Julie Winkle Giulioni

Julie Winkle Giulioni is a champion for workplace growth and development. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their potential. And she supports organizations and leaders who want to make that happen with keynote speeches, consulting, and training.

Julie is the author of Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive and the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Want, translated into seven languages.

She is a regular columnist for Training Industry Magazine and SmartBrief and contributes articles on leadership, career development, and workplace trends to numerous publications including The Economist.

Named by Inc. Magazine as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, Julie’s in-person and virtual keynotes and presentations offer fresh, inspiring, yet actionable strategies for leaders who are interested in their own growth as well as supporting the growth of others.

Her firm, DesignArounds, creates and offers training products and experiences to organizations worldwide and has earned praise and awards from Human Resource Executive Magazine’s Top Ten Training Products, New York Film Festival, Brandon Hall, and Global HR Excellence Council.

Julie lives in her 100+ year-old house in South Pasadena, California with her husband, daughter, and rescue pooch, Pixel.

Twitter: @Julie_WG

Favorite non-reading activity?

Standup paddle boarding. I saw people doing it while visiting Hawaii about 15 years ago and, despite have no athletic prowess, I just knew that it was the activity for me. So, a few months later, I rented a board and found the answer to my question: How hard can it be? In retrospect, I probably should have taken a lesson; but I survived a crash course in wind, currents, and balance – and have been hooked since. For me, paddle boarding is a fascination and addictive experience of full attention and complete relaxation simultaneously. I’m rarely happier than when the board is strapped to the top of the car and we’re heading toward water.

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Absolutely – and a lot – in fact, probably this week. I’ve struggled with confidence over the years. Maybe it’s because I’ve frequently been thrown into roles for which I wasn’t quite qualified. Maybe it’s because I had positions of significant responsibility at a fairly young age. Maybe it’s because I was brought up to be humble…. but I’ve often felt like I was just one misstep away from being discovered for the fraud that I am.

Gratefully I’ve learned to manage the anxiety associated with not being sure I deserve that seat at the table. Today I’m a lot clearer about what I know – and what I don’t. Where I can add value – and where I can’t. And because I’m considerably more comfortable sharing this information with others, I can carve out a space where I trust myself and my capacities – and enjoy the experience of confidence.

Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?
Kaleidoscopes. I started collecting these beautiful pieces of art 20+ years ago, and my collection adorns our mantle. I don’t believe I’ve bought one for myself; they’re mostly gifts from family and friends. They range from tiny to quite large and come from around the world.

While each is lovely to see on the mantle, the magic happens when you lift one up to your eye, point it toward a light source, and start twisting things around. The colors. The patterns. The movement. They’re visually intoxicating. Eye candy. But, for me, it’s more than a visual experience. Kaleidoscopes are a visceral reminder that just one small shift has the power to change everything around us.

What brings you great joy?
Being with the whole family. Words can’t express the profound, soul-nourishing happiness of having my family together. When my husband, children and their spouses and significant others are all in one place, I feel myself literally vibrating with joy. My husband recently observed that during these times, I can’t stand or sit still and dance around in their presence.

We don’t have to be doing anything special. Cooking a meal. Playing a silly card game that’s been in the family for generations. Solving puzzles. Debating a ridiculous topic. It doesn’t’ matter what we’re doing. There’s something synergistic about this group of my favorite people all in one place that amplifies my joy and creates peak moments in my life.

What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?

Out on a date. Maybe it’s time to update my photos!