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GRITT Executive Presence Academy

A 12-week live-virtual program for leading with clarity in the age of AI.

Executive Presence Academy builds presence from the inside out: strengths and identity first, positioning and voice second, visibility and systems last. Grounded in validated positive-psychology assessment and built around a persistent AI coaching agent each participant develops across twelve weeks, the program turns self-knowledge into a repeatable system for leading with clarity.

In a world where AI can write your bio and generate your headshot, executive presence is the one thing it cannot fake.

Fall 2026 Cohort · Now Enrolling.  12 weeks  ·  $950 per participant  ·  Only 16 seats
Dates
Monday, October 5 – Monday, December 21, 2026
12 weeks
Time
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CST
Every Monday
Format
Live online
Recorded weekly, so a missed session never means falling behind
Includes
Four-instrument assessment battery
Personalized Coaching Brief, persistent AI coaching agent, and 2 hours of 1:1 executive coaching
Investment
$950 per participant
Cohort pricing
Seats
Capped at 16
Only 16 seats per cohort. Reserve early.
Enroll or ask questions: tom.bagwell@grittbusinesscoaching.com
Reserve Your Seat
Core Themes

Six threads run through every week.

Each theme translates a body of research into something a participant can apply in the same week, and revisit in the same AI coaching agent for years after the program ends.

Strengths, Meaning & Explanatory Style

A validated assessment battery (VIA, PERMA, MLQ, Explanatory Style) grounds presence in evidence, not assumption.

Presence & Positioning

Translates strengths and values into a positioning statement that holds up under scrutiny.

Story & Voice

Builds a professional bio and verbal pitch that stay consistent across written and spoken formats.

Advisory Circle & Influence

Maps and activates the mentors, sponsors, and advisors already in your orbit, or builds new ones deliberately.

AI-Powered Presence

Builds and directs a persistent AI coaching agent across generative, data-driven, and automation tasks.

Resilience & Reputation

Sustains trust and composure under pressure across a full career, not just a single pitch.

How the 12 Weeks Are Built

Learn. Reflect. Build. Present.

Each week pairs a one-hour live session with independent reflection and one addition to a persistent AI coaching agent, so presence is built on evidence rather than assumption.

Learn → Reflect → Build → Present
Phase 1 · Weeks 1–4

Foundation

Assess. Anchor. Draft.
  • Strengths, meaning & explanatory style assessment
  • Coaching Brief & positioning statement
  • Storytelling: first pitch draft
  • Stakeholder mapping & gap analysis
Phase 2 · Weeks 5–8

Presence

Plan. Activate. Align.
  • Milestone planning & implementation intentions
  • Advisory Circle: activating mentors, sponsors & advisors
  • Visual consistency across platforms
  • Digital footprint audit
Phase 3 · Weeks 9–12

Mastery

Sustain. Sharpen. Present.
  • Resilience & reputation under pressure
  • Growth mindset & AI agent re-versioning
  • Choice-architecture: habits that stick
  • Capstone: brand strategy & live AI agent demo
Participant Outcomes

Five things a participant can do differently by the last Monday of the program.

1

Lead with grounded presence

Articulate strengths, values, and positioning traceable to real assessment data, not assumption.

2

Communicate with consistency

Align written and spoken narrative across every platform and audience.

3

Build a trusted network

Activate mentors, sponsors, and advisors deliberately rather than by accident.

4

Leverage AI wisely

Build and direct a persistent AI coaching agent across generative, data-driven, and automation tasks.

5

Sustain performance under pressure

Apply resilience practices that hold up when it counts.

What Every Participant Takes Home

Four durable artifacts you keep past the last session.

Nothing about this program disappears when the last Monday ends. Every deliverable is designed to be used well into the next year of your career.

Faculty

Led by a practitioner who has taught this work at the graduate level.

Tom Bagwell
Tom Bagwell
Vice President of Learning & Development

Tom has 30 years of sales, marketing and operations experience in senior leadership positions. He is a three-time "Teacher of the Year" at Cal State East Bay, where he lectures on leadership, marketing, and organizational effectiveness for MBA programs. Tom holds a BA from UC Berkeley (Economics & History), an MBA from the University of Chicago (Finance & Marketing), and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. A Certified Executive Coach and recognized Executive Scholar at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, Tom integrates mindfulness, resilience, and positive leadership into every session.

Reserve Your Seat

16 seats. October 5 through December 21, 2026.

Mondays, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CST. $950 per participant. Email Tom directly to enroll or ask questions before you commit.

Email Tom to Enroll
Questions first? Reach out to tom.bagwell@grittbusinesscoaching.com