Yvette Simpson

An executive strategist, lawyer, MBA, DEI expert and commentator for ABC News and NPR, Yvette helps career-centered professionals live, lead and communicate with purpose, authenticity, and intention.

Expert on

  • Communication
  • Vision/Purpose
  • Government & Politics
  • Leadership
  • Inspirational
  • Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI)

Fee Range

$10,000–$20,000

Travels from

OH, US

Biography

Yvette is an energetic, authentic, and empathetic speaker and trainer. She connects with the audience by sharing her own personal journey to executive leadership, the wins and the losses, the advances and the setbacks that have navigated her through her own career. She then walks the audience through their own journeys, helping them to identify lessons and leave with a roadmap on how to thrive and excel against the toughest odds and most significant obstacles. A trusted advisor to some of the top executive leaders in the country, Yvette has been able to illuminate a path for them to success.

For over two decades, Yvette has advised and trained corporate leaders, startups, political and non-profit leaders, emerging leaders and professionals, and students. A lawyer, DEI Director, MBA, and executive strategist, Yvette knows how to help people and organizations work through difficult situations to WIN. As a trainer, she first helps participants identify the problem, then weaves together context and evidence with insight and inspiration then leaves them with an action plan, concrete steps they can take to change course and build a sustainable solution.

Yvette has trained and spoken at several events around the country, including: South by Southwest, TEDxCincinnati,  IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), CEIR Predict, and for organizations and companies like: TriHealth, LPK, Ida’s Legacy, YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, Urban League Urban Leaders Institute (ULI), Miami University, and the University of Cincinnati, just to name a few. Yvette continues to build trust with her audiences, helping them to make breakthroughs in the areas of leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion, and human relations. 

Speaker Videos

COME ALIVE: THE POWER OF PURPOSE AND REINVENTION

Format: 45-minute keynote

 

This program is perfect for:

This session will help career-centered professionals achieve true fulfillment so they can live life fearlessly on purpose.

 

The audience will leave with:

1. Learn the three key steps to shift from making a living to making a legacy.

2. Discover the secret to dreaming beyond your current job, status, or situation.

3. Take away a concrete action plan to get you started on your legacy journey.

 

We have been told our entire lives that “You Only Live Once (YOLO).” The truth is you only die once. You live every day. So many professionals believe that their job, position, or title defines them, and that belief can place artificial limits on what they believe they can do, keeping them from pursuing their true reason for being, their North Star, their purpose.

BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL: LEADING WITH PURPOSE, PROMISE & PRESENCE

Format: 4-hour workshop

 

This program is perfect for:

  • Middle managers or directors preparing to transition to the C-Suite.

 

The audience will leave with:

  • A deeper understanding of who they are as leaders, and how authenticity is a leadership strength, not a weakness.
  • Insight on how to maximize their impact as leaders in all areas of their lives: at work, at home, and in their communities. 
  • The “I”s and the “E”s that are the building blocks to executive leadership, with particular focus on the power of intention and reinvention. 

 

This half- to full-day workshop is engaging, insightful, interactive and informative, allowing each leader to first examine their individual strengths and learn how to breakthrough the internal and external obstacles that they need to take the next step toward executive leadership. 

Leaders will engage in practical and applicable individual, small group, and full group exercises that will allow them to walk away with a plan of action that they can share with their organization as they prepare for their next promotion.

DEFENDING YOUR POINT OF VIEW: THE NECESSITY OF PRESENCE, PERSUASION, PIVOT, AND PRACTICE

Format: 45 minute keynote (virtual or in-person) and/or breakout session.

 

This program is perfect for:

  • Leaders or employees who make client pitches or have to present or persuade internally or externally.
  • Anyone who struggles with clear and persuasive communication.
  • New or seasoned directors or managers who are transitioning to roles that are supervisory or front facing. 

 

The audience will leave with:

  • The four “Ps” of effective advocacy: presence, persuasion, pivoting, and practice. 
  • Navigating the “No”: The key skills necessary to form and present a persuasive and defensible argument.
  • Pivot Power: How to shift your argument when the conversation takes a left or down the rabbit hole.
  • Practice Makes Perfect: How (and how much) to prepare for a critical presentation or conversation.

 

This session is for anyone who needs help forming, presenting, and defending their point of view. We will walk through the steps required to present a persuasive argument, idea, or perspective. That includes 1) forming a defensible argument; 2) anticipating and responding to challenges and questions; 3) how to pivot from distracting or inessential counterarguments or red herrings; and 4) how to efficiently and effectively practice for your conversation or presentation. 

POLITICS MATTER: PERCEPTION, PUNDITS, POLICY, POLLING & PREDICTIONS

Format: 50-minute Keynote

 

This program is perfect for:

  • Organizations or industry leaders who need insight into the current and future political environment and the factors that influence government and policy. 

The audience will leave with:

  • The 5 driving forces (“the 5 Ps”) that influence the U.S. government system and how their impact is shifting business & industry.
  • Insight into electoral politics and the current state of elections from local to federal offices across the country.
  • The 4 political trends (“the 4 Ss”) that will impact policy and politics in the coming years, and how to navigate them to protect and grow your business. 

 

Navigating government and politics can be tricky and downright intimidating, particularly if you don’t work in the industry or interact with the political and electoral system regularly. Understanding the driving forces that guide political decision-making is imperative because it impacts, directly or indirectly every single person, business and industry. This session will give you the tools to navigate the current political environment, but also gives practical insight into the future of politics and what we expect to see in the years to come.

This session can be tailored to provide specific industry insights, so it is especially helpful for industry organizations or associations, but it is also helpful for businesses that operate nationally or across multiple states.