Kelly McDonald

Kelly McDonald is a four-time bestselling author and nationally recognized expert in leadership, marketing, sales, and consumer trends, known for transforming workplace differences into business results. After founding McDonald Marketing in 2002, Kelly McDonald quickly established the firm as a recognized leader, twice named one of the ‘Top Ad Agencies in the U.S.’ by Advertising Age magazine and ranked among Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing independently-owned companies in the U.S. McDonald’s extensive background in global advertising, spanning two decades, laid the groundwork for her entrepreneurial success.

Her career began as a Regional Account Director at TBWA Chiat Day from 1992 to 1997, followed by a tenure as VP at Young & Rubicam from 1997 to 1998, and later as a Regional Account Director at Temerlin McClain from 1999 to 2001. This foundational experience in leading advertising roles equipped her with deep insights into market dynamics and consumer behavior across diverse demographics, including generations, values, lifestyles, races, and ethnicities. McDonald has since become a four-time bestselling author, leveraging her specialized expertise to address critical business topics. Her influential publications include ‘How to Market to People Not Like You’ (2011), ‘Crafting the Customer Experience for People Not Like You’ (2013), ‘How to Work With & Lead People Not Like You’ (2017), and ‘It’s Time to Talk about Race at Work.’ Her insights have led to highly successful collaborations with major brands such as Toyota, Harley-Davidson, NASA, Sherwin-Williams, Chubb, Kimberly-Clark, Nike, and Miller/Coors, where she provides strategic guidance on leadership, marketing, and enhancing customer experiences for diverse audiences.

She offers practical, actionable strategies designed to enhance leadership capabilities, refine marketing approaches, and improve customer experience. Through her proven methodologies, McDonald guides clients in building stronger, more inclusive teams, driving superior business outcomes, and fostering lasting organizational change by effectively leveraging diverse perspectives for competitive advantage.