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Carey Lohrenz

Author. Speaker. Aviator.

In calm conditions, every leader looks capable. The real test is how they think, decide, and execute under pressure. Drawing on her experience as one of the U.S. Navy’s first female F-14 fighter pilots, Carey Lohrenz equips leaders and teams to perform in uncertainty, complexity, and change through three complementary keynotes. Together, these programs help organizations turn pressure into a performance advantage, lead with trust and courage, and focus on what matters most when everything feels urgent.

  • HIGH PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE™: Turn Pressure Into Performance
  • FEARLESS LEADERSHIP™: Leading With Trust, Courage, And Confidence Under Pressure
  • SPAN OF CONTROL™: Focus On What Matters Most

HIGH PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE™
Turn Pressure into Performance
Part of the Leadership Under Pressure™ platform.

Pressure doesn’t create character.
It reveals it.
It reveals priorities, communication, leadership, and culture. It exposes what’s working—and what isn’t.
In High Performance Under Pressure™, Carey shares applicable strategies for creating clarity, strengthening communication, and sustaining execution when the stakes are high. Built around her proven Prepare–Perform–Prevail framework, this keynote helps leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, adapt to change, and turn pressure into a performance advantage.

It’s especially valuable for sales kickoffs, annual meetings, and leadership conferences where organizations need to build momentum, align around strategy, and sustain execution long after the event concludes.

Because pressure is inevitable.
Performance is a choice.

IN THIS KEYNOTE, LEADERS WILL LEARN HOW TO:

  • Turn pressure into a performance advantage instead of a drag on execution
  • Create clarity and alignment so teams can act decisively when the stakes are high
  • Use the Prepare–Perform–Prevail framework to learn, adapt, and improve under pressure

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS WHO:

  • Are navigating rapid change, uncertainty, disruption, or growth
  • Need to improve communication and decision-making under pressure
  • Are struggling with competing priorities and execution challenges
  • Want practical strategies to increase resilience and adaptability
  • Are committed to building a culture that performs when the stakes are high

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • The Prepare–Perform–Prevail process, ready to run with your team
  • A repeatable way to create clarity when uncertainty spikes
  • Tools for improving communication and decision-making under pressure
  • Greater confidence leading and performing in challenging environments

EXTEND THE LEARNING:
Organizations may choose to incorporate the Span of Control Assessment™ and additional leadership resources to help participants continue applying the lessons long after the keynote concludes.

FINAL THOUGHT:
Pressure is inevitable.
High performance under pressure is not a trait. It’s a skill.
The leaders and teams who consistently win are not always the most talented.
They are the ones who create clarity, build trust, stay focused, and keep moving forward when conditions become difficult.
That’s how pressure becomes performance.

FEARLESS LEADERSHIP™
Leading with Trust, Courage, and Confidence Under Pressure
Part of the Leadership Under Pressure™ platform

Confidence often disappears long before capability does.
People still have the talent. They still have the experience. What they lose is confidence—in themselves, in leadership, in the plan, or in the future.
In high-pressure, high-stakes environments, that loss of confidence erodes trust, increases friction, and slows execution.
In Fearless Leadership™, Carey reveals the leadership behaviors that build trust, demonstrate courage, and strengthen confidence when it matters most. Grounded in real-world leadership experience and original research, this keynote provides practical tools for building trust before it is tested, communicating effectively during uncertainty, and creating cultures where people can perform at their best.

Ideal for sales rallies, leadership summits, and company kickoffs, this keynote equips leaders to build trust, strengthen confidence, and inspire commitment before teams return to execute.

Fearless leadership is not the absence of fear.
It’s the ability to move forward despite it.

IN THIS KEYNOTE, LEADERS WILL LEARN HOW TO:

  • Build trust before it is tested, so teams stay engaged when things get hard
  • Lead with courage and confidence in the face of fear, doubt, and uncertainty
  • Communicate with clarity and integrity to inspire commitment at every level

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS WHO:

  • Are navigating uncertainty, change, or organizational disruption
  • Want to strengthen trust, engagement, and accountability
  • Are facing communication challenges during periods of change
  • Need actionable ways to increase confidence and commitment
  • Are committed to building stronger leadership at every level

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • The Fearless Leadership framework—a working model for leading with courage, tenacity, and integrity
  • A deeper understanding of how everyday leadership behaviors build or erode trust
  • Language and tools for communicating with clarity when uncertainty runs high
  • A practical way to strengthen accountability and commitment across your team
  • Renewed confidence to move forward despite fear, doubt, and uncertainty

EXTEND THE LEARNING:
Organizations may choose to incorporate the Fearless Leadership Assessment™ before or after the keynote. The assessment helps participants better understand the leadership behaviors that influence trust, confidence, communication, and performance.
Because if you lose sight, you lose the fight!

FINAL THOUGHT:
Trust doesn’t show up when everything is going according to plan.
Trust shows up when something goes sideways.
That’s when leadership matters most.

SPAN OF CONTROL™
Focus on What Matters Most
Part of the Leadership Under Pressure™ platform

Leaders today aren’t struggling because they lack effort.
They’re stretched thin because their attention is under attack.
Too many priorities. Too many distractions. Too many demands competing for finite time and energy.
Span of Control™ is an actionable framework for regaining clarity, control, and momentum when leaders feel overloaded. It’s the discipline of locking onto what you can and should control right now—and recognizing that everything else is just a distraction.
In high-stakes environments—whether at 40,000 feet or inside complex organizations—success depends on one critical skill: the ability to focus on what matters most while letting go of what doesn’t. In Span of Control™, Carey delivers a proven process for performing in the middle of chaos, change, and uncertainty.
Grounded in real-world experience, leadership research, and insights from her bestselling book, this keynote equips audiences with tools to reduce overwhelm, sharpen focus, and drive results in fast-moving environments.

A favorite for sales kickoffs, strategic planning meetings, and annual conferences, this keynote helps teams cut through competing priorities, focus on what matters most, and execute with greater clarity.

Because when you dilute your focus, you dilute your power.

IN THIS KEYNOTE, LEADERS WILL LEARN HOW TO:

  • Focus on what matters most by clarifying what is truly within their span of control
  • Formulate a clear “flight plan for success” that turns focus into aligned priorities and action
  • Communicate what’s possible so teams can move with clarity, confidence, and speed

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS WHO:

  • Are overwhelmed by competing priorities and constant demands
  • Must make high-stakes decisions in fast-paced environments
  • Need to improve focus, execution, and accountability
  • Are navigating complexity, change, or uncertainty
  • Want practical tools—not theory—to increase effectiveness

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • Your own “flight plan for success”—a written, prioritized focus on what matters most
  • Practical tools to cut distractions and competing priorities
  • Strategies to improve decision-making and execution under pressure
  • Greater clarity on where to invest time, energy, and attention
  • Increased confidence operating in uncertainty and complexity

EXTEND THE LEARNING:
The Span of Control Assessment™ can be delivered before or after the keynote to help leaders identify attention drains, align priorities, and build a shared language for sustained performance.

FINAL THOUGHT:
Pressure is inevitable.
High performance is not.
The leaders who excel under pressure aren’t the ones trying to do everything.
They’re the ones who know what matters most—and act on it.
When you dilute your focus, you dilute your power.

TOP REVIEWS

“Vixen rocked! I just wanted to thank you for all you did to make our meeting inspiring and fantastic. I personally thought you did a great job connecting with everyone, and your story is inspiring, and your lessons very appropriate for all we are going through. Yesterday one of my VP’s was giving a presentation, and the title of it was ‘Lose sight, and you lose the fight’ And he gave you full credit for the quote!” —Dan Schulman, CEO PayPal

“Carey was AMAZING!  So much of what she said resonated with our organization.  Her story is inspiring, her message applies to everyone, and her ability to engage the audience with a story is great!  Additionally, she is a true professional, easy to work with, and fully committed to making sure the client has a good experience…  Thank you!” —Saatchi & Saatchi

“How do I begin to thank you all for the enthusiasm, gusto and passion that you brought to our conference and all you did to ensure its success? Judging from all the wonderful comments we are receiving from our attendees, you really stole the show! I can assure you that lots of folks will be receiving copies of  Fearless Leadership in their Xmas stockings. What a story you have to tell and what a role model you are. You seem to make all things possible and are really making a difference in the lives of all you touch. You open their eyes to hope and a future they might never have explored. I don’t think anything can equal that feeling of promise and accomplishment.”—Association for Learning Environments

“Wow! You were so inspiring and gave me great takeaways I can use with my team: Staying Focused on What Matters, Be Flexible, Adapt, Overcome, and Find my Third Way! You were captivating! So fascinating and yet relatable to MY world! Thank you.”—Starbucks

“We were honored and delighted to have Carey speak to a group of 350 of our leaders. Her straightforward and engaging style, combined with the quality of her content that had multiple linkages to a variety of issues, was very well received. She’s a total pro and I highly recommend her as a top-flight speaker!” —St. David’s Healthcare

“I just wanted to let you know how wonderful it was to have Carey speak at our event last week!  She is so down to earth, amazingly inspiring, and beyond engaging! She has the seamless ability to connect her military experience with leadership in the business world.  As I’ve returned to the workplace more than one person has quoted her in various settings; from “80%” to ‘If you lose sight, you lose the fight’ and many others. I highly recommend her as a speaker and feel privileged to have met her! She Rocks – Go Fearless Leadership!” —Bethpage Federal Credit Union

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