Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), and Founder & President of Educational Achievement Services, Inc. is an Army Veteran, Author, Motivational Speaker, and Educator.

>>  How did Consuelo end up as a military officer, what did she learn in her career and why did she decide to start her own company?

Consuelo is a renowned charismatic, passionate and influential speaker who carries her powerful message of what it takes to be an effective leader in today’s global marketplace to hundreds of schools, colleges/universities, corporations, and government institutions, both in the U.S. and abroad. For the last thirteen years Consuelo has dedicated her life to empowering a new generation of leaders and has worked with over one million children and their parents across the United States through Educational Achievement Services, Inc. (EAS), a human development company.

>>  What had Consuelo learned from the various speaking engagements she’s done?  What do people want to learn and why?

Born and raised along the border in a small barrio in Laredo, Texas, Consuelo Kickbusch is all too familiar with the challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy.  Although she grew up without material wealth, she was taught by her immigrant parents that she was rich in culture, tradition, values and faith.

The values she learned as a child were reinforced throughout her career in the U.S. military. After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, Consuelo entered the U.S. Army as an officer and served for two decades.  During that time, she broke barriers and set records in the military where she became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army.  When the opportunity to assume a command post arose, LTC Castillo Kickbusch shocked the military by deciding to retire.  She chose to honor her mother’s dying wish to get back to her roots and become a community leader.  In 1996, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch retired from the military and dedicated her time to operating Educational Achievement Services, Inc. and fulfilling her mission of preparing tomorrow’s leaders today.

>>  What lessons did Consuelo learn in her military career, what achievements did she accomplish, and how did her mother convey her dying wish?

Today, Consuelo tells her story to people of all ages and creeds.  She is doing exactly what she preaches…living a legacy.  Because of her strong dedication to saving the youth of America living under similar circumstances as she did as a child, Consuelo continues to share her message with young people across the country and their parents.  In addition, she reaches audiences in the corporate, professional, and multi-cultural markets.  She has also worked with many non-profit organizations, community-service oriented companies, and programs.

In addition to being an advocate for education, Consuelo serves as a featured motivational speaker with corporations and government agencies to develop the leadership and peak performance of their employees.  She firmly believes that businesses and corporations need strong leaders and a talented, diverse workforce in order to compete successfully in the global marketplace.

>>  How and does Consuelo’s message change based on her audience?

Her clients include: AOL, Avon, Boeing, Cities of Dallas and San Antonio, Campbell’s, Costco, Dell, Department of Education, Department of the Treasury, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Hewitt and Associates, IBM, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Lockheed-Martin, NASA-Ames Research, National Association of Hispanic Realtors, National Association of Women in Law Enforcement, National Football League, National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), Nordstrom’s, Sodexho, State Farm Insurance, U.S Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Army, U.S. Postal Service, United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), Verizon, Wal-Mart, and many more.

As part of her on-going quest to propel America’s next generation, Consuelo has authored a book for youth, titled Journey to the Future: A Roadmap for Success for Youth, where she shares her story and provides practical techniques for children to develop higher self-esteem and achieve their personal goals.  She has also produced several audio CDs and videos which highlight her message of leadership and education.  Currently, Consuelo is working on her second book.  She has also started work on a new audio CD series about the importance of mentoring.

>>  We’ll be discussing her products and programs and her long-term mission and goals.

As the Founder of Educational Achievement Services, Inc., Consuelo created the Family Leadership Institute (FLI)—a multi-faceted educational program—which focuses on providing parents, with knowledge, tools and inspiration to help their children succeed in school and in life.  The program, which has been acknowledged by the Department of Education and Office of English Language Acquisition, is instrumental in changing lives of students and their families.  The Family Leadership Institute, “Success Begins at Home”, is currently in several states including: Texas, Nevada, Washington, Florida, and New Mexico and is making its way to many more.

>>  What does the FLI teach, and where and who uses the program?

As a counterpart to the FLI, Consuelo corralled a group of six young motivational speakers—whom she has mentored—to develop a student leadership program to help students directly.  SliCK, an acronym for Student Leadership Inspired by Consuelo Kickbusch, is a comprehensive program for students in high school and college.  SliCK has been successful in motivating students to finish not only high-school, but college as well.

Consuelo’s dedication to the youth of America and her amazing talent at motivational speaking has garnered her numerous awards and citations from educational institutions, government agencies, professional organizations, as well as the national media.  Recently, she was awarded the Legacy Award from Working Mother’s Magazine, the Brillante Award for Entrepreneur Excellence from the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s, and the prestigious Hispanic Heritage Foundation Award for leadership.

She is also the recipient of the Trailblazer in Diversity Award, Legion of Merit, the National Defense Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (four times), the Toastmaster’s Leadership Award, the National Mujer Award from the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), the Vista Magazine Award for education, the Society of Our Wise Women Award from Bennett College and many more.

>>  Which awards has Consuelo enjoyed the most and why?

In the national media, Consuelo Kickbusch has been profiled on the Lifetime Network, National Public Radio, O Magazine, the syndicated television program “Hispanics Today,” Hispanic Business magazine’s “100 Most Influential Hispanics in America,” Latina Style, Vanidades, Glamour and AARP.  Features on Consuelo Kickbusch have also appeared in English and Spanish language newspapers across the country.  In the book, “Mustang Sallies: Success Secrets of Women Who Refuse to Run with the Herd,” Fawn Germer lists Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch among other women “who’ve got the brains, the guts, and the drive to change the world…”

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is married to retired Lieutenant Colonel David Allen Kickbusch and is the proud mother of five daughters.  She and her family currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.

>>  How does Consuelo balance work and family obligations and commitments?  What strategies can we learn from her?

When asked about a Personal Mission, Consuelo says: “Leadership is not about you. It is about the legacy you leave behind.  And the one that you are living today!”  We must prepare tomorrow’s leaders today by investing ourselves and our talents and passing the torch.  By mentoring the next generation, we can help shape America’s future and help today’s youth become tomorrow’s next great leaders.