Business Leadership, Success, PR & Branding Intel + Motivation

Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded, senior-level branding, leadership and communications analyst, strategist and tactician She works with companies, agencies, C-suite thought leaders and subject matter experts worldwide across a wide array of B2B and B2C sectors through her role as Chief Strategy & PR Officer at The Ascendant Group—an industry-leading Personal and Executive Branding Agency; via her own consultancy and advisory firm; and through her cross-platform international news syndicate.

In her PR and Communications Strategist role with The Ascendant Group, Merilee works in lock step with a team of CEO branding experts who have been creating compelling, story-driven brands for the world's top CEOs for more than 17 years. Agency competencies are founded on classic elements of successful branding, which includes strategic ideation, brand creation and management, design, PR, copywriting, photography, publishing, and more. Her work with the agency helps Fortune 500 executives, mid-market CEOs, venture-backed companies, socially responsible enterprises, NBA and NFL athletes transitioning to entrepreneurship, and companies at large create the clear, elusive connection that makes people loyal to a personal or corporate brand for life. Innovative and visionary clients who realize that amplifying differentiation is the only path to beating competition ... and that “good enough” today doesn’t guarantee they will be ahead tomorrow.

Her speaking topics include:

• Unpacking the Key Pillars of Personal Branding
• Navigating Personal Branding Pitfalls: A Roadmap to Authenticity
• The Human Side of Executive Branding: Building Genuine Connections for Success
• The Upside of Unease—Why Comfort Zones Impede Leadership Potential

As an internationally-regarded branding and communications strategist and reputed industry voice of authority, Merilee's thought leadership has been featured by top-tier media, including Forbes ((link hidden)) and elsewhere—and her own byline articles have been published by over 450 media outlets, including esteemed publishers like Forbes, FastCompany, Newsweek, RollingStone, BlackEnterprise, ThriveGlobal and more.

In addition to appearing on copious TV programs throughout the U.S., Merilee is also the creator, executive producer and host of multiple TV shows, podcasts and radio shows, including Savvy Ventures—a national business TV show that airs weekend daytime on the national Bloomberg TV and FOX Business TV networks and with the podcast and radio spinoff streaming globally. She also created, produces and hosts Savvy Living—a lifestyle and travel TV show airing in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and other top U.S. markets.