Kim Bode

Kim Bode’s been called “too much,” an acquired taste, aggressive, abrasive; and all the other adjectives used to describe loud women. If it’s an uncomfortable truth; Bode’ll say it - thank her ADHD because she wants you to own your weird, use your voice (not Claude or ChatGPT), step into your Big Deal Energy™️, and for everyone to stop calling soft skills soft.  She founded 8THIRTYFOUR, her communications and learning company, over 19 years ago and is the creator of Big Deal Energy™ - personal branding with a shot of tequila. 

20 years racks up a lot of achievements, like being a Forbes Top 200 PR Firm, Crain's Top Leader in DEI, Michigan Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year, Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch, PRSA JEDI Communicator of the Year, and like 100+ communication awards. 

When Bode speaks, facilitates or gives a keynote, it comes from 20+ years of strategic communications colliding with her ADHD, love of a good f-bomb, trauma survived, stories lived, the spectacular failures and lessons collected and the absolute hijinks of nine rescue dogs (and a husband). 

Bode has taken the stage at the Women in Defense National Conference, Small Business Administration’s ChallengeHER, American Marketing Association, HubZone National Conference, Michigan Defense Expo, Michigan Manufacturing Association, Michigan Celebrates Small Business Summit, Failure Lab (there is some great video of this and buttershots), and more. She serves on the board of the Small Business Association of Michigan, including the Leadership Council Advisory Board and the Women’s Business Council, the Women in Defense National Council and has held board-level and advisory roles with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and the American Marketing Association. 

Bode’s 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.com – both pair best with Cabernet on ice – and is fiercely passionate about personal branding, real-world survival skills, and finding comfort in the uncomfortable (a mantra she believes in so deeply, she has it tattooed on her arm).

Bode's been told she's a force to all, straight up weird and that she comes in like a wrecking ball; one dude characterized her as real, raw, and relatable. However you want to describe her, one thing is for certain - she's unforgettable.

Connect with Bode: bodespeaks.com | LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube