In an era where workplaces are rapidly reinventing themselves, one truth has become impossible to ignore: people are no longer disengaged they’re depleted. Cultures are strained, leaders are overwhelmed, and traditional playbooks fall short in a world where employees are designing life differently. Yet amidst this shift, some voices rise with clarity, courage, and conviction, reminding leaders that the solution isn’t more pressure it’s more purpose.
Victoria Porter Cramer, founder of Be Epic Leadership, keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and creator of the Epic Impact Equation, is one such force. Known for electrifying audiences with her Be Epic movement, she brings a rare blend of behavioral science, experiential leadership, and lived resilience to every stage she steps onto. As an executive coach and former hospitality executive, she helps leaders reimagine culture not as a corporate initiative but as a human experience one fueled by energy, intentionality, and the courage to lead loudly.
Her 11-year cancer journey reshaped her approach to impact and purpose, turning her into a steward of bold living and conscious leadership. Whether she’s coaching a CEO, speaking to thousands, or guiding teams toward measurable transformation, Victoria’s message remains unwavering: leadership today demands more heart, more clarity, and more humanity than ever before.
To understand how she’s helping leaders move from disengagement to epic engagement, read on.
A New Definition of Disengagement: Dehydration, Not Disinterest
Victoria challenges one of the biggest misconceptions in the workplace: the belief that disengagement stems from entitlement or lack of loyalty. Instead, she describes the current workforce as “dehydrated,” navigating an environment where expectations rise while energy, purpose, and connection run dry.
As she explains, “Retention isn’t random; it’s a response.”
In a time marked by nomadic careers, fractional talent, and burnout-level change, the numbers paint a sobering picture:
- Global employee engagement hit a low of 21% in 2024.
- 63% of people considered changing industries entirely.
- 79% who quit cited lack of appreciation as the primary reason.
Employees aren’t walking away from work they’re walking toward meaning. They’re seeking environments where they feel alive, appreciated, and connected, not confined by outdated rules. Meanwhile, companies are restructuring at lightning speed, shifting to agile, project-based systems that require adaptability and emotional endurance.
The result, Victoria says, is an “engagement drought” where leaders feel stretched thin, and teams feel unseen.
But she doesn’t see this moment as a crisis.
She sees it as an invitation a chance to build something braver, smarter, and more intentional.
Why Retention Feels Unpredictable and What Leaders Keep Missing
Today’s workforce across every generation is shaped by four defining shifts:
- Nomadic by design:
Professionals want mobility and choice, not confinement.
- Fractional by necessity:
Companies hire specialists as needed; talent wants creative, flexible opportunities.
- Purpose-driven:
People stay where they see meaning, growth, and alignment with personal values.
- Experience-hungry:
Employees choose cultures that ignite them not drain them.
Traditional retention strategies assume people want to stay.
Modern retention strategies understand people will stay only if the experience is worth it.
Even top performers today are experiencing:
- Weak connection to purpose
- Limited recognition
- Transactional leadership
- Unclear contribution to the bigger picture
- Exhaustion from constant change
As Victoria notes, “You can’t engage a modern workforce with yesterday’s playbook.”
From Culture Curator to Experience Engineer
Victoria teaches leaders to stop designing “jobs” and start designing experiences. Humans remain where they feel something belonging, momentum, pride, and possibility.
She urges leaders to rethink culture through three transformational shifts:
- Design experiences, not roles.
Create environments that spark connection, creativity, and contribution.
- Lead loudly with purpose.
Clarity is magnetic. If people don’t know why their work matters, they won’t stay.
- Build choose-your-own-adventure careers.
Modern talent wants movement. She integrates tools like EQ, MQ, and the ieQ9 Enneagram to help people understand where they fit and how they shine.
The leaders who succeed in the next decade won’t control talent
they’ll curate experiences worthy of commitment.
A Life Rewritten: From Cancer Survivor to Chief Epic Officer
Victoria’s journey is shaped by resilience. Eleven years of fighting cancer reframed her understanding of leadership, energy, and purpose. It taught her that impact isn’t accidental it’s intentional.
Her best-selling book series, Living Life Loudly, captures her belief that life is meant to be lived with intensity, presence, and courage. This ethos flows through her Be Epic Leadership movement, a global framework that helps teams design work and life with deeper meaning and measurable impact.
Her approach is equal parts science and soul. Behavioral psychology guides her strategies; lived experience strengthens her message. That combination creates a connection with audiences that is both rare and unforgettable.
Leading Through Energy, Clarity, and Connection
Whether she’s speaking to 500 people at a summit or coaching a C-suite leader one-on-one, Victoria brings an unmistakable energy one that fuels action rather than just inspiration.
Leaders turn to her because she doesn’t just diagnose problems; she equips them with pathways:
- Cultures built on clarity, not confusion
- Systems grounded in humanity, not hierarchy
- Leadership designed for impact, not maintenance
She reminds leaders that modern teams crave three things above all: to matter, to be seen, and to grow. When workplaces deliver those three essentials, retention becomes not a challenge but a natural outcome.
Redesigning Leadership for a Future That Refuses to Sit Still
The workplace is evolving faster than leadership models can keep up. But Victoria believes this is the greatest era for transformation if leaders are willing to evolve with their people.
Her call to action is clear:
If you want teams that stay, perform, and thrive, you must co-create the environment with them.
Victoria’s vision for the next decade of leadership centers on:
- Purpose-forward culture
- Human-centered systems
- Experience-driven engagement
- Personalized growth pathways
- Leaders who are brave enough to “do epic shit”
She encourages leaders to not simply adapt but to elevate.
A Movement Rooted in Courage and Connection
Every keynote, every coaching session, every workshop reinforces one core truth: people don’t want perfect leaders they want present ones.
Victoria’s work is a call for leaders to embrace boldness, to challenge outdated norms, and to lead with both clarity and compassion. She invites teams to step into a new era of work where purpose fuels performance and culture becomes a competitive advantage.
Her invitation is simple yet powerful:
Lean in. Reimagine leadership. Build experiences worthy of loyalty.
It’s time for your people to stay hydrated, stay inspired, and start living life loudly.
