Michele Grant

What if the way you show up were treated with the same rigor as the work you deliver? Delivered as a workshop for Parsons School of Design and the Women's Media Group of New York, this keynote walks women through the research on first impressions, the myriad ways professional style communicates authority, and a practical method for building a signature look that reflects who they are and where they are going. Attendees leave with a style archetype, a pre-meeting presence ritual, and a plan they can apply the next morning.

The board meeting, the executive review, the negotiation where the outcome is uncertain: these are the rooms where presence is tested. Drawing on 20+ years leading enterprise transformation and 10+ years leading M&A integration for Fortune 500 companies, Michele shares five strategies women can use to establish credibility before they speak and hold it when the pressure rises: a three-part pre-meeting presence ritual, dressing for the decision rather than the calendar, holding authority when the news is bad, being direct without being dismissed, and the style archetype that aligns with the leader you are becoming. Attendees leave with a worksheet and a plan for their next high-stakes meeting.

Which colors make a room lean in, and which make it look away? This highly interactive workshop, first delivered for a private members' organization and drawn from the research Michele shared in Yahoo Entertainment, explores how color shapes perception in professional settings and how women can use it deliberately for authority, warmth, and memorability. Attendees analyze real scenarios, identify the palette that works for their coloring and their role, and leave with a personal color strategy for interviews, presentations, and high-visibility meetings.