More than a decade ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life. I left my successful 20-year corporate career in Europe and brought my young family across the Pond to America with a newborn on my lap. I exercised what I have since called The Power of Choice, a conscious decision-making framework that allows us to understand our perceptions, choose our behaviors, and determine our best outcomes.
Now, many of the most respected organizations, associations, and government agencies in the world trust me to help them make the right decisions that grow their brands and bottom lines. From American Express to American Airlines, Hilton to Nespresso, Microsoft to Prudential, and even the US Air Force, I have worked with extraordinary leaders and professionals.
Building on my five cornerstones of Modern Emotional Intelligence—visual, behavioral, verbal, digital, and social intelligence—I give my audiences the Power of Choice to determine their greatest outcomes in leadership, sales, and customer experience.
Let me take your organization on an entertaining, spectacular, and thought-provoking journey through the brain, the mind, and from the unconscious to the conscious—and ultimately to the heights of personal, professional, and organizational success. And don’t forget to take a good book for your journey! I am the author of The Image of Leadership, Fair Advantage, and the upcoming Make Me Feel Important, in which I lead you deep into the customer experience and show you how to make every interaction count.
The Gedaliah Award, named after Robert Gedaliah and Rande Davis, recognizes the support, love and care a speaker shows behind the scenes for the speaking community and beyond.
The Alan Cimberg Award, named after one of the first and founding members of the National Speakers Association, recognize the life’s work of a speaker and their influence on the association and the speaking industry.
The Ron Volper Award, named after a past president of the National Speakers Association New York, recognized Sylvie for her commitment to excellence and for setting the standard for members, the chapter, and the speaking profession.
The Smart Hustle Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes business owners and champions who are leaders among entrepreneurs in the business community as they regularly demonstrate success while sharing with their peers.
The CSP™ (Certified Speaking Professional) designation is the speaking profession’s highest earned measure of professional platform competence. The CSP designation is conferred by the National Speakers Association.
The President’s Award for distinguished service, conferred by the national president of the National Speakers Association, recognizes superior professional engagement activities and extraordinary efforts for the speaking community.
The Future of Speaking Award recognizes the outstanding leadership, service, and contributions of Sylvie for planning and executing the National Speakers Association’s Annual Winter Conference and guiding the association’s members into the future of the speaking industry.
The Chapter Member of the Year is awarded to a member of the New York City chapter of the National Speakers Association who has made a significant contribution to the chapter over a long period of time.
Sylvie is a proud member of NSA (National Speakers Association) and serves on the board of GSF (Global Speakers Federation). Members of these associations elevate excellence, share expertise, and challenge one another to improve their stage performance and business procedures. As such, Sylvie has had the honor to serve as the
Born to an Austrian mother, a French father, a Spanish grandmother, and an Italian grandfather. Good food, good wine, and good hair have never been an issue.
Despite her family’s attempts to raise an Austrian patriot, as a five-year-old, she shares for the first time that she “wants to be an American.”
That was followed by years of failed US high school, college, university, internship, job, visa, green card application, and American dating attempts.
Graduates from the University of Vienna as a teacher of Communication and Information Technology. Yes, her image has come a long way too.
Joins the corporate world and becomes instrumental in launching traditional training and e-learning initiatives in Fortune 500 companies.
Is youngest HR professional to launch International Leadership Academy for Top Management and High Potentials for a >100k-employee organization.
After 30 years, boards a plane to fulfill her lifelong American dream with her newborn daughter on her lap—soon to be joined by a little brother.
Reinvents herself and goes back to school! Gets certified as an image consultant and takes a detour through the world of fashion.
Launches Executive Image Consulting and becomes coach to hundreds of top executives, entrepreneurs, and politicians during the next years.
Publishes The Image of Leadership and teaches audiences around the world how to package themselves to stand out for the right reasons.
Joins forces with her competitor and becomes the co-owner of the Studio for Image Professionals, the world's leading online certification provider.
Develops the habit of taking the stairs. Yes, literally “taking the stairs,” and ever since has run the staircases of New York’s highest skyscrapers.
Joins the C-Suite Book Club and later C-Suite Network Advisors. The Image of Leadership will be featured as Episode #1 on Bestseller TV.
Has been interviewed for and featured in several major national and international print and media publications.
Launches How You Impress, the world’s first interactive online course that leads professionals through their image transformation.
Serves as the Co-host of the National Association of Speakers Annual Winter conference "The Future of Speaking" - fully committed changes midi dress to robot costume.
Earns the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the industry’s highest international measure of platform competence.
Receives the "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award by Smart Hustle Magazine which honors business owners who best exemplify the smart hustle of entrepreneurship and the small business community.
Serves as the President of the National Speakers Association New York and leads the chapter back to excellence: increase membership +41%, increase attendance +47%, increase university students +157%, increase revenue +340%.
Like the rest of the world, her speaking world comes to a stop until she turns her living room into a fully equipped filming studio that also operates as 3rd and 6th grade classroom, shared office space, art studio, workout space, therapy center, library, home spa...
Plans, executes and co-hosts the Annual Convention of the National Speakers Association which like many other conferences turned from an in-person event to virtual... literally overnight.
Relaunches How You Impress to a fully mobile learning lab that delivers laser-focused lessons via text messages daily to the mobile screens of attendees around the world.
A lifelong dream comes true for this dreamer as this magnificent country adopts her and welcomes her as an American citizen. Welcome home! Finally.