Gail Blanke is founder, president, and chief executive officer of Lifedesigns, LLC, a company whose vision is to empower men and women worldwide to live truly exceptional lives. Her column, “The Motivator” appears monthly in Real Simple magazine and she is featured as a Business and Career Coach on AOL Coaches.

Ms. Blanke’s book, In My Wildest Dreams, Living the Life You Long For (Simon & Schuster), appeared on Amazon.com’s Best Selling Books list and was a New York Times Business Best Seller.  Following the success of In My Wildest Dreams, Oprah Winfrey dedicated an entire show to the topic in October 1998 where Ms. Blanke used concepts from her book to empower audience members to live fulfilling lives.

Most recently, Ms. Blanke published Between Trapezes: Flying into a New Life with the Greatest of Ease (Rodale).  This book forms the core of her message:  How to thrive on change and master the art of self re-invention.  

A renowned executive coach and presentation skills trainer, Ms. Blanke has advised CEO’s, presidential candidates, college presidents – and even a jazz musician. A current presidential candidate recently remarked, “You’ve enabled me to find qualities in myself I didn’t know I had and express myself with power, grace and persuasion. What a difference you’ve made.” Ms. Blanke was called in by FOX News to critique George W. Bush’s second inaugural address.

Considered one of the finest motivational speakers in the country, she has delivered numerous keynote addresses for corporations including Merrill Lynch, GE, MasterCard, JPMorgan Chase, UBS, AXA Financial, Citigroup and at industry events around the globe. 

In addition to the Oprah Winfrey Show, Ms. Blanke has appeared on CNN, FNN, CNBC and FOX TV. Articles about Ms. Blanke and her company have appeared in Newsweek, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook and Self.

Ms. Blanke was one of the youngest female senior vice presidents of Avon Products, Inc., where she motivated and inspired Avon’s half million sales representatives to live the lives of their wildest dreams. A member of the Chairman’s Executive Council, she led the re-positioning of Avon as the world’s premier direct selling company for women and launched the widely acclaimed Avon Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade, which has raised more than $450 million for community outreach programs.

Ms. Blanke is a graduate of Sweet Briar College in Virginia and majored in acting at Yale University Graduate School of Drama. She and her husband, F. James Cusick, a writer, and their two daughters, Kate and Abigail live in New York City.

MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
Gail Blanke’s mission is to motivate women and men to design and live the lives of their dreams as well as to help corporations create environments where people can thrive. Gail is a popular and frequent speaker at corporations, professional women’s organizations and educational institutions.

How to Thrive on Change and Master the Art of Self Re-invention.  
Creating an Environment Where Leaders Emerge Naturally
Examining the Assumptions and “Rules” That Hinder Our Creativity  
Creating Passion, Power and New Possibilities In Your Work and Your Life 
Diversity & Teamwork