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📣 Authentic Leadership Speaker

@erinhatzikostas

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Turnaround CEO -> Authenticity Addict 🎤 Keynote speaker 📕📕 2x, award-winning author 🎙️ “b Cause Work Doesn’t Have to Suck” podcast cohost 🤔 Coach

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My 2025 speaker reel is definitely not better than others. But I can guarantee it’s different.

‘Cause that’s what I preach and teach. Use authenticity to ensure you’re never “competing” with others but always standing in a league of your own.

If you’re looking for a keynote or workshop(s) to:

💫 Up-level your leaders (without making them work harder)
💫 Motivate your sales teams to prioritize authenticity over old-school sales tactics and BS
💫 Inspire your employees or members to have success without selling out …

I’d love to jam together. hello@bauthenticinc.com

A ginormous thanks to @rightlightproductions for helping me put together this 💯 authentic reel. by @erinhatzikostas

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a year ago

I held several roles at Aetna where I worked with just about every National Accounts sales human there was.

And this one right here is definitely on my “Mount Rushmore” of people I worked with.

Amanda Zurvansky @aczuravnsky always stood out. Patient, creative, kind - and of course most importantly - authentic.

After I left Aetna to become an Authenticity Nutso, Amanda has been a constant supporter and follower.

So, it was so incredibly fun to finally collaborate and bring our love of authenticity to their Castlight Health Sales Summit last week in Sandy, Utah.

Castlight is one of the companies I remember storming the healthcare scene about 20 years ago. I was leading a team that spent a lot of time focused on healthcare cost transparency and Castlight revolutionized just that.

Fast forward to today and they’ve got an even more compelling and comprehensive value prop for the market … and a KILLER team behind it.

But.

Not everyone fully gets it .. understands what really makes them unique.

So Amanda saw the perfect opportunity for us to teach the sales and supporting team how they can use authenticity as a tangible and powerful tool to create that clarity … while also increasing trust with their partners and prospects.

I loved every minute of our time together - from the team playing my “Fatigued or Intrigued” opening game - to the hysterical Humility Moment stories shared - to joining them for they evening trivia event (unfortunately I helped our team firmly secure last place ☺️) - to making a fun video with Amanda to play for the team the following morning.

Thank you Amanda for bringing me into your amazing team and for always being an authenticity advocate. 🫶🏽 by @erinhatzikostas

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4 days ago

What a way to spend celebrating #52. So glad I swindled that hot Greek coworker into marrying me. taken in Crete, Greece by @erinhatzikostas

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12 days ago

Imagine if you could use one strategy to both create a better culture and stand out in the marketplace.

(while also having a helluva lot more fun.)

That's why I'm so obsessed with authenticity.

Not the fluffy "just be yourself" kind. The strategic kind.

The kind that gives you permission to veer off the normal worn-down path and do things like...

- tell more stories in your sales presentations
- make your customer hold message sound less like a funeral announcement
- write your resume in the first person so people actually get a sense of you
- create job postings with a little personality instead of a lot of corporate jargon
- build a value proposition that sounds like it came from a human...not a committee

Funny thing is... when work becomes more human, it also becomes more effective.

That's why I loved bringing this message to the team at ImagineSoftware™ (Technology Partners, LLC). They're in an industry where sounding like everyone else is the norm, which means authenticity isn't just refreshing...it's a competitive advantage.

A huge thanks to JC Bonassin for filming and putting together this great recap from our event in Chicago last month. You do incredible work...in a way that's totally authentic.

_____

🤚 Hi, I'm Erin Hatzikostas. I'm on a mission to prove that authenticity isn't a personality trait; it's a business strategy. If you're looking to fast-pass connection, catapult trust, and stand out from the pack, I'd love to work with your team. by @erinhatzikostas

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19 days ago

We had this one executive. He was scary.

He wasn't mean. Just stoic. Cerebral. Bland.

I've never been easily intimidated ... I've always kind of loved the thrill of trying to win someone over. But this guy, not so much.

So, I remember having this meeting that was in the conference room adjacent to his big, fancy office.

There were probably 12 or so people invited. But when I got to the room, I was the first one there. And then he walked in.

Now, during this time, there was a major conundrum across the enterprise. We were a health insurance company, and overall medical spend had been down for months.

That's not a bad thing, but people were analyzing the crud out of it, trying to figure out what was going on.

Well, I had this secret theory I had been bouncing around in my head for months.

So I decided that this was my BIG break ... I had this private moment and opportunity to tell this guy (who was at the center of this issue) what I thought was causing the trend.

I sat across from him, took a deep breath in, and said, "Do you want to know why I think trend is down?"

He barely moved his lips and probably simply nodded "sure".

I told him.

He replied, "I don't think that's it."

No explanation. No banter. Just a dismissal.

It was probably the most uncomfortable I'd ever felt in my 20+ years at the company.

For weeks after that, I beat myself up.
- Why would you say something so silly?
- He probably thinks you're an idiot
- Can't you just be a little less ... you?

Then one day it hit me.

I didn't actually want to be more like him. So why was I giving his opinion so much power?

Not everyone is going to "get" you.

Some people will think you're too much.

Some people will think you're not enough.

That's their loss.

Life's too short to become more boring just to become more accepted.

______

Quote credit: @thomaslelu by @erinhatzikostas

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23 days ago

Last week’s keynote was special in a unique way, because of the people.

1. Donna Baker reached out last fall, mentioning that she was going to recommend me for their event. Here’s the amazing part:

Donna worked for the first CPA my husband and I ever worked with. But even though we stopped working with them 7 years ago, unbeknownst to me, Donna followed my journey - including reading both my books.

So, it was so special to see her there and get the biggest bear hug from her after.

2. Matthew Walker and I met last fall when I presented at a team call for the APB Speakers team. Since then, we’ve met several times and have developed a unique (50% Ruled) relationship - part business colleagues, part mentor/mentee, part friendship.

I’m not sure I’ve met anyone more endearing, enthusiastic, and authentic in the business. So I was excited to invite him out to Salt Lake City to see me speak and to deepen our relationship. Watch out for this guy - he is gonna be a FORCE in the speaking business.

3. Stephen. I don’t know his last name, but Stephen volunteered to live workshop his new Intriguing Intro. He went on to tell one of the funniest and most heartfelt stories I’ve ever heard.

In summary: on his honeymoon in Europe over 30 years ago, he stepped off the train at a stop to get his newlywed some food. And, well, the train didn’t wait. He told the story in a way that had us laughing, “awww”ing, and on the edge of our seats.

But it wasn’t just entertaining. I helped him see how it was the perfect metaphor of what it’s like to work with him… and if he uses even just a piece of that story, he’ll have clients flocking to work with him.

4. Janie Henderson, Lauren Myers, and Glen Ellwood. This was a dream team to work with on the event. So organized, kind, and fun. I love walking into events where the event team is all smiles and calm, cool, and collected. This team was that!

5. The members. What an incredibly fun (more than you might think 😉) and engaged group. I loved spending the time with them and hope they’ll bring more authenticity into their practices and life. by @erinhatzikostas

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24 days ago

I'd say it was a pretty good first day for my summer intern.

Mick's (@mick.hatzikostas) been working for the last few months on an AI-powered speaker hub. He's an absolute AI/coding whiz and recently focused on creating solutions specifically for professional speakers.

Today, his first "official" day, he added an AEO (Answer Engine Optimization - basically, it helps AI agents find me better) and we worked through implementing our first few changes to my website.

A few hours later, I got a speaking request for a huge event. In the form's question asking "How did you hear about Erin?" they simply wrote "AI."

He's so excited to see that his hard work is already paying off ... and I'm pretty proud, too.

Because, well, he's my 15 yo son.

It's never too early to involve your kids in your work.

Make them curious. Help them understand it. Look for their guidance.

I'm incredibly impressed at what Mick’s already been able to put together and can't wait to work on more things together this summer (and speaker friends: he'll likely be looking for other beta clients soon).

P.S. It could have also just been a coincidence, but we don't believe in those, right? by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago

🚫 Don’t screw stuff up and then act like a robot.
🟢 Talk like a human and connect with them like emotionally

👋 I work with organizations to help them make authenticity a tangible strategy to increase connection, trust and differentiation via keynotes, workshops, and coach-silting. Shoot me a DM if your team needs a fast, no cost way to win and save more clients, while having more fun along the way.

#authenticity #authenticleadership #customerexperience #keynotespeaker by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago

Why am I always thinking about that short little time in bed? 💭 by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago

peaking is a bit of an odd business.

You're not selling a widget or a product - you're selling yourself. And that can make it easy to get caught up in more, more, more.

But I've been clear to the Universe (i.e., anyone who cares) that I'm not chasing more, more, more. I'm chasing a balanced life between getting to spread my message (and make some moola) alongside not creating craziness, chaos, or quite frankly, effing up the good life I have.

Well, the Universe is certainly listening.

This will be the busiest summer of speaking I've ever had. But somehow it's also leaving room to soak in my daughter's graduation, take a two-week trip to Greece (partly to celebrate said graduation), and have another breather before moving her into college.

And apparently the Universe also thought it would be funny to book two speaking engagements on the same day in Atlanta.

Oh, and the "president" of this so-called Universe? 👉 Danielle Sweeney

Since we started working together in April, she's brought a new level of confidence, calm, and momentum to my speaking business, and I'm incredibly grateful for it.

So as you think about your goals, don't just chase someone else's version of success.

Borrow 50% of the dream if you want.

Then make the other 50% unmistakably your own. by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago

I think there's a saying that goes something like... The best time to release your audiobook is when the book comes out. The second best time is now. 🤪

I'm excited to announce that The 50% Rule audiobook is FINALLY out. Just a short 18ish months after the book's release. But hey, sometimes you just can't do it all.

If you haven't heard or used The 50% Rule, I swear, it will change your life.

If you HAVE used it, how has it most helped you?

____

I have 50 codes for a free download on Audible. Just shoot me a DM if you're interested! by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago

Loved getting to celebrate @ella_hatzikostas this weekend. Thank you @nmlicata1 for the incredible pics! 🫶🏽 by @erinhatzikostas

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a month ago