the idea that culture is fluffy, you can’t afford culture, or that if you empower your employees, you might lose control. But, none of those are true!

In Ginger’s signature keynote, she walks through the five lies people tell about why they can’t affect culture and reveals the counteracting truths that allow companies to build Unstoppable Cultures in their own workplace. You already have a culture – will that culture happen by default or will you define it? When you stop believing lies and start living by the truth, your culture flourishes… your employees stick around longer and people achieve more than they ever thought possible. In short, if a leader creates culture intentionally, that workplace becomes unstoppable.

Attract + Engage + Retain: Winning the Talent War

An organization is only as strong as its people — and that’s why winning the war to attract, engage, and retain top talent is so crucial to organizational success. With a 96% employee retention rate and decades on multiple lists as a Top Employer, Southwest Airlines has been a standout Employer Brand since before the creation of that buzz phrase. And now former Chief Culture & Communications Officer, Ginger Hardage, is pulling back the curtain on how Southwest attracts, engages, and retains their extraordinary (and extraordinarily loyal) workforce. In this keynote from Ginger, you will glean the timeless strategies that have led to Southwest’s acclaimed success in the people arena, stay current on other top strategies from leading companies, and learn how to apply them to your own organization.

Unstoppable Cultures: Creating and Sustaining Organizations of Enduring Greatness

Every company has a culture. For some, it’s a culture of innovation – new, never been done before ideas. For others, it’s fun (birthday cakes and costumes are often involved). For some, it’s toxicity and gossip. There are cultures that celebrate loyalty, hard work, or profit above all else. There are cultures that are both intentional and accidental. There are cultures that draw people in and ones that drive people away. There are cultures that detract from the mission of the organization, cultures that must be overcome or compensated for, cultures that derail or dead end. Surely, you can resonate with at least one of those descriptions.

But then, there are cultures that are unstoppable. Unstoppable Cultures put people first, are consistent in nurturing their culture through systems, and are relentless in storytelling. In this signature talk from Ginger, she will walk you through these critical characteristics of unstoppable cultures. You will undoubtedly leave with both practical and inspiring ideas on how to begin the journey of building the culture you always dreamed of for your organization.

Building a Brand From the Inside Out

What do you think about when you think about a brand? A logo? A website? A stock symbol? Maybe. But these are just expressions of a brand; they are not what brings a brand to life. So if not these elements, what is the most important thing when we think about our brands? Ginger has a simple answer – people.

In this inspiring talk, Ginger discusses why employee engagement is the single most important element when any of us are thinking about our brands. She knows that the way an organization behaves on the inside will find its way to the outside, and that the true character of any company is expressed by its people. In “Building a Brand from the Inside Out,” learn from this 25-year Southwest Airlines veteran about creating an “employee first” culture where employees are engaged, act like owners, and are connected to their organization’s purpose.

Power of Purpose

If we look back to our parents’ and grandparents’ generation of organizations, winning was often defined quite simply – as producing the most widgets for the least amount of money. Profits along were the name of the game to companies and a paycheck was all that mattered to employees.

But times have changed. These days, leaders understand deeply that aligning their organization to a deeper, rooted purpose – and ensuring that their employees and even customers are bought in to this purpose – is critical. Purpose mobilizes an organization in a way that profits alone cannot; today’s most successful companies consistently thread purpose and values throughout their organizations, including hiring, training, customer delivery, and performance management. In this talk, Ginger will inspire with insights from category-leading companies that are harnessing a well-defined purpose to propel their success.

“Ginger was an excellent keynote speaker at our latest conference. Our niche audience of pharmaceutical representatives and state Medicaid officials truly enjoyed a session differing from our clinical presentations – her keynote on company culture was the perfect topic in which the entire audience could relate to. She walked us through the importance of strong culture with knowledgeable insight and experience, high energy, and motivational stories. She had us laughing, tearful at times, and ultimately inspired to live and work with intention. Lastly, Ginger and her team were wonderful to work with throughout the conference planning process. We highly recommend booking her for your next event!”

 

GEORGE KITCHENS
Founder of Crossroads: An Atria Solutions Conference
“Terrific, Wonderful and the Perfect Message.”

 

INGRAM MICRO
“Hands down…Ginger Hardage is a MUST HEAR! With a smile as big as Texas and brilliant stage presence, she kept everyone on the edge of their seats during our inaugural Leadercast Women’s event (which was simulcast live around the world). Ginger used her charisma and masterful storytelling ability to entertain and enlighten us all! She entered the hearts and minds of attendees and provided actionable takeaways that will have a deep impact on individuals and organizations around the globe.”

 

DUANE CUMMINGS
CEO of Leadercast
“Ginger’s presentation and delivery style were captivating. Interjecting humor, history, and “heart” was a perfect mix. Drawing parallels between her journey in the airline industry and our industry made her presentation more powerful, and our event was an outstanding success.”

 

RICK PUTNICKI
RMEL Foundation Executive Director

“Ginger brings constant, positive energy and enthusiasm to all those around her, and that is infectious. She has built superb teams that we are very proud of, and that I know will continue her special brand of excellence.”

 

GARY KELLY
Chairman and Former CEO, Southwest Airlines

“The Southwest Airlines culture shines bright and lives on through Ginger! It was so inspiring to hear examples, lessons learned, and stories about culture powered by communications. Ginger’s insights on the unique role our internal communications team plays to amplify culture and connect employees to purpose was exactly the motivation we needed to head into next year.”

 

LAUREL FLANINGAN
Amazon Worldwide Internal Communications, Culture, Corporate Communications and Reputation Management Leader
“Ginger Hardage truly brought the Southwest Airlines culture to life. You see it on every flight and any every interaction with employees. It is what sets Southwest apart from all the others. In her speeches, she shares her stories and the actions that she took to truly make the difference. She is truly an inspiration to all!”

 

JAN FIELDS
Former President, McDonald’s

TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS

TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS

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