Cathy Newton

CATHY NEWTON is a professional speaker who inspires people to take the right risks for the right reasons and inspires organizations to build a healthy, risk-taking culture. Cathy gets people in the full swing of purposeful risk taking, helping them take on challenge, improve performance and regain energy.

Cathy’s enthusiasm and love of adventure led her to showcase her award-winning advertising talents in her early teens and to perform for NFL Super Bowl crowds as a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader during her college years. Venturing outside her own comfort zone, trying new activities and learning new things came naturally for Cathy. She devoted 22 years to the “risky business” of education. In her various roles as teacher, coach, and School District Wellness Coordinator, she studied the concept of risk in detail.

In 1992, Cathy took one of the most pivotal risks in her life by launching PRT Consulting, Inc., a speaking and consulting business specializing in purposeful risk taking. She has helped thousands of people—from law firm managers to health professionals to educators—learn how to take purposeful risks for performance improvement. Through her dynamic, interactive and insightful programs, Cathy inspires audiences to stretch themselves farther —handling performance challenges, personal wellness, teambuilding or organizational change with confidence.

Cathy is the author of three books: Living in Full Swing (Advantage, Charleston, SC, 2007), RISK IT! (Incentive Publications, Inc., Nashville TN, 1996), and It Takes Character (Incentive Publications, Inc., 2003).

Her honors include being selected by former students for inclusion in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers”, recipient of the Soroptomist “Woman of Distinction” Award, the “Alumni Pioneer Award” from the University of St. Mary, and the “Service to Education” Award from the MO Association of Secondary School Principals.

1) Living in Full Swing…RISK IT!

Maybe you’ve felt like you’ve been pushed off the swing of life…or maybe you just sense that you were meant to swing higher. Don’t settle for risk aversion and mediocrity. Get up, get out, and get in the swing of purposeful risk taking. Exercise your “risk-taking” muscles and learn practical strategies to maximize your potential.

2) Innovation in Full Swing…Flip Change-Resistance into a Change-Ready Mindset

Just when you think you have something mastered, what happens? They change it! INNOVATION is risky business! Making a change or bringing in a new idea requires a leap of faith. You must move in the direction of the unknown on the hope that things will be better. Are you and your team change-ready or change-resistant? You need a personal strategy to address your own attitude towards change/innovation and a strategy to move your team toward change-readiness.

3) Inspiration in Full Swing…Foster Positive Energy and Spirit in the Workplace

There are stressful situations every day that can cause you to feel …no energy! …scattered energy! …even ugly energy! INSPIRATION is your ability to return to your inner spirit—your center of positive energy and well-being. In that state, you will give quality service and focused attention to others. When your words and actions are sparked by positive energy, you can better cope with workplace issues. Get a power charge that will propel you into the full swing of INSPIRATION.

4) Influence in Full Swing…Get Great Results in Building Social Capital

Do you understand the give-and-take sequence that builds your “social capital” and makes your organizational world go round? You can INFLUENCE others—co-workers, vendors, clients, family members—through understanding the EXCHANGE process.

5) Integrity in Full Swing…Keep Your Cool in a Crazy World

We live in a crazy world that is more complex, less stable, and more problematic than ever before. Ethical breakdown proliferates. Emotional ineptitude is running rampant. Nevertheless, you are responsible for your actions and behavior. Learn how to integrate your behavior with universal tenets: Respect, Responsibility, Kindness and Self-Control. Learn practical strategies for keeping your ethics intact and your integrity in full swing.

6) Teaching in Full Swing…Looking for Truths and Seeking Answers in Difficult Times

Teaching is a high calling, but with it comes high pressure. Changes in methodology, testing, and student safety create a great deal of challenge for educators. In spite of that, your mission remains the same: student motivation and achievement! Look for the truths: revisit the reasons why you are here. Seek answers: learn practical strategies to motivate and engage students. Renew your commitment and get back in the full swing of high performance teaching.