mEet dR. kRistiNE sicKEls
spEaKer | AutHor | fouNdeR
Clarity Changes Everything
Your best people already have the answer. She spent her career watching what happens when they don’t say it.
She didn’t discover it in a research paper. She watched it happen for twenty years from the inside of some of the world's most recognized brands.


about kRistiNe
She knows exactly what it costs when the right voice goes unheard.
Every day, in organizations everywhere, talented people sit in meetings with the exact insight that's needed and say nothing. Not because they don't have the idea. Because they've learned to calculate the risk before they speak. Dr. Kristine Sickels calls this The Voice-Values Gap™. The cost runs in both directions: leaders carry the quiet weight of words they didn't speak, and organizations pay in unflagged risks, watered-down decisions, and strategies built on the loudest voice instead of the clearest one.
She knows that cost firsthand: the meeting where you held back, the decision that went sideways because nobody named the obvious, the strategy that quietly missed because the clearest thinking in the room never made it to the table. Kristine spent the second half of her career helping leaders close it.

sHe's Not spEaKing fRom tHeoRy.
sHe's spEaKing fRom tHe Room.
A Perspective Built from
Real Leadership Experience
Dr. Kristine brings a rare combination of executive experience, academic rigor, and practical application to her work.
Deep Corporate Leadership Experience
She understands the realities leaders face because she’s lived it.
A Clear, Practical Framework
Her approach gives people language and tools they can use immediately.
Direct, Grounded Delivery
Her style is clear and honest, without being harsh or performative.
A Focus on Real Outcomes
Better communication, stronger presence, and more effective teams.

dR. kRistiNe's oRigiN stoRy
Kristine rose through the ranks to SVP of Marketing for a $2 billion portfolio of household brands.
She revitalized legacy names for new generations and became known as an executive who led with curiosity, candor, and optimism. She also spent two decades watching brilliant leaders go quiet at the exact moment their voice mattered most. Watching their organizations pay for it. That is what she now teaches leaders and companies to overcome.
“SHe lEft tHAt caReER to solvE a pRoblEm sHe KEpt wAtchiNg HAppEn in EvERy Room sHE sAt iN. ANd todAy, sHE's goiNg to sHow you ExActly How to closE it."
Through her keynotes and The VOICE Framework™ at the heart of her book The Clearest Voice in the Room (Mic Drop Books, September 2026), Kristine gives leaders a practical method for saying what needs to be said in the rooms where it matters, with the confidence to make it land, and gives organizations a culture where the clearest voice wins.
A former executive turned entrepreneur, Kristine is CEO and Co-Owner of Mic Drop — founded by Jess Ekstrom — a company that develops women into paid public speakers. She is co-founder of C-Sweet, a multimillion-dollar consulting firm advising companies including Conair, BaBylissPRO, BIC, Vitamix, GoodCook, and Kimball International. She holds a doctorate in business administration from Georgia State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
tRustEd by lEadErs At







Kristine's Ventures & Companies

cEo & co-owNer
Mic Drop
Develops women into paid public speakers. Founded by Jess Ekstrom, bestselling author and Forbes Top-Rated Speaker.

co-fouNdeR
C-Sweet
Fractional executive advisory firm for consumer brands. Clients include Conair, BaBylissPRO, BIC, Vitamix, GoodCook, Kimball International, and more

co-cReAtoR with jess ekstrom
Mic Drop WorkFORCE
Corporate keynote and training program built on the proprietary M3 Method. Helps leaders present ideas that influence decisions.

co-owNeR
Lorraine's Retail Group
A mother-daughter retail business reflecting Kristine's belief in intergenerational empowerment and women building together.

co-fouNdeR & co-owNeR
Gift of College
Platform helping families and employers make college savings accessible and actionable.

PaRtneR with jess ekstrom
Shatter & Shift
Investment partnership focused on women-owned companies. Backing founders who are building something that matters.
Recognition
11th ANNual shorty award wiNNeR
Led Crock-Pot Brand · SVP, Marketing · #CrockPotIsInnocent crisis campaign · Hashtag & Real Time Response categories
5th ANNuAl shorty award
"Your Set by Calphalon" campaign ⋅ VP Marketing, Newell Brands
See Kristine in the Room
The VOICE Framework™
The five-part proprietary framework at the heart of the book and every keynote Kristine delivers.
V

vAluEs
When you know your values, you know what to say.
O

outcomE
Every powerful message guides people somewhere with intention.
I

ideNtity
Stories are your signature. Let people hear the real you.
C

coNsisteNcy
Authority is built one conversation at a time, every day.
E

eNeRgy
People hear you before you say a single word.
at A glANcE
Career Timeline

EaRly cAReeR
Joined Newell Brands
Began a Fortune 500 marketing career, managing some of the world's most recognized consumer brands.

RisiNg tHRougH tHe RaNKs
SVP, Global Marketing $2B Portfolio
Led a 200-person global team managing Rubbermaid, Calphalon, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Crockpot. Key retail partnerships with Target, Walmart, Williams-Sonoma, Costco, and Amazon.

EducAtioN
MBA, University of Michigan
Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Advanced strategic and leadership skills applied immediately to her Fortune 500 career.

doctoRAl woRK
DBA, Georgia State University
Earned her doctorate in business administration while working full-time, a story she tells in the book about what happens when you speak up for what you need.

ENtREpRENEuRsHip
Founded C-Sweet, Joined Mic Drop
Left corporate to co-found C-Sweet (fractional executive advisory firm) and became CEO and Co-Owner of Mic Drop, a company that develops women into paid public speakers.

booK LAuNcH
September 23, 2026: The Clearest Voice in the Room
Published through Mic Drop Books. The culmination of two decades of executive experience and the book behind every keynote.

Credentials & Expertise
education
- DBA, Georgia State University
- MBA, University of Michigan
co-founded & created
- C-Sweet
- Gift of College
- Shatter & Shift
- Nexus Project
- Mic Drop WorkFORCE
corporate leadership
- SVP Marketing
- Newell Brands
- $2B Portfolio, 200-person global team
- Crockpot
- Calphalon
- Mr. Coffee
- Oster
- Rubbermaid
speaking & teaching
- Emory Goizueta Business School
- Georgia State Robinson
- Georgia Tech ATDC
- Kimball International
- RaceTrac
clients & partners
- Conair
- BaBylissPRO
- BIC
- Vitamix
- GoodCook
- Kimball International
- Owens & Minor
- Bradshaw Home
author
The Clearest Voice in the Room: How to Speak with Power and Intention at Work. Mic Drop Books, September 23, 2026
wHat pEoplE sAy About kRistiNE sicKEls
The People Who've Been in the Room With Her
speaking
Speaking. Workshops. Book. Consulting.
Dr. Kristine helps leaders and teams bring clarity to their communication through her clear framework + practical tools that you can use immediately.

speaking
Schedule Dr. Kristine to Speak at Your Next Event
For conferences, leadership events, and company-wide moments

workshops
Practical Application Sessions for Leaders and Teams
For deeper skill-building and practical application

read the book
The Clearest Voice in the Room by Kristine Sickels
A practical guide to communicating with clarity

c-sweet
Marketing, Strategy, & Consumer Insights
For leadership teams and organizations

trainings
Building Stronger Communicators
Empowering women to speak confidently in the workplace

Author of The Clearest Voice in the Room
Dr. Kristine's book expands on her core framework for communicating with clarity, confidence, and intention.
It provides leaders with practical tools and language they can use to navigate real workplace situations – from high-stakes conversations to everyday interactions that shape culture and influence.
