Ginger Hardage: Corporate Culture

Quick Facts:

Highlights:
  • Former Senior Vice President of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines
  • Founder of Unstoppable Cultures, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations build legendary workplace cultures
  • Led Southwest Airlines to be recognized as one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies”
  • Expertise in corporate culture, employee engagement, leadership, and brand communication

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  • Travels from: Dallas, Texas
  • **Fee range: $35,001 - $50,000

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Keynote Topics:

Creating and Sustaining Organizations of Enduring Greatness

Every company has a culture. For some, it’s a culture of innovation – new, never been done before ideas. For others, it’s fun (birthday cakes and costumes are often involved). For some, it’s toxicity and gossip. There are cultures that celebrate loyalty, hard work, or profit above all else. There are cultures that are both intentional and accidental. There are cultures that draw people in and ones that drive people away. There are cultures that detract from the mission of the organization, cultures that must be overcome or compensated for, cultures that derail or dead end. Surely, you can resonate with at least one of those descriptions.

But then, there are cultures that are unstoppable. Unstoppable Cultures put people first, are consistent in nurturing their culture through systems, and are relentless in storytelling. In this signature talk from Ginger, she will walk you through these critical characteristics of unstoppable cultures. You will undoubtedly leave with both practical and inspiring ideas on how to begin the journey of building the culture you always dreamed of for your organization.

When considering organizational culture, some universal lies tend to rise to the surface. In the back of our minds, we have little voices telling us that we can’t change the culture of our companies and teams. Maybe for you, that’s the idea that culture is fluffy, you can’t afford culture, or that if you empower your employees, you might lose control. But, none of those are true!

In Ginger’s signature keynote, she walks through the five lies people tell about why they can’t affect culture and reveals the counteracting truths that allow companies to build Unstoppable Cultures in their own organizations. You already have a culture – will that culture happen by default or will you define it? When you stop believing lies and start living by the truth, your culture flourishes… your employees stick around longer and people achieve more than they ever thought possible. In short, if a leader creates culture intentionally, that organization becomes unstoppable.

What do you think about when you think about a brand? A logo? A website? A stock symbol? Maybe. But these are just expressions of a brand; they are not what brings a brand to life. So if not these elements, what is the most important thing when we think about our brands? Ginger has a simple answer – people.

In this inspiring talk, Ginger discusses why employee engagement is the single most important element when any of us are thinking about our brands. She knows that the way an organization behaves on the inside will find its way to the outside, and that the true character of any company is expressed by its people. In “Building a Brand from the Inside Out,” learn from this 25-year Southwest Airlines veteran about creating an “employee first” culture where employees are engaged, act like owners, and are connected to their organization’s purpose.

If we look back to our parents’ and grandparents’ generation of organizations, winning was often defined quite simply – as producing the most widgets for the least amount of money. Profits along were the name of the game to companies and a paycheck was all that mattered to employees.

But times have changed. These days, leaders understand deeply that aligning their organization to a deeper, rooted purpose – and ensuring that their employees and even customers are bought in to this purpose – is critical. Purpose mobilizes an organization in a way that profits alone cannot; today’s most successful companies consistently thread purpose and values throughout their organizations, including hiring, training, customer delivery, and performance management. In this talk, Ginger will inspire with insights from category-leading companies that are harnessing a well-defined purpose to propel their success.

Ginger Hardage is a distinguished thought leader in workplace culture, leadership, and corporate communications. As the former Senior Vice President of Culture and Communications at Southwest Airlines, she played a pivotal role in shaping one of the most admired corporate cultures in the world. With over 25 years of experience as a key member of the airline’s executive leadership team, Ginger has become an authority on fostering a dynamic workplace environment that drives engagement, innovation, and long-term success.

Today, she is the founder of Unstoppable Cultures, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations create and sustain legendary cultures. As a sought-after keynote speaker, Ginger shares her deep expertise on leadership, branding, and employee engagement, inspiring business leaders and teams to build cultures that thrive in an ever-changing world.

Ginger Hardage

Ginger Hardage’s career at Southwest Airlines is a testament to her exceptional ability to cultivate and sustain an award-winning corporate culture. Under her leadership, Southwest became synonymous with customer service excellence, employee satisfaction, and a vibrant, values-driven work environment. Through her tenure, she played a key role in positioning Southwest Airlines as one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” and a perennial top choice for employees across industries.

Beyond her corporate success, Ginger founded Unstoppable Cultures with the mission to equip leaders with the tools and strategies needed to build remarkable workplace cultures. Through her consulting work and speaking engagements, she has partnered with organizations across the globe, from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofit institutions, helping them establish a foundation of trust, collaboration, and innovation.

Ginger’s expertise extends beyond culture transformation. She is a trusted advisor in brand strategy, internal and external corporate communications, and employee engagement. Her ability to connect with audiences, paired with her real-world experience, makes her a compelling and influential speaker who leaves lasting impacts on her audiences.

Ginger Hardage is an industry leader in workplace culture, leadership, and corporate branding. With a career spanning over two decades at Southwest Airlines, she has become a trusted voice in creating legendary company cultures. As the founder of Unstoppable Cultures, she continues to guide organizations in building environments that drive engagement, productivity, and lasting success.

Her keynotes are rich with valuable insights, real-world examples, and transformative strategies that inspire business leaders to take action. For those looking to elevate their workplace culture and leadership approach, Ginger Hardage is the speaker who delivers impactful, memorable, and results-driven presentations.

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