i'm jess ekstrom and i'm on a mission to help you create motivation that lasts
Why? Because after starting two 7-figure social empires that have helped millions of women and girls, I realized our intrinsic motivation is the key to making change happen.
I live by three words: inspiration from frustration.
Whenever I’m frustrated, I usually find inspiration in a business idea to solve the problem. Hence, I’m a 2x successful social entrepreneur.
In 2012, I took a $300 grant and launched Headbands of Hope, a company that provides headbands to kids with illnesses.
Since then, Headbands of Hope has donated millions of headbands all over the world and has become the official headband provider for the NBA, WNBA and are now sold in all Kohl’s locations.
I’m a Forbes Top Rated speaker with past clients like Zappos, Priceline, Netflix, Canva, Edward Jones, Magnolia, Under Armour, Newell Brands, Leadercast Live, SAS, Harvard, TEDx, and more.
But my career goals are not just about getting myself on stage, I want to help more women get on stages as public speakers.
In 2018, I founded Mic Drop Workshop®️, a company with the mission of empowering more women to share their message as a public speaker and author.
I’m a 2x bestselling author of Chasing the Bright Side and Create Your Bright Ideas. I’ve been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and People Magazine ran an exclusive piece about me when my book was released. You’ve most likely seen me on your TV whether it was an interview on your favorite morning show, shopping on QVC or watching me run my business from my Airstream in a global Canva commercial.
I married my college sweetheart and we have two beautiful children in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can find us hiking outside, playing Monopoly Deal, or watching the NC State Wolfpack play.
- Achieve growth
- Power their presence
- Increase fulfillment
With an idea and $0 in the bank account (actually, -$10,000 but that’s a long story you can read in Chasing the Bright Side), I started to speak to any audience that would allow me to hold a microphone.
two things happened when I started speaking:
- I got to share and scale my idea. Headbands of Hope has now donated millions of headbands to kids with illnesses all over the world.
- I discovered the art and the power of speaking. If I can effectively present my message, then I can build a movement.
I also made the unfortunate discovery of how male-dominated speaking is as a skill: on stages, in meetings, in leadership. Only 32% of public speakers are women. Less than 3% of venture capital funding go to women led companies. Studies show even the auditory level of women’s voices are softer than men, making it harder to hear them!
If you’re ready to STEP INTO YOUR GROWTH MINDSET so you can amplify your voice, you’re exactly where you need to be.
In 2018, I founded Mic Drop Workshop: a company that exists to help women and non-binary people to be seen and valued as thought leaders on stages and at work.
To date, we’ve helped over 2,000 women amplify their voice for maximum impact.
But our outermost voice starts with our innermost thoughts.
I’m here to guide you through the journey from improving your inner thoughts to amplifying your outer voice.
I do this for companies and events as a sought-after public speaker who’s shared the stage with President Joe Biden, Tyler Perry, Magic Johnson, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush-Hager, with raving testimonials from Chip Gaines, Netflix, Canva, Edward Jones, and more.
And I do this for individuals through Mic Drop Workshop who want to become professional public speakers or through Mic Drop workFORCE for anyone who wants to become a better communicator and presenter at work.
Watch Jess’ Canva Commercial!
Jess Ekstrom's story is a great example of how pursuing your entrepreneurial passion and being a force for good can lead to extraordinary things!
ZACH KITSCHKE
Canva CMO
When I was in college, I interned at a wish-granting organization for kids with life-threatening illnesses. I discovered that a lot of kids losing their hair to chemotherapy loved to wear headbands after hair loss, but they were only given wigs and hats. I searched Google to see if there was any business or organization donating headbands to kids with cancer and came up dry.
So I thought: WHY NOT ME?
I could figure this out- I can give headbands to kids with cancer.
So I started Headbands of Hope. For every headband sold, one is donated to a child with cancer. After a few missed swings, running in circles, a loan from a family member, losing that loan to a fraudulent manufacturer which turned into a lawsuit, crickets on the other end when I launched it…
Headbands of Hope was born!
Hey, I never said things were easy, but they should be worth it.
Now, Headbands of Hope has been endorsed by celebrities like Lauren Conrad, Khloe Kardashian, a bunch of people from the Bachelor franchise (because I’m obsessed with that show). We’ve been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The View, and I’m a regular guest on QVC.
But most importantly, we’ve donated over 650,000 headbands to kids with illnesses all over the world.
But none of this would have happened if I didn’t have two things:
Optimism to make the world better
Belief in myself that I could be the one to do it (even if I didn’t have a lot of shiny skills)
As Headbands of Hope grew, so did my story.
My first speech was at my graduation at NC State for 20,000 people
My second gig was for a slice of pizza
And my third gig was for $2,200
So now,
I like to help women
move past the slice of pizza and get paid as professional speakers and authors. I do this through:
My online courses
for women to learn how to tell & sell their story through public speaking and book publishing
Make a Living, Make a Difference
You should know I believe that:
An inclusive world is a better world here are some free email templates I created for speakers to refer women of color for the next speaking event.
- One book or one speech can change someone’s life.
- Your story is your best product.
- Women should be paid more to transform audiences and readers.
- We all have a story that needs to be told...and get paid to share it.
Everything I create is to help women monetize their story and feel good about what they have to offer the world.
I’ll leave you with my values that myself and my team believe in. Because I’m not just some influencer on the internet that promises you the world and doesn’t give a crap after your card is swiped.
Take one step in my community and you’ll see I’m here to do one thing: help you make a living and make a difference at the same time.
ROI: anything you purchase from me I want to be sure it will make you that money back.
PURPOSE: let’s be aligned about the future and our place in it.
TRANSPARENCY: I’m not just going to cherry pick things that went right, you’ll hear it all.
FUNNY BUSINESS: because if we’re not having fun, what’s the point?
Sometimes the home-run product you're looking to launch, is the story you already have.
I am here to help you tell it.
My guided online journaling service for people who DO
