Sara Canaday

Sara Canaday is uniquely suited for her craft. With equal parts business experience, dedicated study, and intuitive know-how, Sara gives her clients the tools they need to round out strong, successful business careers.

Sara guides people through the science and art of presence, personal branding, leadership, and communication. Whether it's through speaking, consulting, or training, her clients rave about the breakthroughs they've made with Sara's input. Her range of focus includes innovative leadership, enhancing leadership presence, and accelerating career success. She is known for her programs such as "Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Break Through Performance," which emphasizes the importance of adopting unconventional methods to enhance performance and leadership success in a globally competitive, constantly changing business landscape.

Sara's professional journey encompasses over 13 years of corporate experience, including leadership and executive roles at USAA and Texas Mutual, and climbing the corporate ladder to an executive position in operations. She served as principal consultant for Empowerment Enterprises for seven years before founding her own consultancy, Sara Canaday & Associates. Sara has delivered keynote presentations at notable conferences such as SXSWedu 2015 and the Women’s Leadership Conference, consistently receiving commendations for her engaging speaking style and insightful, applicable presentations.

Sara graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communications, and from Incarnate Word University in San Antonio with a Masters in Business Administration. Her educational background is complemented by an MBA and certifications in communication, business image, and emotional intelligence. Besides her leadership role in her own firm, Sara is the Founder and President of the National Speakers Association Austin, and a member of Vistage Trusted Advisory Group. She has been featured in a number of publications and broadcasts, including Pink magazine, the Wall Street Journal, WBAP News Radio 820 (Dallas-Fort Worth), and Speaker Magazine.