Client Testimonials

About Sara Canaday  •  Client Testimonials

“Sara was the keynote and closing speaker for our International Association of Business Communicators Global Leadership Institute. Our goal was to bring value to our leaders that they could take back to not only their volunteer roles but more importantly, their professional careers. She was a tremendous hit, helping us set the tone for a great conference and then sending everyone home on a motivating high note. She was gracious with her time and did her homework to get to know our leaders in advance of the conference, which helped her engage the audience immediately. We could hear the buzz, "Sara said," throughout the conference and a true testament to her impactful messages.”

Bonnie Carver

President, Reputation Lighthouse

“Sara Canaday was a workshop speaker for our marketing rotation program at the annual Dell Global Connect Conference. This annual event provides focused development opportunities for our high-potential Dell employees from around the globe. Sara’s leadership expertise got top reviews from attendees and senior management. Her sessions were highly interactive, engaging and effective. Sara has proven herself as a valuable leader in this area, and she has definitely been an asset to our program.”

Sue Collard

Career Development Director, Global Marketing Talent & Capabilities, Dell

“Sara did a fantastic job presenting the opening keynote for our PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference. Her dynamic speech engaged the audience from beginning to end, and her message about leadership, communication and influence genuinely resonated with our participants. From the first call to the moment she left the stage, Sara demonstrated professionalism and dedication to making our event a success. We’ve received exceptional feedback about her presentation, and I would recommend her to other organizations with great confidence and truly appreciate having her at our event!”

Stacy Riddler Powers

Director, Learning Experiences at International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)

“It was truly wonderful having Sara as our keynote speaker in New York for the Multicultural Women’s National Conference sponsored by Working Mother Media. Her message was chock-full of tips and insights that were perfect for our audience, and the response was outstanding. Sara really helped to set the tone for the whole conference.”

Janet Wigfield

Vice President & Executive Director, Conferences & Events, Working Mother Media


“For leaders (current and future) who want to accelerate their careers, Sara’s book is the next best thing to having your own career coach.”

John Baldoni

Internationally Acclaimed Leadership Expert, Author and Speaker, President, Baldoni Consulting LLC

“Sara Canaday is a true innovator in the realm of leadership. Her uncanny understanding of who leaders need to be has helped thousands transform their careers and solidify their path to advancement. Through her Career Acceleration Series, she is empowering leaders to manage their impact on both those they lead and those they work with. If you have not discovered the work of Sara Canaday you are missing a key tool in your arsenal for success.”

Jane Deuber

Chief Executive Officer, Virtual Training Academy

“We could no longer deny the importance of personal branding. Our company invests significantly in the development and maintenance of our corporate brand. We needed to address the gaps in our personal brands as well. Sara’s workshop helped us transform a somewhat nebulous concept into tangible actions by identifying gaps and creating real plans to close them that are both quantifiable and measurable.”

Jim Russell

Senior Vice President, Sales, Freeman

“Sara is a tremendous asset to our company. Although she is a contractor to us, she feels like a part of our team. She learned the culture and value of our company and models her services as if she were on our executive staff. She provides well rounded services including executive coaching, business consulting, and leadership training. Her style is a great balance between the science and passion of leadership where she understands the diversity of management and bridges those differences with productive and insightful training and coaching. Her well rounded career offers ‘real life’ scenarios that take the ethereal training into practical and useful terms. Sara is an invaluable part of our team to ensure we are focusing on the right goals with the right people. I would highly recommend her services to any company of any size!”

Lisa Hannusch

CEO, Unimed Direct

“I had an opportunity to see Sara in action, delivering the keynote address at Working Mother’s Multicultural Women’s National Conference in New York City. Her message was so powerful. She inspired the attendees and challenged them to think about their career goals in a whole new way. I knew immediately that I wanted the women in my company to also benefit from hearing Sara’s unique insights, entertaining stories and actionable strategies. We have already booked her to speak at an October event.”

Pat Jackson-Hall

Vice President, Chubb

“Sara is a dynamic and engaging speaker who uses specific work examples to tell a powerful story. I’ve had the opportunity to attend several leadership and career acceleration overviews created by Sara and found the information to be both valuable and memorable. Sara made the material interesting and relevant for the audience made up of various levels and tenure. I highly recommend reaching out to Sara to build and develop your talent pool.”

Dawn Sullivan

Senior Manager, Corporate Relations, Allstate

“We have invited Sara Canaday to deliver Professional Presence presentations. She received very positive feedback and the group was genuinely interested in the research that she provided. She grabbed their attention immediately and was able to involve the audience. We received glowing feedback and would like Sara to continue to share her message with others in our firm.”

Nichelle (Taylor) McLemore

Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP

“Sara is an engaging, knowledgeable speaker. She is witty and disarming, forming an almost immediate rapport with her audience. The information she presents on leadership qualities, professional presence, and non-verbal communication are both timely and classic. I never pass up an opportunity to work with Sara, or to seek her advice.”

Julia Kennedy Kirkland

Writer & Marketing Consultant

“Sara’s presentation to the Hispanic Leadership members was a critical component to our opening retreat. Her presentation set the tone for the entire year: Leadership. Our goal is to provide tools to the class that will enable them to be leaders in Central Texas. In order to accomplish this goal, a primer in “Leadership Presence” was an essential building block in the process. Sara’s presentation provided valuable information and her use of behavioral science helped solidify the importance of first impressions and non-verbally communication. The class buzzed about this presentation the rest of the day and through the following week.”

Myndi Garrett

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“I wanted to thank you for your great presentation. We had one of the best turnouts of the history of our Professional Events and that is always due many factors but mainly because we have a fabulous speaker with an interesting topic. Everyone was excited with your presentation and it attracted a lot of attention. We appreciate your time and energy. Mil Gracias!”

Elias Hermida

1-800-HISPANO

“You were absolutely FABULOUS at our Keller Williams Luxury Homes Retreat at the Four Seasons on Monday!! Everyone was raving about your presentation and information : ) Thanks so much.”

Christi Davidson

Keller Williams

“I have had the pleasure of hearing Sara Canaday conduct group presentations on several occasions. Her speaking style has always been energetic, informative, sincere, and relevant to her specific audience. The audience finds Sara interesting and credible, so they pay attention to what she has to say. In fact, they have been eager to learn more about Leadership and Executive Presence and were anxious to share their new success stories. They are still talking about the presentation two weeks later and there are marked improvements in the executive presence of the team members on my team. If you are interested in a high-impact presentation with life-long benefits, I would highly recommend Sara!”

Loretta C. Fellers

Customer Success | Dell EMC Global Business Operations, Dell

“She listened carefully to my goals and immediately helped me exceed them… I wish all service professionals could communicate and deliver so faithfully.”

Dr. Lillian Mills

Professor & Department Chair, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas

“I had the opportunity to hear Sara speak at the MBA Women International Leadership Conference last year. I truly identified with her presentation. I realized if I wanted to advance to the next level, I would have to take a hard look at myself to determine my blind spots. Shortly after, the option to enroll in the Career Acceleration Academy arose and I seized the opportunity. Through her course, I have dramatically increased my leadership presence, identified my strengths and have acquired the tools to close the professional blind spots. In addition, I learned to practice more perspective-taking, think more global in scale and have written concrete career and development goals. Given the chance again, I would absolutely enroll in this course! It is a wonderful program for both personal and professional development.”

Kristi Duvall 

Sales Coach, The BoxMaker

“Sara’s Career Acceleration program is perfect for anyone desiring to clearly and succinctly define their competitive advantage. Her program is thorough and easy to follow, enabling you to work through the process in a short time. It provides insight that can help you position yourself for a promotion in your current role or if you are looking to advance externally.”

Elizabeth Pires

Director, Global eCommerce


“Sara’s book is a must-have for career professionals, especially for those managing across teams. Her vignettes make workplace self-awareness more accessible, offering actionable solutions to individuals who recognize barriers in moving to the next level in their careers.”

Stacey Rudnick

Director, MBA Career Management, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin



“A thoughtful and insightful exploration of the notion of ‘blind spots’ and how they can impact your contribution in the workplace. Well done, Sara!”

Douglas R. Conant

New York Times Best-Selling Author of “TouchPoints,” Former President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company



“In using the Brand 360 Survey, I was able to do what it’s so easy NOT to do: learn – for real — how the people I manage, work with, and interact with experience me in a variety of situations. Did I uncover some blind spots? Absolutely. Anyone who thinks they don’t have anything to work on is mistaken. I also learned about my strengths: those I am aware of and some I had taken for granted and even blown off thinking “Surely, everyone can do this.”

Patti DeNucci

The Intentional Networker

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