Carrie Vanston
Leadership Mindset and Intentional Travel Speaker at Leadership Mindset Success
Leadership
Education: University of Texas at Austin - iPEC Executive Coaching Institute
Austin, TX, USA
Biography
Carrie Vanston is the leading expert on energizing your mindset and supercharging your leadership. She is also a thought-leader in up-leveling leadership with intentional travel. She speaks to executives and business owners who have so much to give but who may feel stuck or uncertain of next steps. She empowers them to connect deeply with their purpose, power up their mindset, and embrace their leadership confidence so they can meet and exceed their goals with more joy and fulfillment.
Carrie co-authored the award-winning book "MiniTrends" and her articles have appeared in "Texas CEO Magazine" and several other industry publications.
She is a popular keynote speaker on being a more energized, visionary leader and has made presentations around the world including.
—Fortune 500: Unilever, Morgan Stanley
—Leading Organizations: Global Business Travel Association, VMware, Product Management Institute, IEEE; Texas Women's Chamber, American Marketing Association
—Government: TSABAA, TDLR, Executive Women in Texas, World Affairs Council
—Human Resources: Association of Talent Development, Austin SHRM, Business Success Center
—Health and Wellness: Nurses Organization of Veteran Affairs, National Association for Health Care Recruitment,
—Financial: Morgan Stanley, TXCPA Central Texas
—Universities: University of Texas at Austin, Laurea University, Finland
She is a 2025 Honoree for Austin Business Journal's Women in Business, an Austin Chapter National Speakers Association and Technology Futures, Inc. Board Member, and an Advisor for the non-profit, Art 84.
Carrie founded and led the Association of Corporate Growth's Austin/San Antonio C-Suite Roundtable and Mastermind for two years and was its Ambassadors Officer for 5 years. She was formerly a National Adviser and Austin Board Member of Culture in Action.
Carrie is a National Speakers Association Professional Speaker, an Accredited ICF Executive Coach and Travel Coach, and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner.
On the personal side, Carrie loves to travel, dance, and spend time with her two sons.
Passion
To use my super power of zeroing in on people's mindset challenges and giving them intentional strategies to to think, feel, and act in new ways for more successful businesses and fulfilling lives.
More recently, I have taken my passion for travel and combined it with my leadership mindset strategies to provide my audiences with the many professional and personal benefits of intentional travel--also called mindful or conscious travel.
On the personal side, I love to dance, travel, and spend time with my two sons. My older son is at A&M which was tough for a longtime Longhorn, but on the bright side I look better in burgundy than burnt orange!
Best Story
We as humans are wired to want to be cared about and appreciated. I was keynoting for a conference in San Francisco awhile back and read somewhere that you should always tip the hotel maids every day and not just at the end so you show your appreciation over a period of time. It also suggested writing a little note expressing your appreciation. I had never thought of that, so put a couple of bucks down on the bedside table and a little note with "Thank you very much for your kind service."
I just happened to be in the room working on my talk when the maid came in to clean up. I didn't pay much attention to her. Unexpectedly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was the maid almost in tears. She had the note in her hand and thanked me and said no one had ever done anything like that for her before and she so appreciated it. I was completely taken-aback and so happy that I had done that.
Even the smallest things can make such a big difference in our lives and others.
Origin Story
I worked for a long time for a forecasting company and we found that people didn't just want to forecast the future, they wanted to grow and create their own futures. We came up with best practices to find small trends that would become big opportunities, which led to co-authoring the book, "MiniTrends". The book won two best book awards and we started doing consulting and conferences around innovation.
I soon found that there were a LOT of miserable people, especially in corporate and the government, that didn't have a chance to use their ideas and creativity because their companies had fixed mindsets--stay within your lane! I realized that to be innovative and sustainable, organizations and leaders must have a positive, growth mindset.
Looking for a way to help, in 2016 I went through an extensive executive coaching program and came away with methodologies and techniques to intentionally shift my own--which it turned out wasn't so great!--and others' mindsets to ones to support success while bringing joy and fulfillment to their lives.
I deliver high-energy, interactive keynotes and presentations that provide practical, actionable techniques that transform people's viewpoint of their lives, how they see the people around them, and gives them a new frame of reference to be the person they want to be.
Example talks
Intentional Travel: The Next-Level Ticket to Leadership Transformation
What if your next trip—whether for business or pleasure—could be more than just a break? What if it could transform how you lead, live, and work? And what if you could assist in empowering your clients to do the same?
In this energizing and inspiring session, Carrie Vanston introduces Intentional Travel—a powerful framework that blends purposeful travel with leadership development. As global trends point toward increased work-life integration, mindful experiences, and values-driven living, Intentional Travel is fast emerging as a next-level tool for empowering and elevating ambitious executives and professionals.
Whether you're off to a meeting or convention, taking time off, or setting up others’ travel, Carrie shares how you can infuse travel with intentional goals to create transformation for yourself and empower others to do so as well.
You will learn:
- What Intentional Travel really means—and why it matters now more than ever
- Surprising business and wellness trends—fueling purpose-driven travel
- How to set powerful travel intentions—for yourself, your team, and your clients
- How to leverage intentional travel—to elevate your organization and your client services
- 3 actionable “Travel Intentions”—to take on your next journey (and how to follow through)
You’ll walk away inspired and equipped with simple yet powerful strategies to make travel a catalyst for personal and professional growth. Pack your curiosity—because the journey to the next version of you starts with how you travel.
Supercharge Your Leadership: 3 Strategies to Power Up Your Mindset and Impact!
With constant demands on our time and stress in our businesses and personal life, not to mention trying to keep up with industry change, we can easily get derailed from achieving our goals. Intentionally shifting our mindset to the positive is one of the best and fastest ways to transform our businesses and lives for more success and peace of mind. But how do you get navigate all the ins and outs of a positive, growth mindset to create unstoppable momentum for greater achievements?
Join us for an empowering and interactive session where you'll discover how to:
- Unlock New Opportunities: Shift your mindset to embrace new challenges and possibilities with confidence.
- Achieve Better Outcomes: Master the art of collaboration and communication to build stronger relationships and drive extraordinary results.
- Ignite Your Passion: Uncover your unique leadership style and inspire yourself and others to reach new heights.
Don't miss this chance to transform your leadership journey and your impact. Leave the struggle behind and step into a future filled with limitless potential by embracing the power of a positive growth mindset!
___________________
Keynote – 30-60 min; Keynote & Breakout – 60-90 min–Half Day
____________________
Evidence-based learning objectives for this presentation:
- Shift fixed mindset to growth and energized mindset in order to improve the overall approach to all activities and governance.
- Improve dynamic of how people collaborate and communicate in order to increase success of activities and project.
-
Improve the leader’s power to articulate, communicate, and inspire others in order to facilitate success.
Expected key takeaways for participants: Upon completion attendees will be able to:
- Shift to a positive, growth mindset by finding their value, past strengths, and goals.
- Interact for true win-win with curiosity, open-ended questions, and intuitive listening.
- Inspire others to follow by clarifying their passion, uniqueness, and impact.
__________________
Audience: For executives, business owners, and professionals for an annual conference, quarterly meeting, general meeting, retreat, or any event.
Building Foundational Clarity for Leadership Success and Fulfillment
When you know where you’re going, any road will take you there. From a leadership mindset perspective, you give yourself the greatest potential for success when you are completely clear, from the inside out, as to your desires and goals. This presentation allows you to get to know yourself more fully and intentionally build foundational clarity and a clear path forward to be the leader your organization needs—as well as having the fulfillment you crave.
During this presentation, we will:
- Consider what you really want from your business and life
- Clarify experiences you'd like to have
- Explore your unique gifts
- Create intentionality around self and business
- Set positive actions for next steps
Without confusion, doubt and disbelief, leadership success is usually not a matter of if, but only a matter of time. This interactive presentation will help you to get there quicker and with more peace of mind.
__________________
Evidence-Based Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
- A deeper understanding of building authentic personal foundations and how that relates to your team and organization
- Introspective opportunity for self-reflection and probing the next steps in your career and life--Dig deep within to find purpose in your role in your workplace
- Improve the power to articulate, communicate, and inspire others in order to facilitate success.
________________________
Audience: Great for leaders and up-and-coming leaders for an annual conference, quarterly meeting, general meeting, retreat, or any event.
YouTube Podcast Interviews
I: "Strategies to Supercharge Your Impact" with Carrie Vanston
Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast: YouTube, Podcast - Interview with Host Bernadette Boa with Carrie Vanston
__________________________________________________________________________
II: "Positive Growth Mindset and How to Find It" with Carrie Vanston
Ripple Effect YouTube Podcast Interview with Host Steve Harper
Articles: Texas CEO Magazine
Please contact Carrie for articles (which are behind a online wall)
3 Ways to Energize Your Mindset After a Win, by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (June 20, 2023)
Personality Testing For Business Success, by Aaron Hierholzer, Quotes by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (Q2, 2023)
Minitrends: Five Keys to an Engaged and Innovative Culture by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (January 10, 2015)
Raves for Carrie
_______________________________
- Global Business Travel Association - Testimonial, Feedback
- Jobseekers Association - Feedback
- Urban League Initiative's Women Leadership Initiative - Testimonial, Feedback
- Women Communicators of Austin's (WCA) Get Smart Conference - Testimonial, Feedback
- Association of Talent Development (ATD), San Antonio - Testimonial
- Association of Talent Development (ATD) Houston - Testimonial, Feedback
- Harmony Leadership Summit - 1st Session: Feedback 2nd Session: Feedback
- Hill Country HRMA - Testimonial
- Launchpad -Feedback
- Executive Women in Texas Government -Feedback, Testimonial
- Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), Austin, TX - Testimonial, Feedback
- Austin Associations of Talent Development, Testimonial
Speaking Engagements
Intentional Travel: Ticket to Business & Life Transformation - American Marketing Association
Intentional Travel: Ticket to Business & Life Transformation - Global Business Travel Association
Intentional Travel: Ticket to Business & Life Transformation - Rotary Club
Intentional Travel: Local and Day Trips Count! Job Seekers Network
Supercharge Your Leadership: 3 Strategies to Energize your Mindset & Impact - Urban League Initiative's Women's Leadership Initiative
Intentional Travel: Ticket to Business & Life Transformation - Annual Technology Forecasting Conference
Supercharge Your Transitions: 3 Strategies to Energize your Mindset & Impact - Get Smart Annual Conference, Women in Communication Austin
Building Foundational Clarity: Leadership Success and Fulfillment, San Antonio Association of Talent Development (ATD)
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
We as humans are wired to want to be cared about and appreciated. I was keynoting for a conference in San Francisco awhile back and read somewhere that you should always tip the hotel maids every day and not just at the end so you show your appreciation over a period of time. It also suggested writing a little note expressing your appreciation. I had never thought of that, so put a couple of bucks down on the bedside table and a little note with "Thank you very much for your kind service."
I just happened to be in the room working on my talk when the maid came in to clean up. I didn't pay much attention to her. Unexpectedly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was the maid almost in tears. She had the note in her hand and thanked me and said no one had ever done anything like that for her before and she so appreciated it. I was completely taken-aback and so happy that I had done that.
Even the smallest things can make such a big difference in our lives and others.
Origin Story
I worked for a long time for a forecasting company and we found that people didn't just want to forecast the future, they wanted to grow and create their own futures. We came up with best practices to find small trends that would become big opportunities, which led to co-authoring the book, "MiniTrends". The book won two best book awards and we started doing consulting and conferences around innovation.
I soon found that there were a LOT of miserable people, especially in corporate and the government, that didn't have a chance to use their ideas and creativity because their companies had fixed mindsets--stay within your lane! I realized that to be innovative and sustainable, organizations and leaders must have a positive, growth mindset.
Looking for a way to help, in 2016 I went through an extensive executive coaching program and came away with methodologies and techniques to intentionally shift my own--which it turned out wasn't so great!--and others' mindsets to ones to support success while bringing joy and fulfillment to their lives.
I deliver high-energy, interactive keynotes and presentations that provide practical, actionable techniques that transform people's viewpoint of their lives, how they see the people around them, and gives them a new frame of reference to be the person they want to be.
Example talks
Intentional Travel: The Next-Level Ticket to Leadership Transformation
What if your next trip—whether for business or pleasure—could be more than just a break? What if it could transform how you lead, live, and work? And what if you could assist in empowering your clients to do the same?
In this energizing and inspiring session, Carrie Vanston introduces Intentional Travel—a powerful framework that blends purposeful travel with leadership development. As global trends point toward increased work-life integration, mindful experiences, and values-driven living, Intentional Travel is fast emerging as a next-level tool for empowering and elevating ambitious executives and professionals.
Whether you're off to a meeting or convention, taking time off, or setting up others’ travel, Carrie shares how you can infuse travel with intentional goals to create transformation for yourself and empower others to do so as well.
You will learn:
- What Intentional Travel really means—and why it matters now more than ever
- Surprising business and wellness trends—fueling purpose-driven travel
- How to set powerful travel intentions—for yourself, your team, and your clients
- How to leverage intentional travel—to elevate your organization and your client services
- 3 actionable “Travel Intentions”—to take on your next journey (and how to follow through)
You’ll walk away inspired and equipped with simple yet powerful strategies to make travel a catalyst for personal and professional growth. Pack your curiosity—because the journey to the next version of you starts with how you travel.
Supercharge Your Leadership: 3 Strategies to Power Up Your Mindset and Impact!
With constant demands on our time and stress in our businesses and personal life, not to mention trying to keep up with industry change, we can easily get derailed from achieving our goals. Intentionally shifting our mindset to the positive is one of the best and fastest ways to transform our businesses and lives for more success and peace of mind. But how do you get navigate all the ins and outs of a positive, growth mindset to create unstoppable momentum for greater achievements?
Join us for an empowering and interactive session where you'll discover how to:
- Unlock New Opportunities: Shift your mindset to embrace new challenges and possibilities with confidence.
- Achieve Better Outcomes: Master the art of collaboration and communication to build stronger relationships and drive extraordinary results.
- Ignite Your Passion: Uncover your unique leadership style and inspire yourself and others to reach new heights.
Don't miss this chance to transform your leadership journey and your impact. Leave the struggle behind and step into a future filled with limitless potential by embracing the power of a positive growth mindset!
___________________
Keynote – 30-60 min; Keynote & Breakout – 60-90 min–Half Day
____________________
Evidence-based learning objectives for this presentation:
- Shift fixed mindset to growth and energized mindset in order to improve the overall approach to all activities and governance.
- Improve dynamic of how people collaborate and communicate in order to increase success of activities and project.
-
Improve the leader’s power to articulate, communicate, and inspire others in order to facilitate success.
Expected key takeaways for participants: Upon completion attendees will be able to:
- Shift to a positive, growth mindset by finding their value, past strengths, and goals.
- Interact for true win-win with curiosity, open-ended questions, and intuitive listening.
- Inspire others to follow by clarifying their passion, uniqueness, and impact.
__________________
Audience: For executives, business owners, and professionals for an annual conference, quarterly meeting, general meeting, retreat, or any event.
Building Foundational Clarity for Leadership Success and Fulfillment
When you know where you’re going, any road will take you there. From a leadership mindset perspective, you give yourself the greatest potential for success when you are completely clear, from the inside out, as to your desires and goals. This presentation allows you to get to know yourself more fully and intentionally build foundational clarity and a clear path forward to be the leader your organization needs—as well as having the fulfillment you crave.
During this presentation, we will:
- Consider what you really want from your business and life
- Clarify experiences you'd like to have
- Explore your unique gifts
- Create intentionality around self and business
- Set positive actions for next steps
Without confusion, doubt and disbelief, leadership success is usually not a matter of if, but only a matter of time. This interactive presentation will help you to get there quicker and with more peace of mind.
__________________
Evidence-Based Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
- A deeper understanding of building authentic personal foundations and how that relates to your team and organization
- Introspective opportunity for self-reflection and probing the next steps in your career and life--Dig deep within to find purpose in your role in your workplace
- Improve the power to articulate, communicate, and inspire others in order to facilitate success.
________________________
Audience: Great for leaders and up-and-coming leaders for an annual conference, quarterly meeting, general meeting, retreat, or any event.
YouTube Podcast Interviews
I: "Strategies to Supercharge Your Impact" with Carrie Vanston
Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast: YouTube, Podcast - Interview with Host Bernadette Boa with Carrie Vanston
__________________________________________________________________________
II: "Positive Growth Mindset and How to Find It" with Carrie Vanston
Ripple Effect YouTube Podcast Interview with Host Steve Harper
Articles: Texas CEO Magazine
Please contact Carrie for articles (which are behind a online wall)
3 Ways to Energize Your Mindset After a Win, by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (June 20, 2023)
Personality Testing For Business Success, by Aaron Hierholzer, Quotes by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (Q2, 2023)
Minitrends: Five Keys to an Engaged and Innovative Culture by Carrie Vanston, Texas CEO Magazine (January 10, 2015)
Raves for Carrie
_______________________________
- Global Business Travel Association - Testimonial, Feedback
- Jobseekers Association - Feedback
- Urban League Initiative's Women Leadership Initiative - Testimonial, Feedback
- Women Communicators of Austin's (WCA) Get Smart Conference - Testimonial, Feedback
- Association of Talent Development (ATD), San Antonio - Testimonial
- Association of Talent Development (ATD) Houston - Testimonial, Feedback
- Harmony Leadership Summit - 1st Session: Feedback 2nd Session: Feedback
- Hill Country HRMA - Testimonial
- Launchpad -Feedback
- Executive Women in Texas Government -Feedback, Testimonial
- Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), Austin, TX - Testimonial, Feedback
- Austin Associations of Talent Development, Testimonial