Kristen Ziman
@kristenziman.bsky.social
Keynote speaker: Optimize with Optimism. Author of “Reimagining Blue.” Recovering Police Chief
Listen to The Disrupter's Creed here: https://linktr.ee/kristenziman
Listen to The Disrupter's Creed here: https://linktr.ee/kristenziman
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Kristen Ziman
@kristenziman.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Hey, Blue Sky! I’m Kristen, an optimist with a mission to shake up comfort zones and build cultures that actually work.
Former police chief, current keynote speaker, published author (yep, I wrote a book on this stuff), and someone who never met a status quo I didn’t want to challenge.
Former police chief, current keynote speaker, published author (yep, I wrote a book on this stuff), and someone who never met a status quo I didn’t want to challenge.
I hate vulnerability because I’m bad at it.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
December 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I hate vulnerability because I’m bad at it.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
This is your moment of reckoning:
What habit is slowly eroding your potential?
What habit is slowly eroding your potential?
November 29, 2025 at 2:39 PM
This is your moment of reckoning:
What habit is slowly eroding your potential?
What habit is slowly eroding your potential?
“Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust.”
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
November 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust.”
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
We like to pretend we’re tough, self-contained, unfazed.
Then a stranger squeezes your hand for three seconds
and your entire internal weather system resets.
Tell me again how little we matter to each other.
Read here: https://loom.ly/PTB64BQ
Then a stranger squeezes your hand for three seconds
and your entire internal weather system resets.
Tell me again how little we matter to each other.
Read here: https://loom.ly/PTB64BQ
November 17, 2025 at 6:03 PM
We like to pretend we’re tough, self-contained, unfazed.
Then a stranger squeezes your hand for three seconds
and your entire internal weather system resets.
Tell me again how little we matter to each other.
Read here: https://loom.ly/PTB64BQ
Then a stranger squeezes your hand for three seconds
and your entire internal weather system resets.
Tell me again how little we matter to each other.
Read here: https://loom.ly/PTB64BQ
If you want honest feedback, stop using language that makes people afraid to tell you the truth.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
November 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
If you want honest feedback, stop using language that makes people afraid to tell you the truth.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
We don’t need more friends.
We need the right friends. The ones who clap when we win, tell us the truth when we’re slipping, and stand in our corner when it counts.
The key is being intentional about who earns a spot.
I wrote about friendship this week: https://loom.ly/54eoSls
We need the right friends. The ones who clap when we win, tell us the truth when we’re slipping, and stand in our corner when it counts.
The key is being intentional about who earns a spot.
I wrote about friendship this week: https://loom.ly/54eoSls
The 150 Friend Limit: Who’s Really in Your Corner?
Here’s a simple truth that most people don’t want to hear: Not everyone who’s in your circle is in your corner. That line usually earns a few raised eyebrows when I say it from a stage.
kristenziman.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:02 PM
We don’t need more friends.
We need the right friends. The ones who clap when we win, tell us the truth when we’re slipping, and stand in our corner when it counts.
The key is being intentional about who earns a spot.
I wrote about friendship this week: https://loom.ly/54eoSls
We need the right friends. The ones who clap when we win, tell us the truth when we’re slipping, and stand in our corner when it counts.
The key is being intentional about who earns a spot.
I wrote about friendship this week: https://loom.ly/54eoSls
In Italy, ordering a cappuccino after 11 a.m. is a crime.
My friend learned this the hard way in a Florence café—and it got me thinking about all the invisible rules we live by, and how quick we are to judge when someone breaks them.
Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/X7qA1BQ
My friend learned this the hard way in a Florence café—and it got me thinking about all the invisible rules we live by, and how quick we are to judge when someone breaks them.
Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/X7qA1BQ
Don’t Yuck Someone Else’s Yum
If you are in Italy and you order a cappuccino past 11 a.m., it’s punishable by death. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but barely. A friend of mine committed this infraction while visiting the…
kristenziman.com
October 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
In Italy, ordering a cappuccino after 11 a.m. is a crime.
My friend learned this the hard way in a Florence café—and it got me thinking about all the invisible rules we live by, and how quick we are to judge when someone breaks them.
Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/X7qA1BQ
My friend learned this the hard way in a Florence café—and it got me thinking about all the invisible rules we live by, and how quick we are to judge when someone breaks them.
Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/X7qA1BQ
Leadership is not a popularity contest.
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Leadership is not a popularity contest.
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
What a nun and deep-dish pizza taught me about the meaning of life. https://loom.ly/Fk591EM
The Pizza, the Nun, and the Meaning of Life
I found myself wandering the streets of Chicago this week in search of a place to eat. I was led to a restaurant by someone I’d never met. She lives in the same building as me, and we happened to be…
kristenziman.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:03 PM
What a nun and deep-dish pizza taught me about the meaning of life. https://loom.ly/Fk591EM
Your phone is not just data. It is a record of who you were, who you outgrew, and who is still worth the space. I did a waiting-room contact purge and learned a lot.
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
October 14, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Your phone is not just data. It is a record of who you were, who you outgrew, and who is still worth the space. I did a waiting-room contact purge and learned a lot.
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
Sometimes deleting contacts isn’t cold—it’s clarity.
Your phone is a reflection of your life: who you were, who you’ve outgrown, and who’s still worth the space.
Read “Someone I Used to Know” here: 🔗 https://loom.ly/YcZiGgQ
Your phone is a reflection of your life: who you were, who you’ve outgrown, and who’s still worth the space.
Read “Someone I Used to Know” here: 🔗 https://loom.ly/YcZiGgQ
Someone I Used to Know
Link to article
mailchi.mp
October 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Sometimes deleting contacts isn’t cold—it’s clarity.
Your phone is a reflection of your life: who you were, who you’ve outgrown, and who’s still worth the space.
Read “Someone I Used to Know” here: 🔗 https://loom.ly/YcZiGgQ
Your phone is a reflection of your life: who you were, who you’ve outgrown, and who’s still worth the space.
Read “Someone I Used to Know” here: 🔗 https://loom.ly/YcZiGgQ
A boss once accused me of “ambushing” him.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
October 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
A boss once accused me of “ambushing” him.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
A paycheck buys a back.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
October 3, 2025 at 4:18 PM
A paycheck buys a back.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Confidence in leadership isn’t optional—it’s everything. Without it, leaders chase being loved or feared. Both fail. Confidence earns trust.
September 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Confidence in leadership isn’t optional—it’s everything. Without it, leaders chase being loved or feared. Both fail. Confidence earns trust.
The fastest way to kill morale is to put the wrong person in charge. I call them Hollow Bunnies—leaders who look solid on the outside but are empty inside.
This week’s blog is about how to survive them…and how not to become one.
https://loom.ly/4_53n1E
This week’s blog is about how to survive them…and how not to become one.
https://loom.ly/4_53n1E
Leaders Who Rot Culture From the Inside
If we truly want to disrupt a disengaged culture, we must identify one of its most potent accelerants: bad leadership. Apathy isn’t just a personal failure—it’s almost always a response to something.
kristenziman.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The fastest way to kill morale is to put the wrong person in charge. I call them Hollow Bunnies—leaders who look solid on the outside but are empty inside.
This week’s blog is about how to survive them…and how not to become one.
https://loom.ly/4_53n1E
This week’s blog is about how to survive them…and how not to become one.
https://loom.ly/4_53n1E
My daughter dropped a phrase from the Air Force that stuck with me: throw spears.
Not an attack—a ritual. An invitation to poke holes in a plan so it doesn’t collapse later.
Strong leaders don’t chase praise. They invite spears.
Because disruption starts with honesty.
https://loom.ly/bq7YEZU
Not an attack—a ritual. An invitation to poke holes in a plan so it doesn’t collapse later.
Strong leaders don’t chase praise. They invite spears.
Because disruption starts with honesty.
https://loom.ly/bq7YEZU
Throw Spears
My daughter Bailey is a Captain in the Air Force, and she dropped a phrase on me that I can’t get out of my head: throw spears. At first, I winced. Spears? That sounds violent. But Bailey explained it…
kristenziman.com
September 15, 2025 at 4:06 PM
My daughter dropped a phrase from the Air Force that stuck with me: throw spears.
Not an attack—a ritual. An invitation to poke holes in a plan so it doesn’t collapse later.
Strong leaders don’t chase praise. They invite spears.
Because disruption starts with honesty.
https://loom.ly/bq7YEZU
Not an attack—a ritual. An invitation to poke holes in a plan so it doesn’t collapse later.
Strong leaders don’t chase praise. They invite spears.
Because disruption starts with honesty.
https://loom.ly/bq7YEZU
What punches is life throwing at you right now?
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
September 12, 2025 at 1:39 PM
What punches is life throwing at you right now?
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
If you’ve been to one of my keynotes, you’ve heard me say: “Show up for people in pain and do not look away.”
I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say to someone struggling.
Here is what I've learned to do. https://loom.ly/4qEmVkc
I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say to someone struggling.
Here is what I've learned to do. https://loom.ly/4qEmVkc
Helped, Heard, or Hugged
If you’ve been to one of my keynotes, you’ve heard me say: “Show up for people in pain and do not look away.” I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say when…
kristenziman.com
September 8, 2025 at 7:03 PM
If you’ve been to one of my keynotes, you’ve heard me say: “Show up for people in pain and do not look away.”
I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say to someone struggling.
Here is what I've learned to do. https://loom.ly/4qEmVkc
I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say to someone struggling.
Here is what I've learned to do. https://loom.ly/4qEmVkc
Fear is a liar.
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Fear is a liar.
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
Most people live at the bottom of the barrel, doing just enough to get by. But craftsmanship is rebellion: giving your best even when no one’s watching. Halfway work erodes your identity. Excellence takes effort, but it stands out—even in a shortcut world. https://loom.ly/APuUtEg
Why Craftsmanship Still Matters in a Shortcut World
One of my biggest pet peeves used to be when my kids did things only halfway. When they were younger, I spent a lot of time explaining this concept to them when they left a chore undone or turned in a…
kristenziman.com
September 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Most people live at the bottom of the barrel, doing just enough to get by. But craftsmanship is rebellion: giving your best even when no one’s watching. Halfway work erodes your identity. Excellence takes effort, but it stands out—even in a shortcut world. https://loom.ly/APuUtEg
52. What a privilege. Chicago. Family (minus Jake on tour with Parade). My Aurora Police & chosen family who always show up. Honored my daughter & son-in-law before they deploy soon. And—we found a 2nd home in the Gold Coast. Grateful for every year, every person.
September 1, 2025 at 2:57 PM
52. What a privilege. Chicago. Family (minus Jake on tour with Parade). My Aurora Police & chosen family who always show up. Honored my daughter & son-in-law before they deploy soon. And—we found a 2nd home in the Gold Coast. Grateful for every year, every person.
My keynotes don’t come from perfection—they come from the messy middle. I’ve failed, fallen short, and wrestled with vulnerability. And that’s exactly why I share: to help others navigate better than I did. Book me to speak: www.kristenziman.com
August 29, 2025 at 4:23 PM
My keynotes don’t come from perfection—they come from the messy middle. I’ve failed, fallen short, and wrestled with vulnerability. And that’s exactly why I share: to help others navigate better than I did. Book me to speak: www.kristenziman.com
What do Tarot cards and flight delays have in common? Both test your patience. Both force you to surrender. And both might just change your perspective.
Read about it here: https://loom.ly/bE7aflU
Read about it here: https://loom.ly/bE7aflU
August 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
What do Tarot cards and flight delays have in common? Both test your patience. Both force you to surrender. And both might just change your perspective.
Read about it here: https://loom.ly/bE7aflU
Read about it here: https://loom.ly/bE7aflU
The blink: that moment when discomfort meets decision. Fear whispers “step back”—but you move anyway. That’s the window. That’s disruption. You may not get it twice. Readiness is overrated. What matters is that you act.
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
August 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The blink: that moment when discomfort meets decision. Fear whispers “step back”—but you move anyway. That’s the window. That’s disruption. You may not get it twice. Readiness is overrated. What matters is that you act.
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
When my kids showed me their papers, I’d fix grammar—then ask: “Is this the best you can do?”
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
August 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM
When my kids showed me their papers, I’d fix grammar—then ask: “Is this the best you can do?”
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.