Biography

For over three decades, Caroline has been a pioneer with her groundbreaking work in the areas of goal setting, grit, happiness and success. She is recognized as one of the world’s leading positive psychology experts on this research and how it can be applied to one’s life for maximum transformation.

Caroline helps people identify, come up with a plan for, and persist in achieving their toughest goals while also inspiring those around them – the “awethentic effect.” Her groundbreaking book, Creating Your Best Life (2009/2021), the first mass market book on goals that included evidence-based research, connected the science of success with the science of happiness. Dr. Martin Seligman, the “father of Positive Psychology” proclaimed the book as adding a “major missing piece” to goal literature in his book Flourish, and many websites have continued to rank CYBL as the #1 goal book of all time, leading to its reissue in 2021.

In her keynote presentations and workshops, Caroline blends her personal experience, real life examples and research in positive psychology, to come up with practical applications that allow for maximum transformation and growth in people’s lives. Caroline leaves her audiences with tangible takeaways and actions they can use to create their own happiness and success.

Caroline has worked with clients around the world including: Morgan Stanley, lululemon, The Wharton School/UPENN, RE/MAX, Booz Allen, Young Presidents’ Organization, Harvard Law School, and Swisse Wellness.

Caroline is a popular presenter in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School Executive Education program.

In addition to the books named above, Caroline is the author of Positively Caroline (Cogent 2013) and My Name is Caroline (Doubleday 1988), which are the only two memoirs that cover the onset of bulimia to three decades of unbroken recovery. My Name is Caroline was the first book to give readers hope that recovery was possible, leading to her being featured on magazine covers and television stations around the world for many years.

Caroline’s work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, newspapers and other media around the world for decades, including BBC World News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, NPR, and CNN.

Caroline has a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. She is a top-ranked Masters Swimmer and is a black belt martial artist.

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Putting the “AWE” Back In “Awesome”

Although the word "awesome" is thrown around a lot in today's society, experts say that we have become "awe-deprived" in recent years due to cheating scandals in sports and business, lowered standards for excellence, and school funding being cut for the arts and music. The millennial generation, however, has been raised with abundant praise, leading to concerns that when their performance reviews aren’t "awesome" they feel discouragement and demotivation. Easy goals and low standards for excellence can actually prevent people from becoming awesome. According to the most current research, when people are truly awe-inspired by extraordinary behavior and events, they are profoundly impacted, and are more likely to work hard, be hopeful, and be kind to others. Grit is also an essential element in being awesome, and specific character strengths that undergird gritty behavior can be cultivated to support becoming awesome. Using research, client stories and her own personal experiences, Caroline weaves together a variety of information that will leave audiences understanding the importance of hard goals, gritty behavior and why inspiration is a necessary ingredient in a flourishing life.

Audience members will leave with specific takeaways of how to:

Develop three behaviors that have been found in authentically awesome people
Cultivate their own character strengths that lead to becoming grittier
Set their goals so they inspire not just themselves but others, too, to pursue awesome goals
Caroline has designed a number of worksheets to accompany her next book, "Getting Grit" (SoundsTrue 2017) that can be used in breakout sessions or as audience takeaways.

FORMAT: 45 to 60-minute keynote; half and full-day workshops are available, as well

IDEAL AUDIENCE: Anyone who is required to create and accomplish goals in their job or wants to create a better life for themselves. Specific audiences have included: Leaders, Women's Groups, Universities, Schools, Entrepreneurs, Sales Teams, Athletic Groups, Multi-level Marketing Distributors, and Professionals such as Lawyers, Financial Advisors and Accountants.

WHAT MAKES THIS PRESENTATION UNIQUE: All of Caroline’s keynote presentations and workshops offer insightful scientific research, applicable examples, and powerful stories (including from her own personal journey). The consistent feedback is that her audiences leave with tangible takeaways and actions they can use to accomplish their goals and drive happiness and success in their professional and personal life.

Authentic Grit: Your Secret to Happiness and Success

Grit is increasingly considered one of the key ingredients of success. It is defined as “passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals.” How gritty are you? If you do not know, you are not alone. Some people are predisposed to be more resilient and optimistic than others; however, most people don’t know how to identify and cultivate grit, and as a result don’t achieve their full potential in their work or personal lives. Positive psychology expert Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP uses insightful scientific research, applicable examples, and powerful stories to help you understand why this character strength is so important and what you can do to cultivate it in yourself and others. The audience takeaways include specific actions to change your behavior and mindset so that you are more likely to achieve fulfillment and success with all of your goals.

In this session, Caroline will teach you how to become gritty. After attending, you’ll be able to:

“Change the channel” when difficulties arise and use more effective self-talk that is based on the newest brain science
Challenge yourself to take the right risks by asking “why not?” instead of “why?”
Create positive relationships and moments that define effective, resilient teams
Develop clear-cut goals - both learning and performance goals – and avoid the mistakes most people make
FORMAT: 45-60 minutes keynote and has been done in a TEDX format of 20 minutes. Half and full day workshops are available, as well.

IDEAL AUDIENCE: Anyone who is required to create and accomplish goals in their jobs; who wants to cultivate a more resilient, gritty mindset; and/or wants the tools to build a better, more fulfilling life for themselves. Specific audiences have included: Leaders, Women's Groups, Universities, Schools, Entrepreneurs, Sales Teams, Athletic Groups, Multi-level Marketing Distributors, and Professionals such as Lawyers, Financial Advisors and Accountants.

WHAT MAKES THIS PRESENTATION UNIQUE: All of Caroline’s keynote presentations and workshops offer insightful scientific research, applicable examples, and powerful, timely stories (including from her own personal journey); and, leave her audiences with tangible takeaways and actions they can use to create their own happiness and success.

Create Your Best Life: How to Identify and Pursue the Most Meaningful Goals with Grit

Studies have found the happiest people are those who wake up every day to clear-cut goals that provide their lives with meaning and purpose. Their goals are usually quite difficult; however, they don’t quit or make excuses. Instead, they rely on the characteristic of “grit” to overcome and thrive. Grit is defined as “passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals.” In this session, positive psychology expert Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP shares her unique, comprehensive and evidence-based approach to helping you create and accomplish any goal on your list. You will learn the power of goal setting and grit to drive happiness and success in your professional and personal life.

After attending this session, you will be able to:

Set learning and performance goals – and why each matters, as well as the most common mistakes that derail almost everybody
Identify your “web of influence” and know who should and should not be in it
Start using the environment to trigger positive habits and goal success
Cultivate grit in yourself and use it as your “secret to success”
FORMAT: 45-60 minute keynote; half and full-day workshops are available, as well

IDEAL AUDIENCE: Anyone who is required to create and accomplish goals in their job or wants to create a better life for themselves. Specific audiences have included: Leaders, Women's Groups, Universities, Schools, Entrepreneurs, Sales Teams, Athletic Groups, Multi-level Marketing Distributors, and Professionals such as Lawyers, Financial Advisors and Accountants.

WHAT MAKES THIS PRESENTATION UNIQUE: All of Caroline’s keynote presentations and workshops offer insightful scientific research, applicable examples, and powerful stories (including from her own personal journey); and, leave her audiences with tangible takeaways and actions they can use to accomplish their goals and drive happiness and success in their professional and personal life.

Testimonials

Beautiful talk by a paragon of grit! Caroline, bravo!
– Dr. Angela Duckworth, Winner of the 2013 MacArthur Genius Grant
Caroline Adams Miller spoke as my closing keynote at the She Leads 2018 Conference and she was nothing short of specular. I wish that I had more time – half a day, a full day – to provide her expertise and her content to my audience of women entrepreneurs and leaders in NYC. Caroline was a shining star. Her talk was real. It was engaging. It was genuine and it was smart. And the other thing that I was extremely impressed with as a conference producer is that Caroline showed up at the beginning of the day, and her keynote was not until the end of the day. And Caroline participated in the She Leads Conference from the minute that she stepped through the doors until the very very end. She truly is a super star. If you were looking for someone to make an impact for your audience, please consider Caroline as a keynote and opening keynote speaker. She really has a unique gift and way to set the tone. She speaks from the heart. Yet she is super direct, super giving and she tells it likes it is. You need to hire Caroline because she will impact your audience in a very positive incredible way.
– Adrienne Garland, CEO of She Leads Media
From start to finish we were absolutely impressed with Caroline Adams Miller and her team! Caroline not only customized her presentation to meet the needs of our audience, she also went above and beyond helping us get the message out prior to our conference. Her delivery was passionate and practical. Our conference attendees (both parents and educational professionals) are still raving that Caroline was the best public speaker they ever heard. Her team was responsive, thorough and efficient from beginning to end – an absolute pleasure to work with!
– Meaghan Barracoso, Director of Admissions and Outreach, Fusion Academy
You painted a visual picture of why Grit has become something we don’t see because of society. The delivery was intentional and relatable. As a teacher it is easy to feel lost during a presentation at conferences like that because the information is over my head. You balanced that well and we literally still talk about your presentation. It was one of the best presentations on GRIT I’ve seen.
– Erica Lohn, Citizens Academy East
Caroline has inspired us and brought-in a powerful conversation about the way and the type of goals we set within the organization. Furthermore, the open reflection of our strengths and the practices to cultivate GRIT have sparked a new way of approaching the way we can lead our teams, have a real impact in every person through connecting with their purpose, and develop a mindset to have bigger and bolder goals for our organization.
– Carlos Puyo, Corporate Director of Leadership and Learning, Belcorp
Caroline was an amazing closing keynote speaker at our Educating for Resilience Conference! Her knowledge of grit and what fuels optimal performance is just phenomenal and she is able to dynamically connect with her audience in such an authentic way. Caroline weaves her unique insights with the latest research in psychology to deliver a highly valuable session. We liked her so much, we’re having her back next June!
– Louisa Jewell, Canadian Positive Psychology Association
If you want to get-it-done and make-it-happen, then Caroline Miller is your go-to, must-see speaker. With solid rigorous science and moving stories that captivate and connect, both your heart and mind are engaged to reach your highest aspirations.
– Megan McDonough, CEO, Wholebeing Institute
Caroline, you delivered what we asked for and more! We’ve had terrific feedback that you were easy to relate to, your stories were relevant, and the research gave your talk credibility for a high-powered audience. Everyone agreed they got rejuvenated, reignited and recommitted to setting and accomplishing meaningful goals.
– Morgan Stanley
Caroline’s cutting-edge insights on Grit and Goal Setting are awesome, and so needed in the business world now!
– Deb Giffen, Director, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Booksby Caroline Adams Miller

Getting Grit

Creating Your Best Life

Positively Caroline

My Name is Caroline

Your Happiest Life

Feeding the Soul

Bright Words for Dark Days

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