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Big Deal Energy™

Kim Bode Speaks

If therapy and TED Talk had a baby

I’ve been told I should be a comedian. I’ve also been told I’m “too much,” which frankly is better than being too little. There was also that one mediocre white guy who called me an “acquired taste” – gross. RIP dude…kidding, he’s still around hanging out with all of his other mediocre buddies. It’s good to have a network.

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Kim Bode speaks about personal branding.

She Speaks.
They Listen.

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A speaker with (a lot of) Personality

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When I speak, facilitate or give a keynote it comes from 20+ years of strategic communications colliding with my ADHD, my love of a good f-bomb, trauma I’ve survived, stories I’ve lived, 19 years of small business ownership, the spectacular failures and lessons I’ve collected over the years and the absolute hijinks that is my life with nine rescue dogs (and a husband).

I have “find comfort in the uncomfortable” tattooed on my arm, because it’s a reminder that growth happens when we push ourselves outside of our safe, comfy bubbles.

It’s the basis of every single presentation, keynote, video, workshop, and conversation I have.

I said what I said.

Little-known fact: when you have ADHD, you feel the need to solve all the world’s problems. It’s why my speaking focuses on teaching people to own what makes them awesome, helps companies incorporate soft skills coaching into onboarding or professional development, and reminds small business owners that people do business with people, not logos.

Kim Bode's dog, Scrappy

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The Good Stuff

Every presentation is different, because every audience is different. Bode Speaks changes based on the people in the room, it’s why audiences pay attention when I talk.

If you’re looking for canned presentations, I’m not your guy. If you’re looking for unforgettable, then let’s talk.

The Swanson Method

Show your business who's boss.

Big Deal Energy™

Own your QUIRKS™.

The Hard Cost of Soft Skills

It's all about communication.

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Bode Speaks

Kim Bode holds her dog, River. A speech bubble coming from her says, "My favorite topic? Dogs. Duh."
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Big Deal Energy™

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The Hard Cost of Soft Skills

Big Deal Energy™

Own Your Quirks
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Big Deal Energy™ is a play on…well, you get it. Kim's signature talk helps audiences turn their quirks, weirdness, and unconventional paths into strategic assets — and leave with a personal brand that gets them sought out, referred, and remembered.

The Hard Cost of Soft Skills

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Parents aren't teaching it, schools aren't prioritizing it, and employers are fed up. It's costing everyone a sh*t ton of money. Kim makes the business case for soft skills, because every delay, dispute, and missed deadline can usually be traced back to how people communicate, not the tools they use.
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Meet

Bode

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Bode is a sought-after speaker who has taken the stage at Women in Defense National Conference, SBA ChallengeHER, the American Marketing Association, HubZone National Conference, Michigan Manufacturing Association Workforce Solutions Summit, Michigan Celebrates Small Business Summit, Failure Lab, and more. Organizations bring her in when they want someone who will actually say the uncomfortable truth.

Her work has been published in Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, HuffPost, Scary Mommy, Thrive, and more. She hosts the Happy Hour Hustle podcast, writes at BodeSpeaks – both pair best with Cabernet on ice – and tackles personal branding, small business, dogs, and eradicating the patriarchy.

The Topics

What's Your QUIRKS™ Archetype?

The QUIRKS™ you’ve been told to hide are the things that make you memorable. Your story matters. All of it… the messy, the hard, the unconventional. The moment you decide to own what makes you weird is the moment you start to own your Big Deal Energy™.

Find out if you’ve been embracing your QUIRKS™ with Main Character Energy or living in Ghost Mode.

QUIRKS™
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Published & Quoted

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Corp! Magazine

Women-Owned Business Picture Optimistic, With Room for Growth

How are women-owned businesses faring these days? As with most open-ended questions, the answer depends on your standards and perspective.

Considering that, before the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, creditors could legally deny women credit simply because of their gender, and that, before the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988, some states required men to cosign business loans for women, it’s easy to surmise that women-owned businesses are doing comparatively well in 2026.
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Inc. Magazine

How 21 Leaders Let Employees Use AI in the Workplace

We have a policy, approved tools, and rules on how to use it. We are communicators; authenticity and trust govern everything we do, and if you over-rely on a tool versus your own brain, skills, and lived experience, then you’ve lost the plot. Our job is to build relationships, trust, and connect with the audience and that will always come from your humanity.
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Inc. Magazine

22 Ways to Go From Founder to Manager

When it’s just you, your failure or success is 100 percent on you. Employees make everything harder, and you’d better learn real quick how to manage your expectations, listen, and create a healthy environment. Everything you do will be under a microscope because you are the example they follow. It’s pretty humbling. Get comfortable with vulnerability; if you can’t admit when you screw up, then they won’t either.
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Inc. Magazine

Growth Investment or Maintaining Profitability?

When you invest in growth, your profitability will take a hit. You can’t simultaneously grow and post record profits, especially when you are a small business. This past year, I had to take a step back to build, which meant I wasn’t out there selling, and as a result, our revenue is down. It’s your responsibility as the business owner to anticipate trends, read the economy, and plan for the worst. It’s why we expanded our business to add a complementary offering, but it’s going to be a hefty lift and require additional capital to build. Growth is painful but worth the risk. You need to believe in yourself because no one else will.
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Inc. Magazine

23 Ways to Maintain Company Culture as You Scale

We started following the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) around 7 years ago, and it holds us accountable to our core values, which are key to maintaining our culture. We evaluate everything we do, internally and externally, against them. Growth is the hardest part of running a business. We hold ourselves to “Be kind, not nice.” Kind is addressing issues head-on and working together to solve them. Nice is ignoring an issue and pretending everything is just dandy, which fosters resentment, passive aggressiveness and only delays the inevitable. As a leader, you set the example. If you can’t hold yourself to the standards you set for your employees, then you shouldn’t be leading people.
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Corp! Magazine

The Silent Crisis: How Federal Cuts Threaten Michigan’s Small Businesses

For years, politicians have called small businesses the “backbone of our economy.” They show up for ribbon cuttings, pose for photos, and use us as props in their speeches. But when it comes to protecting the programs that keep us alive, they’re nowhere to be found. The proposed cuts to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the gutting of the HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) prove just how hollow their words are.
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Small Business Association of Michigan

Inside 8THIRTYFOUR Integrated Communications

With fortitude, drive, and a whole lot of dogs, energy, and laughter, Kim Bode knows how to lean into the exceptionality and authenticity of her award-winning communications company. 8THIRTYFOUR is every communications strategy beautifully wrapped up and tied with an efficient bow. They “leverage all types of media together – marketing, branding and design, public relations, digital, website, content and more – to create the results you want.”
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Bode showed up (and the crowd roared)

Just goes to show, they’ll give anyone a mic.

People Love Bode

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"Highlight from this morning's sessions: Learning from Kim Bode how to create your own personal brand based on your quirks in a very short attention span friendly workshop."
Abigail Fabian
Abigail FabianStrategic Lead for Technology Teaming and Transitions, Raytheon
"Kim Bode you were the perfectly timed nudge that I needed to get out of my own way! Thanks for your support."
Fiona McPherson Grant
Fiona McPherson GrantPrincipal Owner, FMG Data Works, LLC
"As professionals, we are frequently eager to fit in, making ourselves part of the scenery. Kim reminded me that my quirks make me who I am. Being me, my authentic voice is what sets me apart and is my greatest strength."
Gail Miller
Gail MillerExecutive Leader, Former DHS SES
"Kim Bode is a force to ALL - she is Big Deal Energy. She speaks her truth and then reminds others that their work not only matters but is necessary for a world that is kind and committed to the values we hold dear."
Michelle Letcher
Michelle LetcherBrigadier General (Retired)