$33M
Earnings she added to
company‘s bottom line in just 3 years as CEO
414K
Views of her TEDx Talk,
a Top 20 most-viewed TEDx Talk of 2021
300+
Episodes of the
Top 2% globally-ranked podcast, b Cause
Work Doesn't Have
to Suck,
1
Number of times her underwear peaked out
while speaking on stage
(at least on video)
"She's an up-and-coming Mel Robbins."
Gina Davilla,
Founder of The Keynote Shop
Erin's authentic story.
I decided to attend college at Western Michigan University to pursue my lifelong (i.e., I read about it once) dream of being a paper engineer.
After one “C” and a trip to a stinky papermill, I left that dream on the cutting room floor. I continued to take math classes though, simply because
not many people were good at math ... and
out-uniqueing has always been my thing.
I grew up in a small town in Northern Michigan. Think one traffic light and the nearest highway was an hour away.
My first "Employee":
MY BROTHER, GENE
The infamous amy
When one day my roommate flew through our apartment door and told me she’d just heard about the perfect career for me. She said, “It’s high pay, low stress, and you just have to be good at math. It’s called ... an Actuary!”
Not one to pass up on lots of money with limited effort, I looked for all the books I could find on this thing called an “Actuary.” Except, there weren’t any.
But I did find one beige 4x6 pamphlet that told me the names, addresses, and phone numbers of companies that hired Actuaries.
A few phone calls, several interviews,
and perhaps a little white lie later,
I landed a job in Aetna's esteemed Actuarial program.
Over the next three years I took seven actuarial exams ... and I failed seven actuarial exams. I also learned that my personality was a lone wolf in the Actuarial Myers-Brigg matrix (literally, I was in my own quadrant).
But luckily, Aetna was a big company and I was able to bob-and-weave my way into several exciting roles, most of which I was highly unqualified to do.
ME AND some of the
actuarial interns
MY OFFICIAL ACTUARIAL PICTURE
(THAT THEY GIVE BACK TO YOU WHEN
YOU FAIL OUT OF THE PROGRAM)
The company was struggling - big time - and I didn’t necessarily have some grandiose strategy to fix it. But after three years leading the company, we were able to triple earnings from $17M to $50M. Employee engagement went up 15%. We went from the poopheads of the larger parent company to the darlings.
In 2016, I had bobbed and weaved myself into the CEO role for one of Aetna’s subsidiary companies, PayFlex (now Inspira Financial). But it wasn’t all glamorous.
MY MOVE INTO THE WORLD OF
Professional speaking
OBLIGATORY CEO GLAM SHOT
Yet, despite me feeling at the top of my game, I decided I was ready for a new challenge. When I announced my retirement, people kept saying the same thing, “We’ll miss your authenticity.“
That’s when I finally put two-and-two together. I did have a strategy. In fact, it was the same “strategy” I’d been using my entire career. I had used authenticity as my, and our company’s, strategic advantage.
I realized I had to go out and talk about this. Research it. Write about it. Speak about it.
Obsesses over it.
Since that epiphany in 2018, I haven’t stopped
obsessing about authenticity as a strategy.
I've written two books on the topic, done a TEDx Talk, conducted primary research, written thousands of articles and social media posts, and done over 300 podcast episodes ... all aimed at helping others unlock the power of strategic authenticity.
MY CUtie Patootie family
at MY 2nd book launch
"She is real. No pretense. Just hard core reality dispensed about how we can be more effective in our organizations."
Tim Cowden, President
Kansas City Area Development Council
Her buttoned-up bio.
Erin Hatzikostas is a former Corporate CEO turned Authenticity Aficionado.
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Often referred to as “The Mel Robbins for business,” Erin Hatzikostas is the top keynote speaker on authenticity in the workplace.
Erin is obsessed with helping organizations build connections faster, earn trust sooner, and stand out from the pack by using authenticity as their strategic advantage.
In 2016, Erin became the CEO of a fledgling company and led a massive turnaround, tripling earnings from $17M to $50M and increasing employee engagement by 15% in just 3 years. In doing that, she uncovered an unorthodox playbook for success, without burning people out (or being a jerk). She’s now sharing that playbook with leaders navigating change, growth, and sometimes seemingly impossible goals.
Erin has spoken to some of the world’s most respected organizations, including CVS Health, General Dynamics, and Yale University. Across industries – from lawyers to special military operators to donut makers – audiences quickly embrace her message, eager to ditch the buzzwords and business autopilot in favor of authentic action that actually works.
Erin’s thought leadership has reached hundreds of thousands of people. Her TEDx Talk ranked among the Top 20 most-viewed TEDx talks worldwide in 2021. She’s also the award-winning author of two books – You Do You(ish) and The 50% Rule.
Erin also co-hosts the hit podcast b Cause Work Doesn’t Have to Suck, and her work has been featured by ABC, CBS, Business Insider, Fast Company, and more. Her company also led a groundbreaking national study on the impact of authenticity in the workplace.
Most importantly, Erin is a human. She's married to Manny, who she met while stumbling through (and failing) an early career in the Actuarial field. Together, they “manage” two teenagers - Ella and Mick. In Erin's free time, you can find her watching sports, skiing, drinking wine in her fat pants, or dancing wherever you're not supposed to dance.
Don’t conform to the norm.
Transform the norm.
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"I've seen good speakers, but Erin was truly exceptional!"
“Her engaging approach, use of props and visuals, and ability to connect to our specific audience captivated our attention! I’ve seen good speakers, but Erin was truly exceptional”
Anonymous Participant
