Kristi Straw, MBA
Founder | Chief Empathy Officer at Lighthouse Leadership Consultants
Financial Services and Wealth Management
Education: Eastern Illinois University - Baker University
Charlotte, NC, USA
Biography
Kristi Straw, MBA
Executive Visibility Strategist | Founder, Lighthouse Leadership Consultants™ | Creator of the UNICORN Leader™ Framework
Kristi Straw helps leaders stop hiding behind their résumés and start showing up with strategic authority. A former C-suite exec turned sought-after speaker and visibility strategist, Kristi has spent 20+ years leading high-performance teams and guiding thousands through the real work of leadership: influence, trust, and transformation.
As the founder of Lighthouse Leadership Consultants™, Kristi created the UNICORN Leader™ and Authentic Authority™ frameworks to help executives, attorneys, and advisors cut through noise and lead in a way that actually connects.
She’s not here to play by outdated rules and neither are the audiences she serves. Kristi’s keynotes and workshops challenge high achievers to own their voice, align their brand with their values, and lead visibly!
Speaking Topics Include:
- Brand-Led Business Development™: Visibility That Closes
- The UNICORN Leader™: Leading with Influence, Not Exhaustion
- Authentic Authority™: Communication Archetypes that Build Instant Trust
Passion
Helping underestimated leaders realize they don’t need to change who they are to lead powerfully - they just need the right language, clarity, and strategy. Watching someone go from doubting their value to owning their voice and showing up visibly with confidence? That lights me up every time.
Best Story
When I was in high school, my last name was Spray - and during our first-ever basketball game, I earned the nickname Wrong Way Spray. On an inbounds play, in front of the entire student body, I took off… toward the wrong basket. The gym erupted... It was humiliating.
But guess what!? I didn’t get cut from the team that year. For the first time, I wasn’t benched. I wasn’t sidelined. And I learned something powerful in that moment: when you mess up loudly and survive it, shame starts to lose its grip.
That moment became the foundation for how I lead and how I teach others to lead. I learned early that your mess doesn’t disqualify you. In fact, the message is in your mess. And visibility isnt about being flawless, it's about owning your direction - even when you have to reverse course with the whole crowd watching.
Origin Story
I was lying on the cold tile floor of my office, physically sick from stress after months of pushing through. My body had finally said “enough.”
As I wiped my face and caught my breath, my phone buzzed:
“Are you going to be in the meeting? We start in 3.”
So I stood up, straightened my blazer, and walked into that room like nothing had happened.
That moment stayed with me. Not because it was the worst, but because it was so normal. I realized how many high performers were doing the same: over-functioning, under-supported, and quietly burning out while checking every box of “success.”
That was the moment I knew something had to change. Not just for me but for the leaders coming up behind me.
So I left the system I had climbed and built a new one.
The UNICORN Leader™ framework was born from that clarity: that leadership isn't about sacrifice, it’s about alignment. And visibility isn’t ego, it’s how trust begins.
Now, I work with executives, teams, and organizations ready to lead with more clarity, humanity, and confidence because leadership isn’t about hiding what’s hard. It’s about showing up with purpose and presence, even when it’s messy. Especially when it's messy.
Example talks
Seen, Heard, and High-Performing!
What if your team's greatest leadership edge isn’t in a new platform or policy, but in knowing how your people naturally lead, communicate, and build trust?
This eye-opening session reveals the five Authentic Authority™ Archetypes that shape everything from how employees show up online to how they contribute in the boardroom. Participants walk away saying, “I’ve never felt so seen,” while leadership teams finally understand the invisible dynamics impacting performance, retention, and brand alignment.
You’ll learn:
-Why visibility is now a team sport and how to play to win!
-How each archetype drives different styles of trust, influence, and content creation
-The hidden reasons some voices go viral while others stay silent
-How to transform employee-generated content into brand-aligned momentum
Whether you lead a sales team, firm, or creative crew, this talk will change the way you see your people and yourself.
Featured Video
Featured Book
My Podcast
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I always get paid for speaking
Topics
Best Story
When I was in high school, my last name was Spray - and during our first-ever basketball game, I earned the nickname Wrong Way Spray. On an inbounds play, in front of the entire student body, I took off… toward the wrong basket. The gym erupted... It was humiliating.
But guess what!? I didn’t get cut from the team that year. For the first time, I wasn’t benched. I wasn’t sidelined. And I learned something powerful in that moment: when you mess up loudly and survive it, shame starts to lose its grip.
That moment became the foundation for how I lead and how I teach others to lead. I learned early that your mess doesn’t disqualify you. In fact, the message is in your mess. And visibility isnt about being flawless, it's about owning your direction - even when you have to reverse course with the whole crowd watching.
Origin Story
I was lying on the cold tile floor of my office, physically sick from stress after months of pushing through. My body had finally said “enough.”
As I wiped my face and caught my breath, my phone buzzed:
“Are you going to be in the meeting? We start in 3.”
So I stood up, straightened my blazer, and walked into that room like nothing had happened.
That moment stayed with me. Not because it was the worst, but because it was so normal. I realized how many high performers were doing the same: over-functioning, under-supported, and quietly burning out while checking every box of “success.”
That was the moment I knew something had to change. Not just for me but for the leaders coming up behind me.
So I left the system I had climbed and built a new one.
The UNICORN Leader™ framework was born from that clarity: that leadership isn't about sacrifice, it’s about alignment. And visibility isn’t ego, it’s how trust begins.
Now, I work with executives, teams, and organizations ready to lead with more clarity, humanity, and confidence because leadership isn’t about hiding what’s hard. It’s about showing up with purpose and presence, even when it’s messy. Especially when it's messy.
Example talks
Seen, Heard, and High-Performing!
What if your team's greatest leadership edge isn’t in a new platform or policy, but in knowing how your people naturally lead, communicate, and build trust?
This eye-opening session reveals the five Authentic Authority™ Archetypes that shape everything from how employees show up online to how they contribute in the boardroom. Participants walk away saying, “I’ve never felt so seen,” while leadership teams finally understand the invisible dynamics impacting performance, retention, and brand alignment.
You’ll learn:
-Why visibility is now a team sport and how to play to win!
-How each archetype drives different styles of trust, influence, and content creation
-The hidden reasons some voices go viral while others stay silent
-How to transform employee-generated content into brand-aligned momentum
Whether you lead a sales team, firm, or creative crew, this talk will change the way you see your people and yourself.