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Sharon Delaney McCloud        

Emmy Award-Winning Journalist; Breast Cancer Survivor; Certified Diversity Executive & Resilience Expert

Sharon Delaney McCloud is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, keynote speaker, emcee, host, and moderator ready to make your event a smashing success, whether in person or virtual. You can feel confident you're hiring a professional who prioritizes your audience. With over 30 years of experience on local and national stages, television stations, and online, McCloud will deliver an exceptional experience for your attendees.

As a Certified Diversity Executive CDE®, adjunct professor, agency owner, cancer survivor, Olympic Torch Bearer, author, and communications expert, McCloud knows how to get the job done. She helps leaders & companies improve communication & executive presence to drive business results. As a member of the Global Speakers Federation and the National Speakers Association, McCloud connects with people while at the same time offering actionable insights. She does this through in-person and virtual presentations, webinars, and live streams.

McCloud earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Florida State University before embarking on a career as a television journalist. From the Persian Gulf War to John Glenn's historic return to space to the Super Bowl to hurricanes, floods, politics, and entertainment, she has covered thousands of stories that have affected daily lives. McCloud also moderated gubernatorial and mayoral debates throughout North Carolina and served as a mentor for young journalists beginning their careers.

After leaving television news, McCloud founded Greenroom Communications, a video production and marketing firm, with Kim and Penn Holderness (the XMAS Jammies Family). They worked with big brands like Target, Samsung, H&R Block, and Chase Bank. At one point, they even had a reality show on UPtv. In 2016, Greenroom merged with Walk West to become a full-service digital marketing agency that's landed on the INC 5000 list three times in a row.

McCloud has been featured in numerous publications, including Sheryl Sandburg's Option B digital platform, Thrive Global, Enterprising Women, and co-author of the book "Keep Going, Memoirs of Strength, Courage & Perseverance." In 2019, McCloud had the opportunity to share her big idea with the world on a TEDx stage. Through Giving Vilomahs a Voice, Sharon shows us how to approach conversations with bereaved parents. This passion led to her writing a letter to the White House advocating for a bereavement leave policy. That letter turned into an invitation to meet one-on-one with President Joe Biden in the summer of 2021 when they discussed the need for paid bereavement leave.

McCloud was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and spent her early years in East Africa, attending schools in Kenya and Tanzania before moving to the United States. In addition to her television career, McCloud worked for the Department of Defense's U.S.O. program and traveled all over the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Europe, entertaining American troops as part of an all-girl group, The Florida Girls. McCloud is very active in the community and serves on many boards of directors and advisory committees for non-profit organizations in North Carolina.

Speech Topics

Prepare Yourself for the Media Hot Seat: Top Tips from a Newsroom Insider

With the prevalence of cellphone videos, YouTube, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and live streaming, you are always "ON”. Whether it's a quick comment to a reporter on Zoom or a lengthy sit-down interview in a television studio, you need to know how to navigate today’s ever-changing media landscape. In this multi-media-packed keynote presentation, Emmy Award-winning television journalist Sharon Delaney McCloud will provide an insider’s playbook so you can feel more confident the next time you’re in the hot seat.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Learn about the rules of engagement for media and the Interviewee’s Bill of Rights
  • Learn why you should never say “no comment” and what to say instead to create compelling messages
  • Hone your on-camera presence, what to wear and NOT to wear on-camera

Leveraging Levity in Leadership: A Recipe for Retention and Team Success

Face it, you've got to retain your top talent and recruit the next rock stars for your team. But now, more than ever before, you have to create an environment where people are motivated and empowered to deliver their very best work while building trusted relationships at the same time. Not an easy task.
During this high-energy presentation, corporate communications pro Sharon Delaney McCloud shows you why and how you need to leverage levity and proven retention strategies in your leadership toolbox today. LEARN:

  • How levity can change the dynamic of your team

  • Actionable ways to reduce stress and build bonds by using proven levity lessons & techniques

  • Ways to make your team feel like they belong to your organization

Having a Voice, Not Merely a Seat at the Table: Powerful Strategies to Amplify Your Impact

In group settings, men are 75% more likely to speak up than women. And when a woman does speak up, it's statistically probable that her male counterparts will either interrupt her or speak over her. What does this mean? It means, even in the professional world today, if you're not ready to fight to be heard through ally-building strategies, your potential could be silenced. In this engaging, actionable session, Sharon will share strategies and tactics to amplify your voice figuratively (and literally) and hone your message to make certain that your voice is heard - so that you truly have a voice, and not just a seat, at the table.
LEARN

  • Ways to amplify your voice, both figuratively and literally
  • Message development tactics to strengthen your communication
  • Understanding how body language and vocal delivery affect your overall communication

Build Your Executive Presence & Personal Brand

Did you know that executive presence skills rank 2nd in the top 20 leadership traits that make a difference in your career? Now, more than ever, present and future leaders must display C-suite readiness to deliver business results. To do this, you must amplify your influence, thought leadership and business acumen in order to lead transformational breakthroughs. This ability to align your mindshare while commanding a room, in person or virtually, is the DNA of executive presence. In this high-energy program, corporate communications professional Sharon Delaney McCloud teaches the three key elements to build your executive presence so you can make an impact on your professional and personal life. Learn:

  • The three, key elements to build your executive presence
  • The core principles to clear, concise communication
  • How to manage your interpersonal style to enhance your leadership presence

Turn Your Battle Scars into Badges of Honor: Activating Resilience & Perseverance

In these challenging times when our physical, mental and social well-being are tested continuously, it's crucial that we build a culture of resilience. In this compelling narrative, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Sharon Delaney McCloud presents an inspirational and actionable playbook that audiences can begin using right away in their professional and personal lives. Sharon co-authored a book based on this keynote, Keep Going, Memoirs of Strength, Courage & Perseverance. Learn Sharon's:

  • The Community Resilience Model and how to incorporate it into your life.
  • A deeper understanding of how to use grit and gratitude to overcome negative circumstances.
  • A different way to approach integrating your professional and personal responsibilities that align with who you are.

Books

9781543948134
Keep Going
2018

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