Meet Jeanne

Leadership Communication Expert, Author, 
Emmy-winning Media Personality, Keynote Speaker & Emcee

Photo Credit: @fetelifestylemag @james_gustin

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THAT GIRL SURE CAN TALK!

For Jeanne Sparrow, the road to creating Fearless Authenticity began as a little girl when she discovered a healthy gift of gab and the confidence to match. It became her profession with her first job in radio in her hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana while still in high school. Soon after graduation from Northwestern University, she was co-hosting daily radio shows with comedy giants Steve Harvey and George Wallace and radio legend Tom Joyner. She pivoted to television where she’s done everything from entertainment and traffic reporting to hosting her own daily morning talk show for nearly 10 years. Along the way, Jeanne interviewed hundreds of Hollywood A-Listers and became a standout interviewer with a knack for finding out what people want to know that no one else can get.

FEARLESS AUTHENTICITY IS BORN

With this expertise and impressive career journey, Jeanne is now a respected voice on leadership and communication. Her work is rooted in the idea that people lead best when they move with intention, speak with presence, and create real connections that drive lasting results. That belief became The Power of Fearless Authenticity, a philosophy that has shaped her speaking and consulting practice for the past eight years. It was too good to keep to herself and she knew she had to share it. In early 2025, she proudly released her book, Fearless Authenticity: Lead Better, Sell More, and Speak Sensationally. 

HONORS AND AWARDS

Jeanne’s work has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including: 
  • Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award (2024)
  • 7 NATAS Emmy Awards including Outstanding Achievement for Entertainment, Magazine, & Public Affairs Programming
  • African American Television & Filmmakers’ 2003 Sapphire Reinvention Award
  • Midwest Radio & Music Association’s 2002 Radio Personality of the Year & Griot Award
  • Chicago Association of Black Journalists: Award for Excellence (2000)
  • Chicago Association of Black Journalists: Award for Excellence in Features (1998)

WHAT ALL THIS MEANS FOR YOU

Jeanne shares her insights on authenticity as a fast track for success in her work now as a sought-after speaker, trusted consultant and Northwestern University graduate faculty member. From keynote stages to executive boardrooms, Jeanne teaches people and organizations how to use individual strengths and value to reduce competition and increase collaboration to accelerate innovation and progress. Her partnership helps leaders embrace authenticity as a driver of influence, impact, and change.
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ON-AIR

These days, when she’s not sharing the power of Fearless Authenticity, she’s keeping listeners entertained as the host of her own weekly radio show for V103, the #1-ranked iHeartRadio station in Chicago, along with her podcast Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow, and appears regularly on top-rated Chicago TV stations as a fill-in host and guest. Over the course of her career, she has reached over 500 million people through TV, radio, and digital platforms.

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VOICEOVER AND ACTING

Jeanne is also an actor and voiceover artist, appearing in episodic television on Empire, Chicago Med, Magnum P.I., in the film Let’s Start a Cult,  and in ads for Old National Bank, Leqvio/Novartis, AT&T, JP Morgan Chase, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, Sony, Tide, Walmart, and many other major brands. 

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GALLERY