Member since June 2026
Josee Madison is a keynote speaker and pressure-tested leader who helps senior leaders wise up their thinking when the stakes are high.
Her career began at the Federal Court of Canada, where she supported a legally blind federal judge in a high-pressure, administrative, and decision-driven environment while studying business management.
With that foundation, she eventually left government to follow her leadership instincts into the music industry, first working in Canada and later in Nashville, managing artists and tours in fast-paced environments where decisions carried real financial, operational, and human impact.
Years later, just before the global pandemic, she founded a multi-award-winning wellness center, successfully growing and leading the business before selling it five years later, in 2025.
Her work is shaped by decades of leadership experience, immersive study with monks, training in holistic and scientific modalities, and more than 17 years of study in nervous system science, human behavior, self-awareness, and leadership performance.
Her credentials are real-world and results-backed. A background in business management, ICF-certified coach, advanced yoga instructor, and certified in hypnotherapy.
Recent clients and speaking engagements include the American Society of Safety Professionals, the University of Nebraska, the Virginia Rural Health Association, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and Absolute Total Care, a division of Fortune 500 company Centene Corporation. She has had the privilege of serving healthcare professionals, executives, founders, public figures, and participants at women's empowerment and leadership retreats, as well as wellness retreats.
I am passionate about helping people see what they can't see in themselves.
So many of us are operating from unconscious patterns, fears, and protective behaviors without realizing it. I love helping people recognize the armor they're wearing, the story they're believing, the fear they're protecting, and the patterns they're repeating.
Because once awareness increases, new choices become possible. And those choices can transform the way we lead, communicate, and live.
During one of my wellness retreats in Costa Rica, I invited three volunteers to come forward for a live clarity session.
One woman shared a dream she had been carrying for years but had never pursued. She talked about timing, resources, and all the reasons it wasn't realistic.
As we explored what was underneath those reasons, something became clear.
It wasn't a lack of talent.
It wasn't a lack of opportunity.
It was fear of failing.
The moment she recognized that, everything shifted. You could see it in her face. The excuses disappeared, her shoulders relaxed, and she began talking about her dream as something she was going to do instead of something she wished she could do.
Another woman came forward feeling frustrated that she never seemed to have enough time for her art. As we unpacked what was happening, she realized she wasn't lacking time. She was filling her life with distractions that felt safer than fully committing to her gift as a painter.
Neither woman needed more information.
They needed awareness.
Once they could hear the message beneath the noise, the path forward became obvious.
I know what it's like to lead under pressure.
A burnout experience that led to a neurological disorder in 2010 forced me to confront something I now speak about around the world: intelligence alone does not protect us from blind spots.
My journey to understand what was happening led me to study neuroscience, human behavior, emotional intelligence, nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and leadership performance. What I discovered is that when pressure increases, awareness often decreases. We begin operating from protective patterns rather than intentional leadership.
Today, through my keynote presentations and leadership programs, I reveal what is driving thoughts, decisions, and behaviors beneath the surface. I challenge leaders to recognize the armor they're wearing, the story they're believing, the fear they're protecting, and the patterns they're repeating.
Because leadership is not simply about strategy. It's about awareness.
When leaders increase their awareness, they communicate more effectively, make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and create cultures where people can perform at their best.
The quality of your leadership is directly tied to the quality of your awareness.
During one of my wellness retreats in Costa Rica, I invited three volunteers to come forward for a live clarity session.
One woman shared a dream she had been carrying for years but had never pursued. She talked about timing, resources, and all the reasons it wasn't realistic.
As we explored what was underneath those reasons, something became clear.
It wasn't a lack of talent.
It wasn't a lack of opportunity.
It was fear of failing.
The moment she recognized that, everything shifted. You could see it in her face. The excuses disappeared, her shoulders relaxed, and she began talking about her dream as something she was going to do instead of something she wished she could do.
Another woman came forward feeling frustrated that she never seemed to have enough time for her art. As we unpacked what was happening, she realized she wasn't lacking time. She was filling her life with distractions that felt safer than fully committing to her gift as a painter.
Neither woman needed more information.
They needed awareness.
Once they could hear the message beneath the noise, the path forward became obvious.
I know what it's like to lead under pressure.
A burnout experience that led to a neurological disorder in 2010 forced me to confront something I now speak about around the world: intelligence alone does not protect us from blind spots.
My journey to understand what was happening led me to study neuroscience, human behavior, emotional intelligence, nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and leadership performance. What I discovered is that when pressure increases, awareness often decreases. We begin operating from protective patterns rather than intentional leadership.
Today, through my keynote presentations and leadership programs, I reveal what is driving thoughts, decisions, and behaviors beneath the surface. I challenge leaders to recognize the armor they're wearing, the story they're believing, the fear they're protecting, and the patterns they're repeating.
Because leadership is not simply about strategy. It's about awareness.
When leaders increase their awareness, they communicate more effectively, make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and create cultures where people can perform at their best.
The quality of your leadership is directly tied to the quality of your awareness.
